Buddha as part of the noble eightfold path preached that killing any organism is an unskillful action which results in bad karma. He also preached that every buddhist monk's final aim should be nibbana. In the Maha-parinibbana Sutta, it's mentioned that one cause for earthquake is a monk attaining enlightenment. Earthquakes result in the killing of atleast few organisms. So that should mean a monk should not pursue enlightenment. How does a practicing buddhist monk address this apparent contradiction? Thanks.

I read in this answer that if one wants to become a Bhikkhu then *"He must never have committed any grievous crimes"*. - What could examples of grievous crimes be? - What if crimes where committed many years ago. Does that have any value in the ordination procedure or does it automatically result in one not being able to become ordained in this life? Thank you for your time.

in the city where i live (Toronto, although this is an issue in many cities around the world), there are people dressed as monks soliciting others on the street for donations. In return, various good luck charms are offered. The fake monks speak little English, and will try to justify their begging with the claim that donations are for building a temple back home. Is there anything I can or should do about this? Are these fake monks giving Buddhism a bad name, or at least obscuring Buddhism's true message? Are the fake monks doing an ironic good by giving people the chance to practice generosity?

**Hello,** I'm a Vajrayana practitioner since 2018, Nyingma School, and have been taking medication for 3 years. **What's the Buddhist point of view of Mental Illness and Hallucinations ?** I'm asking this question because I want to be a monk but don't know if it's possible because I'm sick. At the same time I don't know how far this is true because this term "Mental Illness" didn't exist in this context in the ancient times and people with supernatural abilities are mentioned in legends that are believed to be real. I'm not saying I'm one of these legends because I'm not, but, I've had my share of supernatural encounters even tho they were dismissed and there were other times that the voices wouldn't stop. **Before I started to take the medication I would do Shamata meditation easier, now I feel numb, in my heart, and sleep a lot**. I started o take the medication because I had problems at home, entered in a depression and decided not to take my life. My relationship with my mother was really bad, she was abusive yelled at me everyday, hated that I meditated and did yoga, but many years later things are better. It's a wish fulfilled, but now I can't stop taking my medication as I'm studying and I think it's for the best - at least for now. **As modern medicine didn't exist back in the day what was the Buddhist point of view of these illnesses ? And what was the method to solve this issues, if they are actually issues ?** I'm not looking for a cure for my "illness", but, I'm really serious about my practice and daily routine - that's why I want to give my life for a greater cause and to become a monk. **EDIT:** I was informed about **wind disorders** and some can be classified as **Mental Illnesses**: - [rLung, Mind, and Mental Health: The Notion of “Wind” in Tibetan Conceptions of Mind and Mental Illness](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6522449/) **Thank you for your time**

I'm a westerner, non-thai speaker, age 37. I want to ordain in Asia (not in the West) and then stay there for 5 years with a preceptor and then either continue to stay there or move back to Europe and live as monk but the problem is that not many placese in Europe have monks living. Also where should one ordain in Sri Lanka or Thailand? I read about Ven. Ajahn Chah who made monasteries for westerners to ordain but where should one stay afterwards? Can one live alone after the 5 years or more and how would a lonely monk survive in Europe? Thank you.

For a long time I have wanted to ordain and I might be able to do it in 2-3 years from now. I read that as a westerner one can ordain in the Ven. Ajahn Chah tradition in Thailand. He went to great extends to create a monastery where especially westerners, non-thai speakers could ordain and learn the Dhamma. My question is what kind of Meditation practice is being taught?

If you are mindful you don't eat for taste - so chances are you over eat are smaller. There are a few monks I know and I truly believe are advanced practitioners (meaning I won't be surprised if they are arahants) who are overweight. And this really clashes with the concept of eating mindfully - can someone help reconcile the fact they are overweight and being advanced practitioners ? Edit : just to be clear there are overweight people who eat little and have self control and healthy but have bad metabolism which makes them fat ... and skinny people who are gluttons and eat a lot of fat foods and are still skinny .... I'm just giving the most extreme example which are of monks who are extremely mindful and don't need to give 0 consideration to enjoyment from the food and are aware of their bodies.

Who are the most knowledgeable Abhidhamma masters today? Where are the active Abhidhamma communities? - country - lineage - monastery - institute - teacher - group - website - forum

When becoming a monk one has to give up most worldly stuff. I have saved hundreds of Buddhist PDF files and on my Kindle app I have bought all of Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhis books (translations on the Pali canon) so I can use those when becoming a monk and having to learn and study the Dhamma. What if I purchase myself an iPad before becoming a monk - can I then use that iPad with my books after I become a monk? If not, then how should one get access to the Dhamma?

