Visiting Temples

[ericthai]

5 hours ago, Mike k said:

I'm not religious but I have been in churches wearing tee shirts and short pants but they were not holding services at the time I am not planning on making merit so I won't be participating in any kind of event. My question was so I wouldn't be disrespectful personally I don't care what people wear or don't wear. Also what I want to see is outside the actual temple 

Depends on the temple. If you go to any of the big tourist attractions Wat Po, Grand place etc it will be required to wear long pants. Temples in villages you can get away with shorts, however if you want to show respect it's best to wear long pants. 

[whaleboneman]

18 hours ago, Makoshark said:

WHAT A STUPID DUMB QUESTION...would you shorts and tee shirt to church or a synagogue in the USA?

 

DUH

 

If you dont respect your own country, RESPECT the THAI culture.....

I always heard there were no "stupid dumb questions".

[Walker88]

It never hurts to err on the side of caution, or in this instance, respect. No one will make a bad impression dressed conservatively, but being too causally dressed may well offend some people. Thus, just be conservative.

 

That being said, I once visited a pagoda and a young, rather buxom Thai woman came in. She wore a t-shirt whose word she may well not have understood. It read:

 

"Stop Staring at My (short name for a woman's breasts, beginning with T) !"

 

She did, however, have on long slacks.

[Wongkitlo]

21 hours ago, Makoshark said:

WHAT A STUPID DUMB QUESTION...would you shorts and tee shirt to church or a synagogue in the USA?

 

DUH

 

If you dont respect your own country, RESPECT the THAI culture.....

I go to our  local temple. My wife's family feeds the monks every few months. They turn up looking hungry and as if they want to get the chanting out of the way as quickly as possible and have some food. The kids run around playing chase. The women all chat and talk on the phone while the monks are chanting. The guys are outside dressed in their Liverpool shirts and shorts smoking cigarettes.  My brother in law's friend who owns the local International school and whose brother is the pooh yai turns up with a dozen beers for all the guys sitting outside. I find 10am a bit early to drink. Buddha doesn't care. He said he did not want to be treated differently. He told Ananda"I am just a master teaching you the right path."

Edited February 9, 2021 by Wongkitlo
Edit

[Mike k]

2 hours ago, Walker88 said:

It never hurts to err on the side of caution, or in this instance, respect. No one will make a bad impression dressed conservatively, but being too causally dressed may well offend some people. Thus, just be conservative.

 

That being said, I once visited a pagoda and a young, rather buxom Thai woman came in. She wore a t-shirt whose word she may well not have understood. It read:

 

"Stop Staring at My (short name for a woman's breasts, beginning with T) !"

 

She did, however, have on long slacks.

Yeah I've seen kids with tee shirts saying u porn and stuff with the f word 

[Wongkitlo]

On 2/8/2021 at 8:35 PM, bwpage3 said:

I have been in 100's of temples in shorts.

 

The only place shorts appear to be an issue is the Grand Palace and they provide some pull-over pants.

 

Now before all the respectful gents pop off, 

 

Monks photo'd doing the following things:

 

1. Smoking Cigarettes

2. Playing on IPADS

3. Driving a Car

4. Shopping for Electronics

5. Coffee in Starbucks

6. Eating Pizza at Pizza Company

7. Surfing the internet in a cafe

8. Handling cash and paying for their own purchases

 

The list goes on and on and on....

I'm trying to work this out.

1. If they aren't allowed to smoke cigarettes, I once sent a monk at the local temple some nicotine replacement gum. Was I helping him do wrong? Is it the nicotine that is irreligious or the actual smoking?

2. And 4. and 7. Are they not allowed to use Apple products like Ipads but  Windows are ok? If windows is bad is that why internet cafes are bad? If the cafe has Linux or something other operating system is it ok. Maybe to they could invent a special holy monk's program so they can still send emails to their friends and families. I know Buddha must have said no email but maybe it would be ok. If shopping for electronics is bad are household goods like a water heater or a toaster ok? 

