What do monks not do?

Monks are forbidden to divine either good fortune or future tragedy by observing heavenly omens, thereby deceiving both the tennō and the people. They are also forbidden to possess and study military tracts; to commit murder, rape, robbery or other crimes; and to feign enlightenment.

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What is forbidden for Buddhist monks?

The precepts are commitments to abstain from killing living beings, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying and intoxication.

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What are the rules for monks?

  • Once you have entered a monastery, you must stay there until you die.
  • All monks must take turns working in the kitchens, and waiting at table.
  • Monks must remain busy, either with manual work, or in study and prayer.
  • Monks must remain silent, unless they have to speak.
  • The Abbot must be a father to his community.

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What are the monk 5 rules?

The Five Precepts
  • Refrain from taking life. Not killing any living being. ...
  • Refrain from taking what is not given. Not stealing from anyone.
  • Refrain from the misuse of the senses. Not having too much sensual pleasure. ...
  • Refrain from wrong speech. ...
  • Refrain from intoxicants that cloud the mind.

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Why are monks not allowed to talk?

It was meant to ensure that their thoughts did not become entangled in the preoccupations of the world outside the cloister, thereby distracting them from their lives of prayerful contemplation and quest for spiritual salvation – the core purpose of the monastic life.

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"Why Am I so Unhappy?" Nick Keomahavong (Buddhist Monk)

35 related questions found

Can monks hug people?

“In this culture, people like to give a hug in friendship, but monks don't do that.

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Can monks have cell phones?

“There are no restrictions for the monks to use cell phones, but in the Buddha sanctuary there was no modern technology,” he said. “When the world develops, monks also have to adapt to society and modern world. But the thing is, when they adapt to the changing world, they should not change their main principles.

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What do monks do for fun?

They spend a lot of their time devoting themselves to their religious practices, such as prayer, mass, reflection, or meditation. In their free time, they will often exercise, cook, forage, or do various tasks around the monastery.

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What do monks do all day?

The monks go on alms round in the morning and the only other activities of the day are morning chores, breakfast, and the main meal. At 7:00 pm, the community gathers for pūjā, meditation, the taking of the precepts by the laity and a Dhamma talk.

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Can monks have kids?

Monks, for example, are not allowed to get married nor have children. They leave their family forever and get a new family in the monastery.

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Can monks drink alcohol?

Admittedly, the five precepts that lay Buddhists agree to follow say that one should refrain from drinking alcohol and it is also one of the basic rules that novices and fully ordained monks are responsible for following.

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What rules did the monk ignore?

He does not follow the rules of the monastery which say that monks should not hunt, be reckless, nor leave the monastery. Instead,they should study and perform manual labor. The Monk ignores these rules.

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Are monks allowed to have friends?

The situation among monks is somewhat more relaxed. One abbot (M3-1) explained that: any monk can go and talk with whomever he wants, but not wherever or in whatever way.

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What are Buddhist sins?

Accordingly in the different Buddhist texts, advice has been given to get rid of all kinds of evils or sins. It has been said that greed (lobha), attraction (rāga), hatred (dosa), and delusion (moha) are the sources of all kinds of evil acts [2].

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What impossible things can monks do?

Shaolin monks can perform seemingly impossible feats of mental and physical prowess. They poke holes into trees with their fingers, they bang their bare heads against stone walls and knock their heads together to harden their skulls. They knife-scrape their stomachs to strengthen their core area.

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Can monks eat chocolate?

Do the monks need food items other than the meal? (“allowables”) In the Theravada Tradition, monks are allowed to consume “tonics” or what are also called “allowables” in the afternoon/evening/early morning to stave off weakness or illness. These include things like cheese, butter, dark chocolate, etc..

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How many hours monks sleep?

Between praying up to seven times a day and working a medieval monk got little sleep. They averaged approximately five hours sleep between evening prayers and the 2am church service, and then snatched another half an hour before being up at 4am for more prayer.

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Do monks get days off?

“Do monks get days off and vacations?” This is a very common question that most people ask us as monks. Monks in simple vows are allowed one week of vacation and monks in final (solemn) vows are allowed two weeks vacation every year.

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Do monks eat once a day?

Restrictive diet

Traditionally, those alms are calorie-rich foods, either processed or homemade – with the Buddhist faithful wanting to offer something of high value and taste. The monks are also forbidden from eating anything after 12 p.m., having only one or two meals a day between the hours of 6 a.m. and noon.

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Can a woman be a monk?

The ranks of male and female monastics are the same, and women “have this 'chutzpah' because when the tradition was introduced in Japan in the sixth century, women were the first to be fully ordained, Arai said. In Tibetan Buddhism, nuns have achieved many of the privileges historically reserved for monks.

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What time do monks wake up?

4.00 am - The monks wake up and meditate for one hour, followed by one hour of chanting. 6.00 am - The monks walk barefoot around the neighbourhood while the local people make merit by offering them food. 8.00 am - Returning to the temple, the monks sit together to eat breakfast.

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What is a monk like lifestyle?

Thinking like a monk means adopting simple, selfless and meaningful actions towards everything you do daily (no matter how small or insignificant it may seem). It is about focusing on what matters most and being content with the little things in life rather than being caught up in material desires, anxieties and fears.

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Do monks live without money?

Buddhist monks and nuns are completely reliant on the lay community to provide them with the material things they need to survive. In warmer Buddhist countries, monks will walk around their local village at mealtimes in what's called an 'alms round', holding a bowl for locals to put food into.

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Are you allowed to touch a monk?

NO TOUCHING

Do not touch people you meet and shaking hands is considered bad manners. Also, do not touch monks ever.

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Can you talk if you're a monk?

In the Buddhist tradition, a monk's vow of silence is a way to practice proper speech. Monks feel that they would avoid saying something negative by avoiding revealing anything that comes to mind. For them, speaking with silence is a way to practice nonviolence.

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