Background
These guidelines have been developed by the International Mahayana
Institute (IMI) to provide direction for students at FPMT Centers who are
planning to take ordination.
IMI is the international community of FPMT monks and nuns. IMI was
established by FPMT Founder, Lama Yeshe in November 1973 for the
purpose of helping monks and nuns maintain their ordination.
The purpose of the guidelines is to provide direction for students before,
during and after taking ordination.
These guidelines have been developed in consultation with the Spiritual
Director of FPMT, Lama Zopa Rinpoche and the IMI Senior Sangha Council.
They also take into account:
- The ordination policy of the Office of His Holiness Dalai Lama.
- Input from FPMT Tibetan teachers at the Geshe Conference in Sarnath
in December 2006 on the subject of ordination at FPMT Centers
including ordination for students of teachers at FPMT Centers.
1. Interest in taking ordination
Lama Zopa Rinpoche emphasizes the primary consideration in any request
for ordination is the relationship of the student with the teacher. The
student-teacher relationship is not only important in determining the
suitability of the candidate for ordination at the time of the request but also
as the student integrates into the monastic community after taking vows.
While the teacher has the responsibility of deciding the suitability of the
student requesting ordination, the decision to ordain is made by the
student him (her) self.
- Prerequisites for requesting ordination are to:
- have a foundation in the Lam.rim through listening and meditation
- have a firmly established relationship with a spiritual teacher
- have cultivated an understanding of renunciation in undertaking the
life of a monk or nun - have developed the wish to devote one’s life to service and practice
while living as a member of a monastic community - have experience of observing the 8 Mahayana Precepts
- have experience of doing solitary retreat (for at least a few weeks)
FPMT students considering ordination should also:
- have had Buddhist refuge for at least three years
- have lived with five lay vows for at least two years
- NOT be a Shugden practitioner
- be at least 20 years of age
- ideally, have permission from their family
- be free of any encumbering relationships; if married, the candidate
will have permission from their partner and be living separately - be free of any encumbering financial obligations
- not be returning to their ordinary work situation; working in a Dharma
center is permissible - have held the getsul ordination for at least three years if requesting
gelong ordination - be willing to undertake the IMI Pre-ordination Training Course
- be willing to follow the advice of the FPMT Spiritual Director and /or
the IMI regarding living arrangements, education and service, etc.,
after ordination. (This would also involve consultation with one’s own
root guru)
Prior to requesting ordination you will need to carefully consider what it
means to be ordained and how your life will change after ordination. To
help you in this process, it is strongly recommended that prior to
requesting ordination you discuss your interest with a senior (ordained for
10 years or more) IMI monk or nun. If this is not possible you can discuss
with the Spiritual Program Coordinator at your center to help you get in
touch with the regional IMI representative.
Further information for those interested in ordaining is available online at
www.imisangha.org.
2. Requesting Ordination
Once you have decided to take ordination you will need to request
permission to do so from your teacher. In preparation for meeting with your
teacher:
- be clear about your motivation for seeking ordination
- know your post ordination plans such as where you will live and how
you will support yourself
Your teacher will review your background, current situation, dharma
understanding as well as your practical and emotional suitability for
ordination. On the basis of this discussion your teacher may:
- ask you to defer your plans for ordination
- accept to grant ordination himself
- advise you to request ordination from one of his teachers
- ask you to complete the IMI ordination application form available at
office@imisangha.org to assist them in responding to your request
If you request ordination from a teacher that you do not have an
established relationship with they may ask you to obtain a letter of
recommendation from one or more teachers you have studied with.
Your teacher may recommend you take ordination from His Holiness Dalai
Lama. For information on the pre-requisites for ordination with His Holiness
the Dalai Lama and the application procedure see Tushita Meditation
Center’s site: www.tushita.info/programs/pre-ordination-course
For the application form and further details on how to apply for ordination
with His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Please contact Tenzin Tsepag at His
Holiness’ Office on the following email address: tsepag@dalailama.com
For further information about ordination in the FPMT, IMI’s ordination policy
or pre ordination training, please contact IMI at office@imisangha.org
3. Preparation for ordination
When your request for ordination is granted, again contact a senior IMI
monk or nun at your local FPMT center or the regional IMI representative
who will help you with your preparation for ordination including:
- Enrolling in a pre-ordination training program
- Appropriate offerings to make during the ceremony
- Obtaining two sets of robes
- Communication with the monastic community you will be moving into
or the center where you will live. - Familiarity with the vows you will be taking and the ordination
ceremony - Plan post ordination practice. It is Lama Yeshe’s advice to do
extensive dharma practice immediately after receiving ordination
before there is any degeneration of the vows
Recommended reading:
Advice for Monks and Nuns, Lama Thubten Yeshe and Lama Zopa
Rinpoche, Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archives (www.lamayeshe.com).
