Pre-Ordination Course at Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery

We have had a really good period here at the monastery, with the pre-ordination 7-month live-in aspirants’ course successfully finishing at the end of August.

On top of that we housed several Geshe’s for Machig Labdron Nunnery grand opening ceremonies, and just finished housing Mingyur Rinpoche for a week while he led a retreat inside the great Stupa.

Regarding the pre-ordination course, we learnt a lot and are happy to say all four aspirants are continuing on here at the monastery, so the feeling here is of growth and community.

Below are a few paragraphs from the three newly ordained monks on their journey and of the 7-month live-in pre-ordination course, and we warmly welcome Tsultrim, Tsundru and Jinpa into the community.

It is with humility and appreciation that I write to you to describe my inner feelings regarding the wonderful opportunity, that Geshe Rabten and the monastic community afforded me by accepting me into this course at Thubten Shedrub Ling Monastery.

To experience monastic life before ordination has helped me immensely.

Coming together as four aspiring monks can be challenging. From my side, Jampa’s emphasis on harmony right at the outset, I think brought a focus to us all.

Living together and having discussion groups on Geshe Rabtens teaching was so valuable in our spiritual growth. It genuinely guided us in our outlook of taking me away from self-centredness to the Mahayana view. Jampa gave us prayers to recite at each meal that the guru is the Buddha, the guru is the precious Dharma, and very importantly that the guru is the sangha. To live amongst sangha is giving us the example to aspire to. We four aspirants learnt as much from living and cooking for each other as leading prayer and meditations each morning. Harmony was always in our heart even if we had to subdue our emotions and afflicted mind.

So we got the “taste” of monastic life before delighting in the smorgasbord. Without this course this would be difficult as it can be imbued with misconceptions.

I will still be an aspirant for the bodhisattva ideal, and I feel somewhat confident, because of Gen-la always, always, giving us encouragement that the path is already laid out – all we have to do is walk it.

Sincerely

David Moyes. Thubten Tsultrim

 My name is Stephen, I live in Australia and have lived a diverse life here – worked many jobs, married and had children. All my adult life I have been a seeker of understanding – who are we and why are we here on this planet. This search led me into many different spiritual paths and ideas which I investigated and experienced. It has been a journey of growth and healing, the inner world and the outer world interacting and catalysing each other in my life. There have been many critical moments when I have had to make a choice which has then led to the next stage of this journey. The choices would often need considerable time and mental and emotional effort to make and once made, the commitment I made to that part of the path would unfold and I would journey onwards.

In this journey I was introduced to Buddhism at a late stage of my life. I have spent the last twenty years investigating and studying the dharma. I have lived and worked at Atisha Centre for thirteen of those year and the last three at TSL Monastery. Over that time I had contemplated being a monk but did not make any commitment. I had a dream of receiving robes and journeying on the path. Venerable Jampa initiated the aspirant’s course and I spent a lot of time contemplating this opportunity and realised that this is the best chance to investigate the life of a monk. The course has been fantastic and challenging, it has given me a deep insight into the purpose of being a monk and what is involved. It has never been an easy choice for me as I know that there is a lot of hard work ahead transforming this mind and that living as I have as a lay person there are too many distractions available that keep me from doing the work of transformation that is needed.

The aspirant’s course is a great way to give people a chance to investigate the life of a monastic and it challenges one to consider the life and purpose of a monk and to realise that following in the footsteps of the Buddha is the only way to realise the dharma in these degenerating times. There comes a point when a decision has to be made to commit to seeing if what is taught works – and for me that is scary and hard but I can see from this time of investigation that the course has provided that and that i have had immense support from my mentor and teacher and the other brothers here.

Steve Williams Thubten Tsundru

During the seven-month pre-ordination course I have learnt a great deal about monastic life. this along with the regular teachings from our precious teacher and the kindness of our mentor and all the monks at Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery have given the opportunity to grow and develop. 

I came with some ideas of what Monastic life was like, but no words can explain the actual lived experience of the last seven months. The great opportunity to prepare oneself, for ordained life by doing the work (meditation, Studying and Contemplation) and growing through the dharma in this way.

With the support from all the Monks at TSL, Geshe Rabten and my mentor Ven Jampa no questions were left unanswered. 

I can think of no better way to prepare oneself to living the life of the ordained and rejoice in the opportunity to become a monk and grow spiritually so that I may be of service to all Beings. 

David Holdsworth Thubten Jinpa