Dietary rules, as practiced by Buddhist cultures, vegetarian and non-vegetarian Buddhists, and otherwise, are at the center of the philosophy of non-violence, compassion, and mindfulness in Buddhism. As a matter of fact, there has been quite a varied relation between Buddhism and meat ea…
The Mahaparinibbana Sutta deals with some important points in respect of the attitude of the theras towards the Vinaya which was considered by them the lifeblood of the dispensation. When the Vinaya and the Sutta rehearsals were over, Ananda informed the assembly that the Buddha had enjo…
For a monastic (a monk or a nun) food is to be regarded as medicine and not as a pleasure. In the spirit of the Middle Way it should be taken in just sufficient quantity to keep the body healthy. In the KITAGIRI SUTTA of the MAJJHIMA NIKAYA is found the following passage: Once when the B…
This is the third article in the series about the Vinaya, the body of monastic rules and traditions binding on every Buddhist monk and nun. In this article I will discuss the four Parajika - the disrobing offences. The core of the monastic discipline is a list of rules called the Patimok…
Since the very beginning of Buddhism over 2500 years ago, Buddhist monks and nuns have depended on almsfood. They were, and still are, prohibited from growing their own food, storing their own provisions or cooking their own meals. Instead, every morning they would make their day's m…
Sister Rocana left Bodhinyana Monastery recently to take a 'higher' ordination in England. As I mentioned in the 'Sangha News' article, she visited Thailand en-route and was rather disappointed at what she saw of the opportunities for nuns there. The place of women in The…
This is the second article in the series about the Vinaya, the body of monastic rules and traditions binding on every Buddhist monk and nun. In this article I will be concerned with the controversial issue of a monk's or nun's dealings with money. The issue has been controversial…
One of the important rules of Vinaya, for Buddhist monks as well as nuns, is the prohibition of a monk to be alone with women, and a nun to be alone with men. This is not just a rule for strict monks and nuns, but a rule which the Buddha made obligatory for all monks and nuns. Since this …
