European Buddha What does it mean to lead a Contemplative Life? Guest: Ven. Clementia Will
In this episode we had the pleasure to speak with Ven. Clementia Will, nun within the Order of Buddhist Contemplatives - one of the member organization within the European Buddhist Union.
The leading question for our question was: What does it mean to lead a Contemplative Life?
The Order of Buddhist Contemplatives (OBC) consists of female and male ordained monks – as well as lay ministers.
The Order is active in the US, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, and Latvia. In addition to two large monasteries in the US and England, and to the many temples and priories that have been founded, many meditation groups and lay communities have also formed over the decades.
The male and female monks in the order are fully equal, and are recognized equally. All have taken celibacy vows, and most of them live together in mixed monastic communities, either in our two large monasteries or in the smaller temples.
The heart and foundation of the practice is Serene Reflection Meditation. A very important aspect of the training is also the effort to keep and act in accord with the Buddhist Precepts.
At the very core of the teaching and practice in this tradition is the recognition that all beings possess Buddha-Nature, which gives rise to thinking and acting with compassion, to selfless giving, and to gratitude.