Hi,
Anyone can don the robe of a monk or nun..
How do you know if he is really a real monk or not ?
Do they have a letter or a cert that indicate so ?
Thanks
ask him / her recite the sutra of 大悲咒
Wif he is a Sri Lankan Theravada monk ?
I dunno
Originally posted by Rednano:ask him / her recite the sutra of 大悲咒
Like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLl69RjCa2U&feature=related
Originally posted by Isis:Hi,
Anyone can don the robe of a monk or nun..
How do you know if he is really a real monk or not ?
Do they have a letter or a cert that indicate so ?
Thanks
if u can read A Manual of the Dhamma.
Even if the precincts of a pagoda are littered with dust, garbage,
excrement, etc., the pagoda itself remains worthy of deep respect.
http://www.sgforums.com/forums/1728/topics/183113?page=2
sometimes, it's best to reflect on oneself, a simple mind is good enough already. u wholeheartedly respect u gain, if they do wrong they lose. simple as that. it's a seperate thingy. it just boils down to one's own heart.
/\
I was reading on the manual of Dhamma and come across this portion
For sharing:
Page 58 and 59
What is Stable Morality?
The moral conduct that culminates in the attainment of path
consciousness is called stable morality. Morality is a supporting condition for
the path. With the attainment of the path, morality becomes stable and
irreversible. From this time onwards, a person will not kill any sentient being,
great or small, under any circumstances. He or she always maintains morality
with steadfast confidence and wisdom. The precept to abstain from killing
living beings becomes stable, so he or she is totally free from suffering in lower
realms. In future lives too he or she will never be shameless or immoral. The
Noble One is firmly established in natural morality and natural goodness, so
can never become a robber, a murderer, a hunter, or a thief. A Noble One
cannot be reborn in hell, as an animal, hungry ghost, or demon. Due to stable
morality, a Noble One avoids these inferior existences. These are the powers
and benefits of stable morality, which is only achievable in this dispensation.
This stable morality becomes known only when a Buddha appears in the
world for the unique benefit and welfare of all, and remains only during the
Buddha’s dispensation. It is the essence of the Omniscient Buddha’s teaching,
so those who claim to follow the Buddha’s teaching, whether they are lay
persons or monks, must emulate this rare type of morality. Only stable morality
is worthy of respect. One should not rest content with temporary morality nor
should one emulate it. Why not? Even those who keep the millions of
bhikkhus’ precepts, still live under the sway of temporary morality if they fail
to attain the path. Even very pious and venerable monks also suffer from the
effects of temporary morality. Sooner or later, they will become robbers,
murderers thieves, liars, etc. Moreover, possessors of temporary morality will
have to suffer in hell. These so-called holy men are not so much different to
others regarding their destinies. All of them value and maintain temporary
morality. All of them are fallible, and all are subject to life’s vicissitudes due to
loss of their morality.
Therefore a disciple of the Buddha, while this unique dispensation still
exists, should appreciate the defect of the commonplace arisen wholesome
deed of refraining from killing, which means temporary morality. One should
not be satisfied with this state of affairs as it lacks any genuine or lasting value.
Common morality is like a piece of sodium in water, it flares brightly for a
moment, then dies instantly. What each person urgently needs is the unique,
stable morality so that true, secure moral purity will be established.
The real taking of refuge is in stable morality. Everyone has a duty to transcend the
unreliable temporary restraint, and to eradicate the possibility of becoming
shameless or immoral due to the bad roots in the heart. To attain stable
morality one must make great efforts so that complete liberation from
shamelessness and immorality is gained in this life.
Nowadays good moral conduct is only momentary. Everywhere, good
people observe the five precepts and some good monks train themselves in the
millions of PÄ�á¹imokkha rules. Both these householders’ and monks’ moral
conduct are just temporary morality. However if they develop wisdom to
achieve stable morality, they get a wholesome deed that has never arisen
before. Each precept can be classed as “temporary” or “stable.” So one should
reflect deeply on the true nature of the good deeds that have already arisen in
oneself.
The Most Urgent Task
Today, every ordinary person possesses the five mental hindrances to a
great extent. Due to their power, many people break rules of discipline and
universal moral principles, as they did in the past. These are symptoms of
modern times. The majority of Buddhists, though believers who acknowledge
the importance of insight, still maintain the hindrances in their hearts. Even
most Dhamma teachers, though they teach the true Dhamma regarding life’s
three characteristics, cannot eradicate these five hindrances completely.
