Asking and Training for ORDINATION

Asking for Ordination

Asking for Ordination is a deeply significant step in your Dharma life. Anyone who has become a Mitra can ask for Ordination, and it is helpful to talk it through with Order members who know you. You can have a rich and meaningful Dharma life without asking for Ordination, especially if you don’t currently have the time, energy and stability in your life to pursue this significant commitment.

For a start, you can keep exploring this website! There is a lot of information about what ordination is and involves. We also suggest talking with Order Members you know and getting their perspective. Following this, feel free to reach out to members of the Ordination team, including through the ‘connect’ form on this site. We’re happy to respond.

Sometimes, you just know and feel ready to ask. At other times, you are happy with how your practice is going, and that’s completely fine. The Dharma has the spirit of ehipassiko – an invitation to come and see, and so is never forced or coerced. Some people might be undecided, which can be helpful to stay with the indecision. Perhaps discuss it with people around you that you trust and see what emerges. Ordination is a big, life-changing commitment, so asking is not to be done lightly. That said, entering the ordination training process might be a natural extension of your current practice. We’re all different and have different responses.

The retreats cover eight core themes that are essential components to our tradition. You can learn more about them here.

These are usually held over nine days and involve a steady program of meditation, ritual, periods of group study and discussion, and living together in community. There can be longer periods of silence, too. These aspects of practice aim to facilitate a deepening of understanding of the retreat theme and of one’s practice in general.

The ordination training retreats for the US and Canada are held in two locations: Dharmadhara Retreat Center in Lake County, a couple of hours outside of San Francisco, and Aryaloka Retreat Center in New Hampshire. They also take place in other parts of the world and we recommend, where possible, that men attend a retreat at Padmaloka in Norwich, UK, which is a large retreat center and gives a wider perspective of our Movement. There are also training retreats two times a year close to Mexico City which can also give a sense of the wider Movement.

People around us can react differently to the deepening of one’s connection to Buddhist practice. For some, it’s a cause for joy and celebration, as they see us becoming more content, fulfilled, and easier to be around. For others, it can be a cause for concern for many reasons: a lot of time is dedicated to practice, which can take you more away from loved ones, plus it’s a lifestyle and commitment that they might not be familiar with, and this can cause tension and confusion in relationships. Whatever the case, sensitivity to our loved ones as we go more deeply into practice can be important so that they have some understanding of what we’re doing and don’t feel they are being abandoned.

Yes. We have a bursary fund and can offer scholarships to those on low income on a case-by-case basis. Our main aim is to support those interested in participating in these retreats.

In the US-Canada our ordination training is defined by gender i.e. separate women’s and men’s process. Both processes are open to a diversity of gender identities, including trans men and those who identify as non-binary. We ask all participants to be open to this broader definition of a men-centered space. Visit the Triratna Gender Diverse Group here.

What is Ordination training?

Ordination training is fundamentally a training in deepening one’s practice within our tradition and building confidence in the Order, which is based on Sangharakshita’s vision, and in the Buddha Dharma.
The best approach to ordination training is to think of it less in terms of “getting ordained” and more in terms of continuing to deepen your Going for Refuge to the Three Jewels. Going for Refuge is a process that gradually deepens to the point of Enlightenment itself. The Zen tradition speaks of the importance of “Beginner’s Mind” The same applies to one’s ordination training. Whether we are training for ordination, or whether we are Order Members of many years standing, the training never ceases. There is always more to learn, more dimensions of Going for Refuge to discover, to manifest.

Ordination training consists of a number of linked components:

  • Undertaking a series of Going for Refuge retreats (see separate section)

  • Training at your center or region: Although attending national retreats and gatherings are of great importance, most of your training will take place in your local situation. It involves:

  • Maintaining and deepening your daily practice of meditation, ethics, and reflection on the Dharma.
  • Getting to know Order Members is a key part of your training. It is important that your Going for Refuge is witnessed by different members of the Order who come to know you well.
  • Engagement with your local center or region through activities and retreats
  • Going on solitary retreats as an opportunity to deepen your own meditation and reflection practice.
  • Join a Going for Refuge group. It is encouraged that you link up with others in the ordination training process to explore different aspects of the process as a source of connection, support and inspiration.
  • Engage in study. The four-year Mitra Study course offers an excellent opportunity to explore key dimensions of the Buddhist tradition, from a Triratna perspective, and build connections with those in your group.
  • Form a kula. A kula is a group of up to five Order Members who provide support for your training. It is suggested that Mitras wait for at least 1-2 years after asking for ordination before forming a kula.
  • Mitras are also encouraged to establish formal Kalyana Mitra relationships with two Order Members who whom they have a close friendship.