FAQ 12: «Are monks allowed to own and/or drive vehicles? Is this allowed by the Vinaya? If he does not violate the Vinaya, would he still be socially acceptable given the spiritual status of the monk in society? To live bhikkhu`s life properly, following the Buddha`s teachings, requires total commitment and sustained effort. If this is lost and his Dhamma friends cannot revive his interest, the bhikkhu is always free to return to secular life. There are no lifelong vows, so perhaps it is better to live a good secular life than to be careless when it comes to following the rules of bhikkhu. Nevertheless, in some countries, there is a cultural expectation of «ordination for life» and a corresponding stigma associated with undressing. A: In India, at the time of Buddha, much of the land was covered with forests and groves, and it was here that wandering beggar monks of different orders went about their religious practices. Lord Buddha spoke of the «foot of a tree» as the basic shelter for bhikkhus, and this is still generally confirmed with each newly ordained bhikkhu. Later, monasteries were founded and well equipped, and the emphasis was placed on a more sedentary life. Most of the time, only the «monks of the forest» live in the forest, where it is quiet and conducive to meditation. Many more monks will live in the village monastery or go to a city monastery to study the scriptures. «Cheques, credit cards and traveller`s cheques are not the same as money because they are not universally negotiable, something you can bring to almost any store and exchange for anything you want without more ink or paperwork. [Therefore] there is no crime in receiving or possessing these things. However, the use of cheques, credit cards and traveller`s cheques or other similar drugs would fall under «buying and selling» and the offences listed in [confessions with forfeiture] 19 and 20 would likely occur.
«- (AB) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, as Tricycle says, Buddhist monks and nuns are supposed to be celibate. The purpose of this rule is to prevent monks from engaging in sensual passion. The rule was apparently introduced by the Buddha after a monk was persuaded by the family that he had left to return and sleep with his former wife. It seems that this rather confusing rule could prohibit bhikkhus from accepting an invitation to a «group dinner» of four or more specific monks in a donor`s house, unless the entire local community was invited – which would have been more normal in the Buddha`s time. This would have prevented the formation of cliques within a community. (See BMC p.342–348) As a result, monks often fast 18 hours a day. There are a few advantages. Tricycle reports that this type of diet actually promotes a low body mass index (BMI) and has even led to a pop diet book.
A: In the time of the Buddha, some lay people complained that monks destroyed «life» in seeds. Therefore, the monk can ask the laity if he is allowed to eat these fruits. In some monasteries (not all) this is done by the laity who cut them off. (See fruit offering: Kappiya and note 91.) These are generally classified as crimes of «misconduct» (dukka.ta). There are two aspects of these «training rules» that mainly concern etiquette and good manners. First of all, they are a «standard» of the bhikkhu`s mindfulness so that he becomes aware of his behavior. Second, there is the outside perspective of an observer observing the activity of the bhikkhu and noticing the care and sophistication with which it moves, eats, etc. (See, for example, Behavior Just Outside the Monastery.) An entire section[75] of the seventy-five Sekhiya training guidelines deals with how a bhikkhu receives and eats his alms food. Although «table manners» may differ from country to country and age to age, these rules of sekhiya still largely correspond to what is considered good manners: Lord Buddha would not make a rule until the situation required it, so paali often provides the «origin story» of how the different rules arose. Some characters often reappear in the midst of misdeeds and nonsense. For example, one meets again and again the Venerable Udaayin or the infamous «Six Monks».
Their behavior[33] required the attention and correction of the Buddha, who then made it a general rule for all bhikkhus: Remember that tolerance is always important, even if one decides to actively support only one group of monks. The following pages are offered only to illuminate the light of understanding, so they should not be used to create heat and friction by criticizing the behavior of others. This is the essence of the Buddha`s teachings. A heavy and bulky law code can too easily be thrown to others, so this guide will try to remain light and non-judgmental. This gives us the opportunity to be open-minded and flexible, which allows us to integrate different interpretations. This makes it easier to appreciate and support the monastic community of one`s choice.