Preparing for Ordination: Reflections for Westerners Considering Monastic
Ordination in the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition, Ven. Thubten Chodron,
Sravasti Abbey (http://archive.thubtenchodron.org/Publications/PreparingForOrdination/
index.html).
4. The Ordination Ceremony
During the ordination ceremony you will be asked a series of questions
relating to your qualifications to enter the monastic community as
prescribed by the Vinaya.
Rituals during the ceremony include the hair cutting, blessing of the robes
and conferment of the vows depending on the level of ordination.
Where possible a senior IMI sangha member will help you on the day of the
ceremony – shaving your head, putting on your robes etc. They will also
help you transition into your new role and connect with your new family,
your monastic community.
Having taken ordination you will need to receive an explanation of the vows
you have taken. One of the conditions that cause us to break our vows is
not understanding them. This should happen in a timely manner (e.g. within
the first few weeks of ordination).
5. Entering Monastic Life
Taking ordination not only involves the commitment to keep certain vows
for the rest of your life but also the transition from a lay to a monastic life
style. You become part of a monastic community.
To stabilize the transition you will need to receive teachings and
commentary on the Vinaya and maintain the vows to the best of your ability
– you are a representative of Buddhism and the entire sangha community.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche has advised that newly ordained monks and nuns
commit to living in a monastic community, or similarly conducive
environment that supports subduing the mind: five years for a monk and
four years for a nun.
Particularly in the beginning, there needs to be balanced education
available, not just philosophical study, to produce good monk and nuns.
Rinpoche has stressed that the main protection for one’s ordination is the
study and meditation of Lam-rim, to generate some experience. A monastic
community can help provide the physical, emotional and practice support
required as a monastic.
Therefore it is recommended that following ordination you not return to
your ordinary work situation but live in a monastery or nunnery or other
suitable environment such as a residential Dharma center for at least five
years (four years for nuns). Working in a Dharma center is permissible.
In some cases your teacher may give alternative advice on where you
should live and what you should do for the first five years. In this case it is
recommended you commit to follow the guidance of your teacher for the
five year period.
Being ordained, you should spend your life in the activities of studying,
meditation retreat and/or offering service.
6. IMI Membership
As a student of an FPMT center or teacher you are eligible to join IMI after
taking ordination. Being a member of IMI means you will be part of an
international community of monks and nuns which will nurture and
strengthen you as an ordained person. You will also have more
opportunities for study and practice.
To become a member of IMI please complete the membership application
form (available online at www.imisangha.org)
IN SUMMARY:
The international director of IMI is supported by regional IMI
representatives. Your local senior sangha living in your center, or in your
area, is another important resource available to you because you can have
direct access to them. If there is no senior sangha at your center or in your
area, contact the IMI representative in your region and they will connect
you with a senior monk or nun in the region.
They can help:
- Provide information about ordination, training programs, available
resources. - Offer guidance. While having enthusiasm for becoming a monk or
nun, often students are not well prepared for what follows. The
ordination is the easy part. A senior monk or nun can guide you on the
many aspects of ordained life. - Assist with preparation for the ordination ceremony including
obtaining the required robes, coordinating the ordination time and
place with the teacher, ordaining sangha, the local monastic
community and FPMT Center staff. - Access training. All monks and nuns are expected to attend pre- or
post-ordination training. Currently, a program is being developed to
offer ordination training at a regional level. The IMI representative can
help you access ordination training. This may be a basic level of
training provided using existing training materials until the program is
implemented. - Integration into the IMI Community. The IMI representative can
support you in joining a monastic community and accessing retreat
and study opportunities available through IMI or an FPMT center.
