Lots of questions

Question : (Unedited)
Hi again my dear friend,
I hope you are fine. Thanks a lot for the sites you introduced.

You have left one of the questions I asked unanswered: “You had said “The monks are the GUARDIANCE of the Dhamma (Buddha's teachings).”
How can they be the guardiance of the Dhamma if they are not allowed to defend the Dhamma?”

You have said “The Buddha was never a begger!! 　We refer the giving of "alms food" to the monks as Dana. 　They never come begging from us. 　It is our willingness to provide them with the daily sustenance.”
How can you tell the difference between a begger and a monk if they dress like each other? (This question is being seriously asked. Please don`t take it as a joke.)

You have said “There were a lot of ascetics who wandered everywhere practising different forms of "spiritual ascetism". 　These people concentrated their whole lives in search of the "ultimate release". 　They lead a "carefree" life and the lay people would support them by offering them food. 　This was the way to follow when one wanted to find spiritual liberation. 　The Buddha merely followed that tradition and for good reason.”

A mistake, even if it becomes a tradition is still a mistake. For example marrying a child was an ACCEPTABLE TRADITION in Saudi Arabia 1400 years ago (Muhammad, the Prophet!! Himself had married a 9 year old girl named Aisha) But being a tradition doesn`t wash that mistake clean.
And I know that Buddha was against the ascetism and he preached the Middle Way.
A New Question
Could anybody besides the Buddha find spiritual liberation and ultimate release? If your answer is positive, what`s TTB`s idea about them?

You have said “Even today this tradition is followed. 　The lay people understand this traditional practice and always support the monks.”

That`s why most (meaning not all and not all because Buddhist culture is being combined by other countries cultures like Chinese and Japanese) of the Buddhist countries are economically poor.
And an interesting point about that Arabic-Islamic tradition. Even today, that tradition is still followed in some Islamic countries.

You have said “It is the Buddhist culture that we support the monks by providing them the material necessities while they concentrate on their spiritual cultivation and teaching us the Dhamma (Budhha's teachings).”

The Dhamma was taught once by Buddha, and it doesn`t need to be taught again. (Unless you believe that Buddha was not a fine teacher.) Everyone who is interested in Dhamma can study the Tipitika.

You have siad “Please be patient with your "learning" process.”
I`ve been patient for 2 years now and i`ll try to be in the future.

You have said “I take the liberty to assume that you are from a very different culture and are just being exposed to Buddhist tradition.”
That`s true, that`s very very true.

You have said “Once you are familiar with the Buddhist traditions, a lot of your doubts will gradually disappear.”
I hope so.

Anyway, I really THANK YOU for your answers.

My comments:

Hi A,
Welcome back, and thank you for not being disappointed with my "answers". 　One day will come when you will understand why some questions cannot be satisfactorilly answered for that particular person. 　I can try my best to provide you with the "answers" but you may not agree with me. 　So the best diplomatic compromise is "agree to disagree", at least for the time being. 　Please be patient. 　So long as we do not enter into argument, there will be "light at the end of the tunnel".

Coming back to your questions:

<>
To defend the Dhamma doesn't mean being intolerant of others' opposition. 　It means to preserve the purity of the Dhamma and to teach the Dhamma. 　We do not have to kill others who want to destroy the Dhamma. 　The Dhamma cannot be destroyed. 　It is Universal Truth, which transcends race, nationality, belief, time and space. 　To defend the Dhamma is also to practise the Dhamma.

<>
Yes, this is a "problem" for those who are not familiar with Buddhist tradition. 　A lot of so-called Buddhists fall victims to this scam. 　But it is very easy to identify the real monks. 　Theravada monks go for alms round early in the morning, definitely before noon. 　They don't walk around begging for food. 　If they go "house-to-house" they will not skip any house. 　They will stand silently in front of the door with the alms bowl in hand. 　After a minute or so, if no response, they will move on to the next house. 　This traditional practice is only common in Northern Thailand, where the society understands the practice. 　The more common is for the monks to stand on one spot in a market place with alms bowl in hand, and to accept whatever alms food offered ...definitely not money...only food. 　When enough food is received, the monks will return to where they came from. 　

< It is "very easy". 　When that person is COMPLETELY rid of greed, hatred and delusion.

<>
These poor Asian countries happen to be so-called "Buddhist" countries. 　They are poor not because they are "Buddhists". There is no Buddhist country in this world. 　There may be countries which have a large proportion of Buddhists. 　The Government of Thailand refused to enact into law that Buddhism is the "official" religion.

<
“Please be patient with your "learning" process.”
I`ve been patient for 2 years now and i`ll try to be in the future.>>
I am still learning the teachings of the Buddha after 50 years!! 　

The journey will be a long but rewarding one. 　As we travel along the path, we learn to experience happiness and inner peace through the three processes of learning, practising, and experiencing the positive results. 　With this experiencing, it further encourages us to put more effort to continue learning and practising. The final destination may be unreachable but the journey itself is a lesson in life. 　Have a pleasant journey.

<< You have said
“Once you are familiar with the Buddhist traditions, a lot of your doubts will gradually disappear.”
I hope so.>>
Have patience and resilience. 　The truth will prevail, so they say!!

