Monks

[White Christmas13]

So being on FB tonight I came across a monk trying to sell amulets and  necklace's so what you think of that? 

[Moonlover]

Better than scrounging food of the poorest in society.

[Neeranam]

29 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

Better than scrounging food of the poorest in society.

They are doing a good service.

[oldhippy]

1 hour ago, Neeranam said:

They are doing a good service.

What service? Taking care of the sick? Councelling the distressed? Explaining the buddhist principles to the uninitiated?

[colinneil]

1 hour ago, Neeranam said:

They are doing a good service.

Please explain what good service they do?

They help the poor they help the sick no they help themselves.

[Neeranam]

14 minutes ago, colinneil said:

Please explain what good service they do?

They help the poor they help the sick no they help themselves.

All the thousands of people who give them alms every morning.

You should never say bad things about monks, very bad karma.

[oldhippy]

You will not hear me say bad things about these Trappist monks...

Particularly in Belgium that would be bad for karma.

 

[Gracas]

Well if anyone was to know their Amulets, it should be a Monk.

Just maybe you might get a good deal. If not at least it will be a good story you will get.

[oldhippy]

3 minutes ago, Gracas said:

Well if anyone was to know their Amulets, it should be a Monk.

Just maybe you might get a good deal. If not at least it will be a good story you will get.

QUOTE: Well if anyone was to know their Amulets, it should be a Monk.

 

I think you are confusing amulets with smart phones.

[ezzra]

In theory Buddhist monastic community suppose to do all the following but now days, it's

far removed from reality....

 

The main task of the Buddhist monastic community is to preserve and practice the Teaching of the Buddha. The Buddha Himself had indicated that the survival of the Teaching depended upon the existence of the monastic community, whose members can devote all their time and energy to this important task. Having accomplished this, they can use their learning and wisdom to help society as a whole.

Although the members of the Buddhist monastic community have renounced the worldly life, they still have an important contribution to make to the welfare of the society. For instance, they help to solve the problems of the lay followers through counselling. Not being attached to the worldly conditions such as happiness and pain, gain and loss, they are more objective and farsighted in their outlook. They are therefore able to advise the lay followers on the best course of conduct. They also help lay followers to face the trials and sufferings of life, especially in times of distress such as when a serious illness or death occurs.

Finally, the members of the monastic community also help to provide various social services for the lay community. The Buddhist monasteries have an important role to play in the education of the young and even today, there are Buddhist schools functioning alongside state schools. In addition, Buddhist monks and nuns help in the running of free clinics, orphanages, homes for the aged and the sick, and other welfare organisations.....

 

but In reality

[poanoi]

All the thousands of people who give them alms every morning.

You should never say bad things about monks, very bad karma.

well if you exempt a group from criticism altogether no matter what,
then you are looking through rose tinted eye glasses,
how about exempting them from penalty of law while you are at it ?

[Moonlover]

8 hours ago, oldhippy said:

What service? Taking care of the sick? Councelling the distressed? Explaining the buddhist principles to the uninitiated? 

Now come on, be fair. In scrounging accepting free food from poor villagers, they offer those persons the chance to gain merit, which, in the long term, will ensure that their next life(?) will be better than the miserable one they have now.

 

In predicting the winning lottery numbers (for a fee donation of course) they offer the chance that their miserable life will improve now, without waiting for that next incarnation(?)

 

In blessing their vehicles, (for a fee donation of course) they assure the owner that they will travel safely, despite their lack of training and the amount of booze they have drunk.

 

All good Buddhist principles of course. NOT!

 

Oh and they sweep up leaves. I almost forgot the good work, or is it the only work that they do?

[bluesofa]

13 hours ago, Neeranam said:

All the thousands of people who give them alms every morning.

You should never say bad things about monks, very bad karma.

As my wife said when I passed a monk as we were on our motorbike:

"You should give them plenty of room. It's bad luck to kill a monk."

To which I replied that I thought the monk would be the one with more bad luck, if he died.

[Neeranam]

1 hour ago, bluesofa said:

As my wife said when I passed a monk as we were on our motorbike:

"You should give them plenty of room. It's bad luck to kill a monk."

To which I replied that I thought the monk would be the one with more bad luck, if he died.

I guess it would be his karma!

 

But seriously, it's difficult these days to tell the real monks from the others, although anyone trying to better their spiritual life deserves some respect. I'm all for ex cons, etc getting rehabilitated. Some of course will give the Sangha a bad name.

[Ditto]

Very much the same all over the world. Catholic priest paedophiles hidding behind a so called religion.

Church if England muching as much money of gulible church goers for there own pockets.

So no real change doing it here.

[oldhippy]

10 minutes ago, Ditto said:

Very much the same all over the world. Catholic priest paedophiles hidding behind a so called religion.

Church if England muching as much money of gulible church goers for there own pockets.

So no real change doing it here.

I agree with you that in all religions the monks, priests, rabbis, mullahs or whatever abuse their power. Nothing exceptional with Thai monks.

 

But here's a scary thought:

While sexual and other abuse by catholic priests was wide spread and well known for decades, the scale of it became apparent only when the power of the catholic church started to diminish in the 19sixties.

Thai style buddhism and it's monks have not yet reached the stage of diminishing power.....  What horrors will be revealed in the (far) future?

[Jip99]

Just remember...donning a saffron robe does not make you a religious professional.

 

Most males, in most Thai families, have been a monk at some time or other.

[oldhippy]

3 minutes ago, Jip99 said:

Just remember...donning a saffron robe does not make you a religious professional.

 

Most males, in most Thai families, have been a monk at some time or other.

True, even my lazy no good self entitled stepson was a monk for 3 weeks or so.

Those temporary monks are not real monks.

 

But what about the "bussines monks" that run the commercial temples, zoos, sects, magic amulet sales? That are driven around in fancy cars in stead of walking? Monks that receive their alms in their temples rather than going out walking for them? That recite religious text in a language that even they themselves do not understand? They are "religious professionals" as you call them, but what do they contribute to buddhism?

I asked my wife, do the monks in your wat ever talk about buddhist philosophy? Answer: NO.