Should Monks Buy Computers..?

[guava]

look what graphic-cards they uses so you know what they do! Playing game all the time!

Yep. It's not my place to give a stuff but I do find it amusing. Most of the monks I've seen at Panthip (and it seems like there's always some of them there) are buying the latest high end graphics cards, motherboards etc that are way beyond what would be required for sending emails and creating educational powerpoint slides. I've had a monk bum a cigarette off me outside Panthip too, and another looking like he seriously wanted to. It's saffron badboy central!

Apparently Counter Strike is a traditional favourite, though I would have thought Mortal Kombat:Shaolin Monks would be popular....

[Marvo]

Oh monks. I thought you said Monkeys.. I am Mao

If you give enough Monks enough laptops for enough time, what do you suppose they'll come up with - the complete works of Hi5?

I think one issue, which has only been touched upon, is the source of the funds to actually purchase said item. Has it taken 30,000 donations, given in good faith, from the devoted cash-strapped masses to finance the monks new on-line gaming toy?

[Scott]

I asked my fortune teller about this and she said that when she communicated with Nostradamus, he said that he had asked Buddha, who said that it was OK for monks to have computers, but that pirated software is a no-no!

[mmushr00m]

The monk that the wife and I visit shares his house with another older monk. The older monk's "cell" (is it called that if the monk is buddhist?) has satellite TV, WiFi, Flat screen tv + dvd player and air conditioning. he also have one of those fluffy dogs.

I peeked into our monk's cell and all he has is a mat on the floor and a laptop

[Cuban]

I believe that one of the cults in America has a high annual IT budget which is directed on gathering name information for as much of the world's population as possible, the idea is to enable them to pray for their otherwise lost souls.

The local Wat that I know would not appear to have anything more technical than a battery powered clock in their living quarters, I know I was asked to fix it when it stopped working.

The question is not so much if a monk should be allowed (?) access to technology, as a simple knife or pen & paper is technology in their own rights - but for what use will it be put?

Monks do have an active role within Thai society and do 'work' outside the Wat - a monk using powerpoint to help communicate ideas and lessons seems perfectly acceptable in my lay mind. Running a web site to promote their Wat or Buddist ideas again fine, to access animal porn sites might not be quite in keeping with their choosen lifestyle.

[dave111223]

This is the 21st century

Monks are cool and hip now, using modern technology is a must for all...

Maybe they should also step into the 21st century with a pair of pants on...instead of a toga (i would think that would be ahead of an iPod on the evolutionary checklist)

[guava]

Good evening all, thank you for joining us. Tonight on MONK WATch we discuss more of the issues that matter. Are traditional monk buckets relevant to today's hi-tech monk on the move? Should candles be swapped for 8GB SD card? And what DO they do with all those buckets? We'll be tackling the Plasma vs LCD question, road testing the hot new GeForce card from nVidia, and taking a sneak peak at the new Saffron iPod due out in the 3rd quarter of 2551. Stay with us here. More after the break.

[Johpa]

This is the 21st century

Monks are cool and hip now, using modern technology is a must for all...

Yea, and it was a bit embarrassing entering a local public Internet establishment at the local town to see the men in orange looking at porn. Better they should buy a computer and ruffle their robes in private. The Thai Sangha, with a few noticeable exceptions, is a disgrace. Forum rules prohibits detailed analysis.

[distortedlink]

Interesting thread.

I`ve always wondered about this.

Each time I visit a computer plaza there seems to be more monks in there than in the Wats.

Not just the odd one or two but in groups, many together, a chant of monks, buying film DVDs and computer software.

I suppose there isnt any hard and fast rule about this and personally dont see any harm in it.

[Naam]

"I asked my wife why she thought the Monks should not be buying computers , she just replied a Monks place is in the Wat,"

Quite right and a wifes place is in the kitchen or handcuffed naked to the bed...what was she doing out shopping ask her?

being naked in the kitchen is optional

[junkofdavid2]

If monks don't have computers, how else are they supposed to meet chicks online?

i actually laughed. out loud. funny.

For Tibetan monks (not Thai monks though), from what I understand, there's no need to go through this hassle. Having sex is part of their training because they experience a glimpse of enlightenment by achieving orgasm. Tantric Buddhism I think it is called.

In fact, if you look at ancient paintings of Tibetan monks "saints" (who have reached enlightenment but chose to be reincarnated back to earth), they have a naked female on their lap (presumably having sex with the monk).

In modern paintings/pictures, the naked female is still there, but they've 'miniaturized' her and she is now unnoticeable to the untrained eye.

That partly explains why the Dalai Lama is allowed to hug and even kiss women, while Thai monks are not even allowed to come in close proximity to women. They're different branches of buddhism with different philosophy?

I'm not an expert here, so feel free to correct me... but I believe the jist is correct. At least that's what my Thai monk friend told me and then it was sorta confirmed by my Googling it. I was very surprised.

