Monasticism in the 21st Century
Mandala’s intensely personal and evocative stories of what it is really like to be a monk or nun in the 21st century include:
- Advice from the great yogi, Ribur Rinpoche.
- Stephen Batchelor, author of Buddhism Without Beliefs and a former monk in both the Zen and Tibetan traditions, raises the need for commitment to financing, supporting and creating environments in which monastic communities can thrive in the West.
- Long-term companions of morality: The stories of four Western monks who have been ordained for up to 26 years.
- From the marae to the gompa: a ten-year old Maori boy from New Zealand takes robes.
- From Christian Minister to Buddhist nun: An ordained United Methodist minister makes an amazing transition.
- The novice nun: A health care giver and former hippie now spends her days helping prisoners in jail.
- There will always be another rupee: A New Yorker learns to trust that the wherewithal will come from somewhere.
- Transcending small love: Master Cheng Yen founded the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation in Chiayi County, southern Taiwan.
- Robes as a reminder: Pema Chodron, directress of Gampo Abbey in Canada, wishes everyone could experience, however briefly, the goodness of a nun’s life.
- Life after disrobing: Gelek Rinpoche, the man with a jewel heart and a recognized incarnate lama, describes his feelings after disrobing; the experiences of seven Westerners follow.