Monks and Nuns in Western Buddhism:
What Is Their Role?
with Venerable Losang Gendun

Sat Oct 5, 4:30–6pm EDT

Midtown Manhattan (exact location provided after registration)

IN-PERSON & ONLINE

The Buddha said, for the Dharma to spread, four types of people are needed: lay men and women, and ordained men and women. Why did he say this? Join us for a fascinating teaching where Ven. Gendun addresses this question and more.

Venerable will share his own experience with Buddhist monasticism (training in the Burmese Forest Tradition and 18 years ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist monk). Why did he choose to ordain: did he feel that he would advance more quickly on the Buddhist path? Did he meet someone who inspired him to take robes? Does he feel he made the right decision?

Apart from personal experience as a monk, Venerable will share his perspectives about the role of monastics in Western Buddhism. Western and Eastern views of monastics differ, and Venerable can talk to us about this. How can Western Buddhist monasteries help spread the Dharma? What unique contributions can Western monastics offer?

These are questions which any serious Western Buddhist eventually asks, and we are grateful that Ven. Gendun will address them.

Important Note

This is an in-person and online event. For online, the events will be administered using Zoom*.

After registering, the system automatically sends a confirmation and/or a receipt email that contains the Zoom meeting link and/or other instructions. If you don’t immediately receive the system email(s) or you have any other questions, please contact us at registration@shantidevanyc.org.

*Zoom is an interactive video-conferencing tool that allows participants to see one another and ask questions. You will need a computer, a tablet or a smartphone with the Zoom application to attend. If you are using Zoom for the first time, please login earlier to allow any necessary installations on your device.

Registration

Free

Register

Time zone: US Eastern Daylight Time (GMT/UTC-4)

For questions regarding registration, please email registration@shantidevanyc.org for assistance.

Recording

Access Protected Materials

If you are a registered student, you may access the course materials on our password protected page. Please refer to the confirmation email (or receipt email) for the page link and password. Please contact us at registration@shantidevanyc.org if you have questions about accessing this page.

Sponsorship

“According to the Tengyur, Buddha said:

For any sentient being, who during the period of my teachings

Makes charity well (even if the material is the size of hair), 

For 80,000 eons will experience the great result of great enjoyment;” 

– Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Due to Ven. Gendun’s extended stay, our costs for hosting will be higher than normal – anticipated to be around $5,000 for housing, transportation, and food (plus additional for teacher offerings). 

We welcome your support to enable these precious teachings to happen. Any amount is greatly appreciated and very karmically beneficial!  Here is a teaching by Lama Zopa Rinpoche about the immense benefits of offering to the Sangha.

You can do so by either registering above, or separately through this link if you just want to support us.  Please remember to select “Ven. Gendun – New York Visit 2024”.  If you plan to attend in-person or via Zoom, please also notify us at registration@shantidevanyc.org. 

Cook a Meal​

In observance of the Vinaya (the monastic code of discipline), Ven. Gendun generally does not prepare his own meals and welcomes food offerings.

If you are inspired to cook a meal for him, please contact cookameal@shantidevanyc.org to coordinate details. Otherwise, you can contribute to sponsorship, which will be a wonderful offering!

Dana for the Teacher

Shantideva Center makes offerings to our teachers and facilitators using the funds collected through registration. You can give additional support to the teacher or facilitator and create a stronger karmic connection by offering dana. Please make sure to select the teacher’s or facilitator’s name in the dropdown menu. Dana offered is passed entirely to them, but please note that it is not tax-deductible.

About the Teacher

Venerable Losang Gendun has dedicated nearly four decades to practicing Buddhism and has served as a Bhikshu (Buddhist monk) in the Tibetan tradition for the past 18 years. Prior to his ordination, he worked in diverse fields such as palliative care, technology, refugee organizations, and commercial management. His extensive training includes ten years of studying Buddhist philosophy and practice in monasteries across France, India, Nepal, and Myanmar. Additionally, he spent over four years in retreat, immersing himself in Tibetan sutra and tantra, as well as the Burmese Theravada Forest Tradition.

For the last 15 years, Ven. Gendun has been a dedicated teacher, sharing his knowledge of Buddhist philosophy, psychology, and meditation worldwide. He serves the aspirations of H.H. the Dalai Lama and Lama Zopa Rinpoche as part of the FPMT (Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition). Ven. Gendun is also a member of Mind & Life Europe, a multidisciplinary laboratory that brings together researchers and contemplative practitioners to explore the nature of experience.

Beyond his Buddhist affiliations, Ven. Gendun serves as an interreligious canon at the Peace Cathedral in Tbilisi, Georgia, and feels at home at a Mevlavi Sufi dargah in Istanbul. In 2023, he founded The Buddha Project, which engages in long-term guidance for Buddhist meditators, scientific research, art projects, and intercontemplative social engagement.