5. If they can't have coffee can they go to Starbucks and have tea or is tea evil like coffee?

6. Is pizza company pizza in particular evil or can they go to Dominos? Does it matter what pizza they have? 

8. If they can't handle cash and they need a new pair is shoes or something is it better if they shoplift  to keep holy?

3. If they can't drive a car is it ok if they ride a motorbike?

I do hope you reply and tell any other things that are against your laws  of Buddhism. I have a few friends who are monks  at the local temple so I want to tell them all these evil things which they must stay clear of. Particularly the bad  pizza.

[bangon04]

19 minutes ago, Wongkitlo said:

I'm trying to work this out.

1. If they aren't allowed to smoke cigarettes, I once sent a monk at the local temple some nicotine replacement gum. Was I helping him do wrong? Is it the nicotine that is irreligious or the actual smoking?

2. And 4. and 7. Are they not allowed to use Apple products like Ipads but  Windows are ok? If windows is bad is that why internet cafes are bad? If the cafe has Linux or something other operating system is it ok. Maybe to they could invent a special holy monk's program so they can still send emails to their friends and families. I know Buddha must have said no email but maybe it would be ok. If shopping for electronics is bad are household goods like a water heater or a toaster ok? 

5. If they can't have coffee can they go to Starbucks and have tea or is tea evil like coffee?

6. Is pizza company pizza in particular evil or can they go to Dominos? Does it matter what pizza they have? 

8. If they can't handle cash and they need a new pair is shoes or something is it better if they shoplift  to keep holy?

3. If they can't drive a car is it ok if they ride a motorbike?

I do hope you reply and tell any other things that are against your laws  of Buddhism. I have a few friends who are monks  at the local temple so I want to tell them all these evil things which they must stay clear of. Particularly the bad  pizza.

The owners of Panthip Plaza obviously know all the answers to the above questions...  before the virus panic you couldn't move for the saffron hordes....  

[Wongkitlo]

55 minutes ago, bangon04 said:

The owners of Panthip Plaza obviously know all the answers to the above questions...  before the virus panic you couldn't move for the saffron hordes....  

We're theyveating evil pizza?

Edited February 9, 2021 by Wongkitlo
Edit

[bwpage3]

On 2/8/2021 at 2:09 AM, Makoshark said:

WHAT A STUPID DUMB QUESTION...would you shorts and tee shirt to church or a synagogue in the USA?

 

DUH

 

If you dont respect your own country, RESPECT the THAI culture.....

We should respect Thai Culture at the Temple of the Red Lipped Buddha in Nakon Nayok right?

 

This is the famous temple with 100's of lottery tickets vendors in the temple courtyard.

 

The monk swirls his hand in a bowl of water and gives people lottery numbers so they can go purchase them right on the premise.

 

Is this the Thai Culture you want everyone to respect? 

[Wongkitlo]

9 hours ago, bwpage3 said:

We should respect Thai Culture at the Temple of the Red Lipped Buddha in Nakon Nayok right?

 

This is the famous temple with 100's of lottery tickets vendors in the temple courtyard.

 

The monk swirls his hand in a bowl of water and gives people lottery numbers so they can go purchase them right on the premise.

 

Is this the Thai Culture you want everyone to respect? 

I commented on your last post because you seem to have a very flawed attitude to Thai Buddhism. Thailand has very limited social services. If you are an alcoholic or a drug addict your only real chance of rehabilitation is becoming a monk and have your fellow monks support you. Thais do not have the same help  like drug rehab gacilities that you can access in yoir native land. The only option is the Temple. Same if you have no food the monks will feed you. The temples are a refuge for outcasts in society so of course a monk with drug or other problems  may fail and bring a bad reputation to the temples. Monks like most western religious orders do not take vows of poverty so can drive  cars, have smart phones, computers and whatever they can afford. Sure they collect alms but often these will go to feed the poor. Sure selling lottery tickets is bad but at least hopefully the profits go to good causes. Each  monastery is independent so just because one indulges in this behaviour it does not reflect on Thai Buddhism as a whole- just one temple.