Edited June 5, 2008 by junkofdavid2

[h90]

If monks don't have computers, how else are they supposed to meet chicks online?

i actually laughed. out loud. funny.

For Tibetan monks (not Thai monks though), from what I understand, there's no need to go through this hassle. Having sex is part of their training because they experience a glimpse of enlightenment by achieving orgasm. Tantric Buddhism I think it is called.

In fact, if you look at ancient paintings of Tibetan monks "saints" (who have reached enlightenment but chose to be reincarnated back to earth), they have a naked female on their lap (presumably having sex with the monk).

In modern paintings/pictures, the naked female is still there, but they've 'miniaturized' her and she is now unnoticeable to the untrained eye.

That partly explains why the Dalai Lama is allowed to hug and even kiss women, while Thai monks are not even allowed to come in close proximity to women. They're different branches of buddhism with different philosophy?

I'm not an expert here, so feel free to correct me... but I believe the jist is correct. At least that's what my Thai monk friend told me and then it was sorta confirmed by my Googling it. I was very surprised.

My buddhist wife get angre when she hear about the Dalai Lama. she tells thats not Buddhism at all, thats something very different. (specially when it is about the terrible cruel the monks did, taking the skin and bones from living people).

[Losangels]

Having sex is part of their training because they experience a glimpse of enlightenment by achieving orgasm. Tantric Buddhism I think it is called.

Wow! If this is true the more frequent the orgasm the deeper the enlighentenment?

No difference from an average Joe or John

[TheDon]

Who cares what they do, as long as there not harming anyone. Ofcourse there will be some that go astray, if you also look at other religions some bishops have been caught raping little boys.

[Nysan]

Of course they should have computers. How else can they play Counter strike and chat on hi5?

The way I see it: there are two types of monks. A. The ones who really commit themselfs to Buddhism. B. The ones who only stay there 3 months and don´t care the least about it. They only do it for the pride of their family. I compare it to the kids back in Farangland whose parents make them play the piano or tennis .

Edited June 5, 2008 by Nysan

[TAWP]

I wouldn't care if they stopped coming around and asking for 5-number sums every month from the father in law...

[thaihome]

Who cares what they do, as long as there not harming anyone. Ofcourse there will be some that go astray, if you also look at other religions some bishops have been caught raping little boys.

Buddhism is not considered a religion in in the sense in which that word is commonly understood, for it is not "a system of faith and worship owing any allegiance to a supernatural being."

TH

Edited June 5, 2008 by thaihome

[fred2007]

I concur with razor but could this be a typically Eurocentric viewpoint. Myself, I always imagined that monks spent most of their time under a tree meditating not purchasing red bull and fags, or in Pantip……it would seem in Bangkok that this is not the case.......

Is there some kind of rule book in the monkhood that states that you cant hang out in IT malls?

Buddhist monks smoking? What, here in Thailand? Precept No. 5? Real monks? Buddhist? In Thailand? Smoking? Buddhists? In Thailand? Nuns (What, here in Thailand?) ''Thai Buddhism a cause for concern'' (© Dalai Lama)

Nah, I'll get me coat ...

make it 2 mate

[fred2007]

quote name='DP25' date='2008-05-29 23:35:04' post='2006362']

If monks don't have computers, how else are they supposed to meet chicks online?

[junkofdavid2]

Wow! If this is true the more frequent the orgasm the deeper the enlighentenment?

No difference from an average Joe or John

Not really.

Once they experience the ecstasy of orgasm, they are gradually weaned away from sex and are slowly trained to achieve the same ecstatic (orgasmic) pleasure through meditation. The sex/orgasm is part of the early training so that they know what type of ecstasy they are eventually supposed to aim for through meditation... and when they finally achieve that, sex and physical orgasm is prohibited.

Again, I'm no expert here... and this is just 'Net info'...

Edited June 5, 2008 by junkofdavid2

[wolf5370]

Should Monks Buy Computers..?

I think they should as stealing them would be against their precepts I fear

[johnoKrasang]

Well arnt the thai's 500+ years ahead? so they should be flying around in hover cars and uploading themselves into the galactic federation's interstella Wat.

So what's a little gaming time on a notebook?

[wolf5370]

Wow! If this is true the more frequent the orgasm the deeper the enlighentenment?

No difference from an average Joe or John

Not really.

Once they experience the ecstasy of orgasm, they are gradually weaned away from sex and are slowly trained to achieve the same ecstatic (orgasmic) pleasure through meditation. The sex/orgasm is part of the early training so that they know what type of ecstasy they are eventually supposed to aim for through meditation... and when they finally achieve that, sex and physical orgasm is prohibited.

Again, I'm no expert here... and this is just 'Net info'...

A good reason to keep failing that first year exam then - dam_n will have to redo the year again all that sex, tsk!

[Samuian]

why not?

[cluezo]

Should Monks Buy Computers..?

I think they should as stealing them would be against their precepts I fear