Defilements still arise in their hearts, so they lack insight into impermanence,
unsatisfactoriness, and not-self. The only way to overcome these moral failures
and inherent weaknesses, is to practise concentration (samatha) according to
the teaching of the Buddha. With this mental discipline, the wavering mind
and distracting thoughts are inhibited. Then the mind can be turned towards
insight practice, which reveals the universal characteristics of impermanence,
unsatisfactoriness, and not-self.
The troublesome mental hindrances should be suppressed by means of
kasina meditation, contemplation on the foulness of the body, or some other
meditation. This moral effort to suppress evil thoughts is called concentration
or tranquillity (samatha). Tranquillity of mind fixed on a single object is the
goal at this stage of mental development. The next stage aims to penetrate the
true nature of the five groups of existence, or the mind and body.
This wisdom can see the impermanent, unsatisfactory, and insubstantial nature of existence with insight.
These two features, concentration and wisdom, exist while the Buddha’s
dispensation lasts. This practice and its goal help all devotees to get rid of
personality view — the persistent belief in a soul, the dogma of self-view, selfcentredness, base egoism. All ordinary persons, since they still believe in a soul
or self, are under the influence of ignorance and craving. By destroying this
wrong-view of a permanent self, one also destroys, in due course, all ignorance
and craving. As long as self-view remains in the heart, one cannot completely
escape from the stigma of being shameless and immoral. Though one attains
morality, one can maintain it only for a short duration due to self-view. One
fails to attain stable, natural morality due to this wrong-view. This failure to
attain natural and stable morality is to be feared. Those who, without right
view, attain morality and goodness, will certainly kill an Arahant in future
lives, or commit the gravest evils such as killing their mother or father.
Moreover, due to self-view they will change their faith in various ways,
accepting eternalistic or nihilistic views. The universal ways of most ordinary
persons are like this. They cannot safely say that they will always refrain from
killing. Their mental processes remain wide open to various types of good and
evil kamma. Both tendencies exist in every ordinary person who is not a Noble
One, and has not realised the Four Noble Truths.
Therefore the most urgent task for everyone is to strive for the final
liberation from shamelessness and immorality, to attain stable and natural
morality. Starting from this present life during the Buddha’s dispensation one
must arouse the unarisen wholesome deeds of concentration and insight with
fresh, vigorous moral effort.
This section explains the nature and case of unarisen wholesome deeds.
Here ends the ways to practice the four great moral efforts (sammappadh�na).
Cultivating A Skilful Attitude
Having answered the thirteen questions, I will give an admonition so that
the right attitude and motives can be cultivated. Serious consideration should
be given to the essential guidelines taught in the B�lapaṇ�ita Sutta (M. iii.
169). The simile of the blind turtle should be remembered by everyone.
The Simile of the Blind Turtle
“O monks, I will give you a simile: A man makes a hole in a log and sets it
adrift in the ocean. When the wind comes from the east the log drifts
westwards. When the wind blows from the west, it drifts eastward. Similarly,
north winds push it to the south, and south winds push it to the north. In the
ocean is a blind turtle who surfaces only once every hundred years. Is it
possible that the blind turtle would put his head up through the hole in the
log?”
The monks replied that normally it would be impossible, but in the infinite
duration of saṃs�ra a chance might occur. Yet it would be very difficult for the
blind turtle to meet up with the drifting log. Then the Buddha explained.
“Monks this rare chance, this freak occurrence is possible, but for a bad
man who is reborn as an animal or in hell to become a human being again is
rarer and more difficult.”
Rarest is the human status. Once this rare status is gone one finds greatest
difficulty to be reborn again as a human being. Why? In the lower realms such
as hell, no opportunities exist for the performance of wholesome deeds. So,
lacking good conduct, a person in hell has to suffer for countless aeons. Those
who are reborn in the animal kingdom have to struggle for existence, preying
upon each other. Animals do mostly harmful deeds with their low intelligence,
and the strong persecute the weak. So there is little chance for them to be
reborn in the human world. The lowest probability exists for them to upgrade
themselves.
