Monks

I’ve always been tempted by the idea of a monk’s life – days spent in study and service, balancing contemplation and action. But that’s a romanticised vision of monasticism, and even the ancient world of monks needs to update their traditions and tackle contemporary issues like gender equality. In Thailand there are about 300,000 male monks and fewer than 300 fully ordained female monks, all ordained abroad, most in India or Sri Lanka. One of the 300 is The Venerable Dhammananda, a former journalist. “The media calls us ‘female monks,’” she says. “But, eventually, I think we’ll just prefer ‘monks.’”

— Wayne Visser

From Purpose Inspired: Reflections on Conscious Living, Volume 4. Buy on Lulu ↗