--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think it's a meritorious action to…" description: "\"I think it's a meritorious action to become a monk, provided that your motivation is pure.\" — Tenzin Palmo" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ae/tenzin-palmo-1431_action_i-think-it-s-a-meritorious-action-to-bec_491024.png" --- # I think it's a meritorious action to become a monk… ![“I think it's a meritorious action to become a monk, provided that your motivation is pure.” quote by Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ae/tenzin-palmo-1431_action_i-think-it-s-a-meritorious-action-to-bec_491024.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ae/tenzin-palmo-1431_action_i-think-it-s-a-meritorious-action-to-bec_491024.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ae/tenzin-palmo-1431_action_i-think-it-s-a-meritorious-action-to-bec_491024.png) > “I think it's a meritorious action to become a monk, provided that your motivation is pure.” [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Choosing monastic life is commendable when driven by sincere spiritual goals, not ego or status. **In simple terms:** Becoming a monk is noble if motives are pure. Key Takeaway Examine your true intentions before committing. Themes spirituality commitment purity Mood contemplative serene Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - career change - spiritual practice - community service - personal growth Key Concepts Buddhism renunciation intentionality Questions to Reflect On - What drives your desire for monastic life? - How do you differentiate genuine calling from social pressure? A Different Perspective Motivation can be clouded by external expectations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) [Action Monk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action-monk-4202190/) [Meritorious Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meritorious-action-4202189/) [Monk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monk/) [Monk Provided](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monk-provided-4202187/) [Motivation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivation/) [Motivation Pure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivation-pure-4202188/) [Pure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pure/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [If you become a monk because it's an easy life, because you're going to be fed, and sheltered and people will respect you, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/if-you-become-a-monk-because-it-s-an-easy-life-because-you-re-going/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [There is a basic problem that a lot of Western monks and nuns become ordained without really understanding or appreciating what the monastic life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/there-is-a-basic-problem-that-a-lot-of-western-monks-and-nuns-become/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [If you see young tulkus when they're with other little monks, it's like in a Broadway show or something where the main character is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/if-you-see-young-tulkus-when-they-re-with-other-little-monks-it-s/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [Traditionally, women didn't have much a role in Buddhism. The books were all written by monks, for other monks. So the general view of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/traditionally-women-didn-t-have-much-a-role-in-buddhism-the-books/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [Firstly, as a Buddhist monk, I hold that violence is not good. Secondly, I am a firm believer in the Gandian ethic of passive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/firstly-as-a-buddhist-monk-i-hold-that-violence-is-not-good-secondly/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [Where we've been wise is that, while 'Monk' may have been a risk at the beginning, we've built its success and built on its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-hammer/where-we-ve-been-wise-is-that-while-monk-may-have-been-a-risk-at-the/) [Bonnie Hammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-hammer/) > [I turned into a monk when my mother went to learn Buddhism in Burma. 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Wrapped tightly in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janine-benyus/a-solitary-american-monk-named-thomas-berry-writes-that-in-our/) [Janine Benyus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janine-benyus/) > [If your spirit still looks around at the time of prayer, then it does not yet pray as a monk. You are no better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evagrius-ponticus/if-your-spirit-still-looks-around-at-the-time-of-prayer-then-it-does/) [Evagrius Ponticus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evagrius-ponticus/) > [I listened to King Oliver and I listened to Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus, John Coltrane, Archie Shepp... I listened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-clapton/i-listened-to-king-oliver-and-i-listened-to-louis-armstrong-jelly/) [Eric Clapton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-clapton/) > [So too, monks, I saw the ancient path, the ancient road traveled by the Perfectly Enlightened Ones of the past. And what is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/so-too-monks-i-saw-the-ancient-path-the-ancient-road-traveled-by-the/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) ## More by Tenzin Palmo > [All of us are playing roles, and there's nothing wrong with playing roles because we have to live in this world - the problem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/all-of-us-are-playing-roles-and-there-s-nothing-wrong-with-playing/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [The very best players, when they are practicing, put everything they've got into it. But then they leave it for a while. And it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/the-very-best-players-when-they-are-practicing-put-everything-they-ve/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [I really don't know what I could teach and don't really plan to teach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/i-really-don-t-know-what-i-could-teach-and-don-t-really-plan-to-teach/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [If you go to any nunnery and ask them what the main obstacle is, they'll always say low self-esteem and lack of confidence. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/if-you-go-to-any-nunnery-and-ask-them-what-the-main-obstacle-is-they/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [To really be of benefit to others as the Buddha always taught, we ourselves must first get out of the swamp. One of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/to-really-be-of-benefit-to-others-as-the-buddha-always-taught-we/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [For any practice to work, the mind which is meditating on the object must merge. Often they are facing each other. One has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/for-any-practice-to-work-the-mind-which-is-meditating-on-the-object/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [I've often said that the seventh paramita should be a sense of humor, so we don't take ourselves too seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/i-ve-often-said-that-the-seventh-paramita-should-be-a-sense-of-humor/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [If you take the time to study how to be a doctor and how to use your scalpel and your medicine, then there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/if-you-take-the-time-to-study-how-to-be-a-doctor-and-how-to-use-your/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [If we want to be musicians, dancers or sportspeople, we can download a certain amount and watch DVDs and read books, but in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/if-we-want-to-be-musicians-dancers-or-sportspeople-we-can-download-a/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [Realization is wonderful, but you have to expand it until there's not a single defilement left in the mind and the mind is completely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/realization-is-wonderful-but-you-have-to-expand-it-until-there-s-not/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [It's not a matter of how much you know or can define, or how many millions of mantras or thousands of prostrations you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/it-s-not-a-matter-of-how-much-you-know-or-can-define-or-how-many/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [We have compassion because of the incredible pain and suffering which we as unenlightened beings cause to ourselves and all others through our ignorance.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/we-have-compassion-because-of-the-incredible-pain-and-suffering-which/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [When I look back I can think that of course I've been lazy and haven't practiced as much as I could have and have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/when-i-look-back-i-can-think-that-of-course-i-ve-been-lazy-and-haven/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [We do have the precious opportunity of this human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/we-do-have-the-precious-opportunity-of-this-human-life/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [I think the problem with Western students is they're very ambitious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/i-think-the-problem-with-western-students-is-they-re-very-ambitious/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) [Explore all 242 Tenzin Palmo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) ## More Action quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. 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