Training for Nuns

Training for Nuns

Date Posted:
January 2006

A number of nuns asked for Rinpoche’s advice about what kind of training there should be after they were first ordained.

My dear Ven. Nuns,
Sorry for the delay. You have asked me about training for nuns. The most important training is the pratimoksa vows, the bodhisattva vows, if one has taken them, and then the tantric vows. The most important training is knowing these well and living according to them. This is the essential training.

Then, there is respecting the elder Sangha members, as well as the teacher.

In the Lam-rim Chen Mo, there is an explanation on how to go to bed in order to have a light sleep so that one can wake up early to practice. If you have a highest yoga initiation, there is a much more profound meditation you can do when you go to bed. It is more profound than the sutra method.

At the end of the nyung-nä text published by Wisdom, there is a meditation for eating and for preparing for sleep at night.

You have instructions on how to practice each deity, and there are also practices to be done in break times. Then, in the Guru Puja practice, there is the explanation of how everything can become guru yoga practice.

However, the essence is this, from the Bodhicaryavatara:

What is the need for so many activities except that of protecting the mind? If the mind is protected, what is the need for other activities?

and:

If the elephant mind is fastened with the rope of remembrance, all suffering ceases and all virtues come to you.

Our training is watching the mind. Our training is not like being in the army: eating together, walking together, finishing things together, everything happening together, shooting together, and running together.

Of course, I don’t mean that you can be lazy and not follow the program together. That is important.

With much love and prayers always...