Middle way in simple language

Question : (Unedited)

please explain the middle way in clear simple sentences

My comment:

Hi T,

The Buddha's teachings are very practical and down to earth and are meant for everyone. It is so because it is based on universal truth that transcends race, nationality, location, space and time. He preached kindness and compassion based on universal truth. He was not interested to convert anyone. He just emphasized that we must avoid committing evil deeds because we, ourselves, are very fearful that others may hurt us. On this premise alone we can just use our common sense and fair judgement that it is not fair to hurt others. We must have this human dignity to conduct our lives in this dignified manner.

On the other hand, we always wish that all good and happy things come our way. Knowing that, it is also fair that others should be given a fair chance to enjoy good and happy lives.

Do we need any more creed, commandment, or threat in order to live in a civilized manner? It is only when others demand that we must believe in their dogmas or else hell will befall them, that the world is in trouble.

As a practising Buddhist, I just have to live my life guided by the 5 precepts, which I repeat here:
1)Refrain from killing
2)Refrain from stealing
3)Refrain from sexual misconduct
4)Refrain from telling lies
5)Refrain from taking intoxicating things
The Buddha advised us to keep these 5 precepts to the best of our ability, and we will be able to live in peace with ourselves. What others do, or do not do, is their business. We cannot change the whole world. But we can change our lives if we want to.

Our life's trilogy is this:
I want
I don't want
I don't know

If I get what I want I will be very happy. The more I get the more I want; I become greedy.

I don't want things that give me sorrow. If I get things that I don't want, I become very angry. The more bad things I get, the angrier I become, the more hateful I become.

I am subject to such uncontrolled reactions because of "I don't know". I don't know the true nature of this world and this life. Because of this ignorance, the vicious cycle goes round and round. I get greedy, I get angry, because of my ignorance in life. Our lives revolve around this trilogy of human tragedy.

Unless we change our mind-set, we will suffer through our own ignorance and stupidity. The whole world is such.

The Buddha's message is very simple: Reduce our greed, reduce our hatred, reduce our ignorance by realizing the message of the Buddha. Then we will have inner peace and happiness.

This is the "Middle Way".

Is there a soul?

Question : (Unedited)

do buddhists believe that there is a soul?

My comment:

Hi T,

First we have to define what is "soul". 　I take it as meaning "a continuity of the same permanent self that exists after death". 　

The three characteristics of all phenomena or existence are impermanence, unsatisfactoriness and insubstantiality, which I had mentioned before. 　The third characteristic is also explained as "no-soul". 　The Pali term is "anatta"..."no self". 　The Buddha's teachings stand aloft in this concept of "anatta".

A physical being is composed of the physical body and consciousness which is a form of energy. 　This "etheral energy" gives live to form. 　Without this energy the form is dead. 　However when this physical form is worn out and fails to function, the etheral energy takes on another form to start a new cycle. 　This process is called rebirth.
"Rebith" takes on a totally different perspective. 　It views existence as an on-going process, just like the electric current lighting up a bulb. 　The "bulb" is like the physical body. 　When this bulb is blown, the current is still there and when a new bulb is fixed on, it lights up again. 　So you can see that there is a continuity in the electric current, but the current flowing through is not the same at any one moment. 　Our existence is in this state of flux. 　When the body is dead, the life energy seeks another form to "reborn". 　The type of rebirth will depend on the nature of this store-house of life energy. 　If this store-house of energy has more wholesome characteristics, then it will seek rebirth in a more conducive environment. 　On the other hand, if it has more negative characteristics, then its rebirth will be in a more unwholesome environment. 　As the life force is always in a flux, there is no permanent and unchanging soul, but a changing personality that exists throughout. 　To describe this process of rebirth, the Buddha used the term "Not exactly the same, yet not totally different". 　Another example will be a lighted candle. 　It is not the same light that we see, but not totally different.

Buddha a begger ?

(Buddha image with alms bowl)

Question : (Unedited)

According to the Pali Canon texts, Buddha was a begger-man and he encouraged others (his followers) to go begging for food. Don`t you think there is a problem here? When a person is healthy, he has healthy hands and healthy feet, why shouldn`t he work to earn his food? Doesn`t Buddhism hurt economics by developing beggers? The society already has children, handicapped people and old-men and women as consumers who don`t produce anything. Don`t you think by putting healthy people as monks in the category of cosumers it will hurt economics and economical self-reliance?

My comment:

The Buddha was never a begger!! 　You also need to have a little background knowledge of the Indian society during the Buddha's time. 　Long before the Buddha's time Indian civilization was already very well established. 　The society was controlled by the Brahmins (high caste priests) who practised Brahmanism, the present day Hinduism. 　There were a lot of ascetics who wandered everywhere practising different forms of "spiritual ascetism". 　These people concentrated their whole lives in search of the "ultimate release". 　They lead 　a "carefree" life and the lay people would support them by offering them food. 　This was the way to follow when one wanted to find spiritual liberation. 　The Buddha merely followed that tradition and for good reason. 　Even today this tradition is followed. 　The lay people understand this traditional practice and always support the monks. 　It is the Buddhist culture that we support the monks by providing them the material necessities while they concentrate on their spiritual cultivation and teaching us the Dhamma (Budhha's teachings). 　We refer the giving of "alms food" to the monks as Dana. 　They never come begging from us. 　It is our willingness to provide them with the daily sustenance. 　Please be patient with your "learning" process. 　I take the liberty to assume that you are from a very different culture and are just being exposed to Buddhist tradition. 　If I am wrong please accept my apology. 　Once you are familiar with the Buddhist traditions, a lot of your doubts will gradually disappear.

Wishing you peace and happiness :-)