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Visiting the Monastery
At Dhammasara the Ten Precepts are the foundation for our renunciation of the wordly life, and our surrender to the ongoing training and discipline of the practice. At the core of these are the third precept, celibacy, and the tenth precept, not to accept, use or have control over money of any kind for one’s own use. The monastic community follows a discipline based on guidelines established by the Buddha, particularly those rules pertaining to the practice of the Ten Precepts, and in relation to the acquisition and use of the four requisites of monastics, namely food, robes, shelter and medicine. It is fundamental to the principal of Theravada Buddhism that monastics, as ‘alms-mendicants’ are completely dependent on lay supporters for their material needs. The Buddhist community thereby becomes mutually dependent. The lay community offers material support, whilst the monastic community provides spiritual support, in the form of Dhamma talks, meditation guidance, personal counsel, and exemplary behavior. Dhammasara, in particular, offers a daily Dhamma talk, at the time of meal offering. This two-way sharing of merits fosters an ever-deepening sense of community and compassion. Women who wish to ordain at Dhammasara as Ten Precept nuns are required to have spent at least two years in the monastery continuously keeping the Eight Precepts. These Eight Precepts include celibacy and not eating between 12 noon and dawn of the following day, but permit the use and control over one’s own money. During the first six months of residency, the aspirant keeps her hair, dresses only in white and keeps the eight precepts, follows the routine of the monastery, and serves the monastic community by doing those tasks ordained nuns are no longer permitted to do because of their precepts: such as preparing food, driving, handling money. At the completion of the first six months, if she wishes to continue with the training, the aspirant is required to make a formal request for acceptance as a novice. As a novice she then shaves her head and wears white clothing much closer in style to monastic robes.
After at least another eighteen months serving the community as a novice, the candidate may request ordination as a Ten Precept nun. At this stage she would have to be prepared to relinquish her material wealth, and become completely dependent on the lay community for the essentials of life.
Because of limited accommodation, first preference is given to applicants who aspire to complete the two-year Eight Precept anagarikaa training in order to ordain as a Ten Precept nun. We ask local trainees to make an initial commitment of six months, and overseas trainees to commit themselves to an initial minimum stay of three months with a visitor’s visa. Overseas trainees are responsible for all their travel and visa expenses, and must arrive with a return air ticket and travel medicine insurance.
Women who are interested in finding out more about the monastery, or who wish to apply for residency, should write directly (we have no email) to :