For a blind turtle wandering in the ocean to encounter the hole in the log
is possible only if the log never rots, and only if he lives for millions of years.
Yet a much smaller chance exists for a sufferer in hell to achieve human status
again, for very few wholesome kammas are possible in the lower abodes. This is
explained in the commentary.
Indeed, this is true. When close to death, a human being urgently needs
good thoughts to achieve a good status in the next existence. During one’s last
thought moments, previous wholesome kammas produce good mental objects,
enabling one to be reborn in the fortunate realms of existence. Otherwise bad
kammas will predominate at this crucial moment, and bad mental objects will
send one to hell. In the four lower realms of existence a sentient being knows
nothing of the value of almsgiving, keeping moral precepts, or practising
meditation. Lower beings who find themselves lacking wholesome kamma are
further hampered by the lack of opportunities to do good. Observe the daily
behaviour of dogs, pigs, cows, buffaloes, crows and other animals. Their moral
sense is very limited, so they often indulge in evil deeds. They have little
chance to do good.
Therefore a dying being in the lower realms has a very slim chance of
experiencing good mental objects to gain higher existences. Evil kammas
usually manifest, leading again to realms of misery. Even a virtuous person in
this human world cannot safely say that, at the moment of death, immoral
kammas will not influence the next rebirth. Although one may have given
alms, observed morality, and performed other meritorious deeds, one may
experience very bad thoughts at death. Without regular practice of the four
right efforts, no one can guarantee the arising of good thoughts. Every ordinary
person has done countless unwholesome kammas in past lives and in this
existence, which can mature at any time, producing corresponding results. For
the majority of people today, wholesome kammas are relatively few. So their
past immoral kammas will have to produce results in future lives.
One’s present wholesome deeds may not stem the tide of past
unwholesome kammas with their impending results, which must give
appropriate results at some time. As a universal principle everybody is subject
to moral responsibility. All types of kammas are waiting for their chance to
mature at any time. Thus, countless past kammas of various types remain for
each person as latent forces. If a foolish person now gathers fresh evils, the
chance of past misdeeds giving their effects increases, for like begets like.
For those who have to suffer in hell even once, the floodgate of past evil
kamma opens, letting in the bad effects. So, generally speaking, various powerful evil kammas make the suffering in hell very long and tedious, as
successive bad results get their chance to mature in various ways. Bad kammic
results predominate in the lower realms. One has to undergo long-term
sufferings for the evils of past lives too. Consider the evils done in the present
life to evaluate the nature of impending bad results. Therefore, in the
Sammohavinodanī, the commentary on the Dhammasaṅganī, a note of
warning is struck for this awful possibility. Some persons have to take rebirth
in hell due to minor or slight misconduct. Once in hell, other grave kammas of
the previous existences make their appearance too and their sufferings
increases a thousand-fold. Past evil kammas are waiting for chances to
manifest their influences and powers especially in the lower existences. The
moral is, “don’t let evil takes its chance” or “don’t open the doors of evil.”
The present life is very important.
The Simile of the King’s Favourite
For clearer understanding a simile is given here. The king’s favourite,
having been empowered with great authority, misuses his office for his own
selfish ends. He confiscates other peoples’ property, sexually abuses girls,
accepts bribes, etc., but no one dares to complain. As the king’s favourite he
escapes arrest and punishment although his crimes are serious. Due to the
king’s influence he lives in safety for a long time. However, one day, he
happens to commit a minor wrong that enrages the king, who orders his arrest
and prompt punishment. As soon as the news of his arrest is known, all his
past victims make their complaints to the king. The king orders investigations
and inflicts severe punishments when the cases are proven. Yet more victims
now come to the king to seek redress. This is an analogy for the accumulation
of bad effects for an evil person when his destiny is downgraded by a minor or
major fault, as the case may be.
Note that even a small misdeed can give hellish results. Once in hell, one
suffers for longer as the serious results of long dormant evil kammas mature to
give appropriate results at what is now the right time and place. In the eight
great hells, countless millions of sufferers are tortured for aeons. Any
opportunity for them to return to this human world is very remote as no good
kammas can be practised there. This accumulative nature of kamma must be
studied alongside the Simile of the Blind Turtle. This analogy agrees with
them.