I am not sure this post is appropriate. Pindacāra, the practice of collecting alms-food, is observed by Theravada Buddhist monks who have gone forth from ‘home-life’ to ‘homelessness’. A Buddhist monk is known in Pāli Language as a ‘bhikkhu’ – meaning ‘one who lives on alms’. In Buddhist countries such as Thailand and Myanmar, it is a daily ritual for monks to go on Pindacāra, where they walk through a village from one household to another, allowing devotees to make food offerings. Q) Why it mentions all are welcome except Muslim? I understand some non halal food served in between of the activities. What would be the right wording so it's sound better but deliver the same message?

Should a lay Buddhist teach the Dhamma in a dhamma centre? Can a lay person teach just as a monk does? If so, are there any differences (e.g., should they sit on a different level, should the audience pay respect in a different way, etc.)?

If one reads [this quote by a monk](https://ninjastream.to/download/n9JZrxK8gAG72/atid-370-uncensored-mp4) , who is referring to [donations to SuttaCentral](https://suttacentral.net/donations?lang=en) : >...For the past week or so, we’ve been actually losing money on Stripe: paying more in settlement fees than we get in donations. - What should one assume in regard of observing Vinaya while letting people believe to act in preserving a noble tradition? *This seems to be referring to asking people to donate money, to preserve a noble tradition (i.e. the scriptures published by SuttaCentral) -- but can they be doing this and observing Vinaya?* - Maybe some can quote some related texts to money and relation issues from open resources on the matter to try to catch bite the tail (don't forget to donate...). What faults can come into play? What's required to make with things attained wrongly? What can be assumed when Bhikkhus share food and success, trade together with lay people? *To answer this question, perhaps quote from available from resources, on issues such as money and relationships. Are these faults? Is this an example of Bhikkhus sharing food, and success, and trading commercially with lay people?*

How is it that militant monks can justify waging war or violence? Is nonviolence not necessarily an absolute value for the Buddha? What scriptures are militant monks interpreting to justify war or violence? Are the militant monks making more or less suffering? Is it right to make more suffering than you have to? Do they have to? Is there groups that are a threat to Buddhists or the Buddha's teaching? >Do Buddhists have a country to defend? > >Do Buddhists have a religion to defend?

Some background: I was born into a Buddhist family. I've always been intellectually interested in spiritual things like meditation and yoga, but I never really took it seriously until my early 20s, where I started a daily meditation practice. One day I decided to go for a Vipassana retreat where I accidentally/unintentionally attained first jhana. The experience was very transformative & made me want to learn more and go through all the jhanas. I am aware of the warnings about being attached to jhana. Since then I haven't been able to get jhana in my daily life, understandably; too short sits, too many distractions There's a part of me that really wants to become a monk or at least go for a longer retreat so I can reach the next jhana. The reason is that I really just want to figure out & experience for myself what is the next step. It's like reading a book for the first chapter, and then having the book taken away from you. You naturally want to find out what happens in chapter 2, 3, 4 and so on. My parents unsurprisingly don't want me to do this There's also a part of me that thinks: it's your karma to be a householder, forget the jhana, just be a good person & practice the precepts best you can. Abandon the thought of monkhood & solitary practice. Any advice? I'm asking on SE because I feel like some of you guys would have had similar experiences

Buddhist and non Buddhist people have a lot of ups and downs in their lifes, doubts, fears, anxiety, regrets etc... we understand that as impermanence. Do monks experience similar things of aftet joining the Sangha their lifes are pretty much "peaceful and flat"?

I have heard that Buddha was eating similar to one meal a day. Is this true? Would this not lead to severe constipation? Was it common for ascetics to take medicines to help purge the food waste from their bodies?

I have seen the same monk in two different color robes and am wondering why. They were dark red and of course orange. Ihave also seen brown, but that was zen, and if any other colors have relevance i would like to hear about them as well. I practice Theravada if that helps with referencing or relevance issues.

Below, I have questions regarding Buddhist monasticism. They are centered around topics of health. 1. May a monastic regulate their alms diet in order to focus on healthy foods and avoid unhealthy ones? 2. Would it be appropriate for a monastic to physically exercise to keep healthy? 3. Do monastics have access to healthcare for dental & physical checkups as well as brush their teeth, cut their nails, etc.? Thank you for your time and may you be well.

In Tibetan Buddhism there is a sect of monks who specialize in "Telepathy". Their job essentially is to protect the Tibetan people from natural disasters. Does anyone know the process on how these Tibetan monks are chosen? And why are not all worthy Tibetan monks allowed in this position?

The bowl, the robes, the lodgings, the medicines - are these private property, or shared within a Sangha of monks?