You may always think like that. What’s wrong with these monks? They do everything they are not supposed to do. Like eating in afternoon, watching television, always asking money, do politics and all those terrible things. What a shame. Just look what they doing to our religion.
Novices, oh my god they worse than monks. Specially little novices. They run all over the temple, climb trees, fighting each other. And the way they behave with girls, disgusting.
Have you being a monk ? even for a day ? can you do fasting from 12 noon to 5am everyday ? even for a week ? can you live a week without using money and do everything as usual ? even a day ? when you are small your mom always telling you not touch sand, not to run, not to climb trees. How many times you obey to her ? once ? twice ?
Now let me ask you. What’s wrong with you ? you can't do these things even for a 2 – 3 days and you expect monks and novices to do them every day though their whole life. How could you ?
I am not telling that its ok for monks to brake precepts. But they are also human. Always see something not watch. A problem always has many sides. Don’t look only your side.
2 comments:
This problem is not exclusive to Buddism and Monks, the same problem can be found in both the representatives (Monks, Priests, Mullas) of many Religions (Buddism, Christianity, Islam), that is assuming one accepts that Buddism is a Religion.
Essentally all theologians (Religious Scholars) are philosophers (Lovers of Knowledge). Plato once stated that in order to be true philosophers, man (sic) must devote themselves exclusively to that study and isolate themselves from mainstream society in order to achieve complete objectivity, and in the words of another philosopher, return to a state of nature. Buddah, Jesus and Allah all went through this isolationist phase, many representatives of religious institutes continue this practice today.
The impacts of this isolationist practice are many. Firstly it places the individuals and their institutes in a very aloof position vis a vi mainstream society and by extension are held elevated by society. Secondly, it places an onus upon the religious institutes and their representatives to maintain and merit this elevated status.
In order to maintain this prescribed and ascribed elevated status in a sustainable manner, enrolled members of religious institutes need to make conscious mature decisions as to whether this type of isolationist lifestyle is right for both them and the institute itself. One has to ask the question, are young people capable of making this decision?, indeed, should others make that decision on their behalf?.
The maturity of individuals is an important question in this context, particularly in societies where exiting from that institute is perceived as a failure or a fall from grace. This perceived failure can have wide reaching and negative implications for both the individual and their relatives.
Many religious institutes restrict entry to mature adults, and not all penalize individuals who wish to leave. Other religions vary in this respect. In Thailand it is common for young men to become a monk for some part of their life, and even more common for them to leave. However, in the Sri Lankan context, it is virtually unheard of for individuals to leave the monetary, and to do so could have significantly negative implications.
Most individuals would testify to the difficulties involved in getting children, and especially teenagers, to behave and to see the long term implications of their actions and or in-actions. It is accepted that children and most young people are very short sighted in their choice of lifestyle.
In light of the above, the bigger question must be asked whether it is wise or even rational, to assist, encourage or even facilitate the enrollment of what are essentially children, into life long isolationist association with religious institutes.
I think the explanation from eire is correct and comphrehensive but I think that it is seen from the western and christian thinking. I wonder whether a monk in Buddhism is the same a theologician like in the Christian. Like in Thailand everybody can become a monk for just a period of time. The goal I think is get rid of all the material attachment that most men and women have.
Well, I know very little of Budhism, so misihara can answer this better.....
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