Asking for Ordination

In asking for Ordination you are declaring your desire to make a definite and life-changing commitment to the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, within the context of the Triratna Buddhist Order, founded by Urgyen Sangharakshita.

Asking for Ordination is a deeply significant step in your Dharma life. Anyone who has become a mitra can ask for Ordination, though before doing so it is helpful to talk it through with Order members who know you, as 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.

Padmaloka’s Ordination training retreats are specifically designed to activate your aspiration by providing a dedicated context to help you train for a life in the Order, a context that cannot be found outside of the intensive conditions encountered on an Ordination training retreat. Padmaloka's sole purpose is to provide men with as vivid an encounter with the Three Jewels as possible, this is particularly explicit on our Ordination training retreats. These retreats complement the training that will take place in your local context. Our meditation retreats also form an important aspect of your training.

All our Ordination training retreats are led by the Ordination team who care deeply about the Order and are committed to helping men to join it. The Ordination team often have help from other experienced Order members who also want to see the Order flourish and are often involved with supporting men’s Dharma training at their local centres.

When you have decided that you do want to ask for Ordination, you can email the Ordination team ( or write a letter, you will find our address here. When you write, you simply need to introduce yourself, saying something about your background, your current life circumstances and your reasons for asking for Ordination. This is so the Ordination team can start to get to know you and how best they can support you in your quest to deepen your Going for Refuge to the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Once you have requested Ordination you will receive the Ordination training handbook and a copy of the current retreat programme. Then it is up to you to engage wholeheartedly with the training on offer. You see a full list of our upcoming retreats here.

We look forward to receiving your request and supporting you in the journey ahead.