The Duties of a Monk/Monastic

The Duties of a Monk/Monastic


It's been a good 2-3 years now since I first read the book, 'Patipada or The Mode of Practice of Venerable Acharn Mun' by Venerable Acharn Maha Boowa Nanasampanno.

There was a teaching by Ajahn Boowa in the book under the chapter on 'A Short Biography of Venerable Acharn Kow' (page 320-322), which caught my attention.

Something I find highly relevant.

As such, I felt it's good to reproduce it here in my blog to help everyone have a better understanding of what the duties of a monk/monastic should, and ought, to be.

Enjoy!



"The receiving of visitors and the interaction between those Bhikkhus who are acknowledged teachers and the many lay people who come from all over the place to visit them is in most cases very debilitating and somewhat of an ordeal for these teachers for the whole time while these visitors are with them.

For these visitors come with all sorts of preconceived views and attitudes and generally they are very anxious to get confirmation of what they want in their own hearts.

They never think of the difficulties and the disturbance that they cause in the teacher's normal daily routine, which means that they are often more disturbed than the water in a well or pond.

If the teacher shows no sympathy for them they feel resentful and think that he dislikes them, that he is conceited and does not welcome guests as a Bhikkhu should do, for the purpose of overcoming his conceit and his dislike of others.

Moreover, they then build up a dislike of him within their hearts and they spread this about telling everybody, which leads to endless harm.

Those Bhikkhus who should be praised and respected and who are of great value to the lay people, may then become Bhikkhus who are under accusation without any court that can try the case and pass judgement.

The fact of the matter is that Bhikkhus are ordained for the purpose of bringing benefit both to themselves and to the world and NOT for remaining quiet, easy-going and unconcerned.......

Generally, when lay people visit a Bhikkhu, they are likely to come complete with their tendencies of character, pretensions, conceits and problems quite uninhibited.

So they make trouble for the Bhikkhu by unloading their complaints and criticisms, expecting him to agree with them and to act accordingly, without ever considering whether it is morally right or wrong.

This is due to their fundamental trait of having no interest in reason or morals— which are the first things that should be considered.

Whenever any desire or want arises which requires the help of a Bhikkhu, they never think how the ways and customs of Bhikkhus and lay people differ —

For the Bhikkhus have the principles of Dhamma and Vinaya to guide and direct their actions.

So the ways and customs of Bhikkhus are the Dhamma and Vinaya which shows them what they should do, and they must always think of what is right or wrong, good or evil and consider whether any proposed thing should or should not be done.

But lay people have no “Dhamma or Vinaya” within them to act as a guiding principle to control their actions and so, generally speaking,they tend to rely on what they like and want as their guide......

Such as asking him to give them a number for the state lottery — which is an activity that conflicts with the Bhikkhu's Dhamma and Vinaya.

Or by asking Bhikkhus to make love potions which cause a man and woman to love each other;

Asking Bhikkhus to tell them an auspicious time when they will have good luck and become wealthy—

Or for any one of a thousand other purposes;

Asking Bhikkhus to do their horoscope and to advise them about their affairs;

Asking for magic spells and sayings to make them invulnerable to bullets, knives, pointed weapons and clubs;

Asking for “holy water” to be sprinkled on them to annul perils, danger from enemies and bad luck; and all sorts of other things such as these.

For all these things conflict with the characteristics and customs (which means the Dhamma and Vinaya) of any Bhikkhu who gives in to them......

In particular, a Dhutanga Bhikkhu who is intent on gaining understanding,Dhamma and freedom, following the lineage of Venerable Ajaan Mun is NOT in the least interested in all these kinds of things.

In fact they look on them as being enemies to the right way of progress and as things which increase the delusions of people.

In the worst case these things could lead to the destruction of the Bhikkhu and of the religion (Sāsana) for all to see,

If, for example people started calling them “lottery number Bhikkhus” and the “lottery number religion”, or “love potion Bhikkhus and religion” — and the rest.

This would make the Bhikkhus and the religion seem disreputable and it would cause its value to deteriorate steadily and inevitably.

This is the kind of result that can come from doing these things."

( 'Patipada of The Mode of Practice of Venerable Acharn Mun' by Venerable Ajahn Maha Boowa Nanasampanno, page 320-322 )

http://www.luangta.com/English/site/books/book6_patipada/Patipada-Chapters_10to12.pdf




"Being involved in construction work and asking for money from the people are NOT the duties and responsibilities of a recluse who must strive for NOTHING else but mind development and insight."

- Venerable Ajahn Mun




"In particular, The Lord Buddha said that construction work and building projects are an enemy and detrimental to the work of a recluse.

This is recorded in the Maha Khandhaka Vinaya."

- Venerable Ajahn Maha Boowa




"Contemplatives - that's what they call us, and that's what we should answer when people ask us."

- The Buddha, Majjhima Nikaya 39




"Now with what Four factors of stream-entry is the disciple of The Noble Ones endowed?

There is the case where the disciple of The Noble Ones is endowed with unwavering faith in The Awakened One:

'Indeed, The Blessed One is worthy and rightly self-awakened,

Consummate in knowledge & conduct,

Well-gone,

An expert with regard to the world,

Unexcelled as a trainer for those people fit to be tamed,

The Master of divine & human beings,

Awakened, Blessed.'


He is endowed with unwavering faith in The Dhamma:

'The Dhamma is well-expounded by The Blessed One,

To be seen here & now,

Timeless,

Inviting verification,

Pertinent,

To be realized by the wise for themselves.'


He is endowed with unwavering faith in The Sangha:

'The Sangha of The Blessed One's disciples who have practiced well...

Who have practiced straight-forwardly...

Who have practiced methodically...

Who have practiced masterfully —

In other words, the four types [of Noble disciples] when taken as pairs,

The eight when taken as individual types —

They are The Sangha of The Blessed One's disciples:

Worthy of gifts,

Worthy of hospitality,

Worthy of offerings,

Worthy of respect,

The incomparable field of merit for the world.'


He is endowed with virtues that are appealing to The Noble Ones:

Untorn, unbroken, unspotted, unsplattered, liberating, praised by the wise, untarnished, leading to concentration."

— AN 10.92

- The Buddha, Anguttara Nikaya 10.92




"For a disciple who has conviction in the Master's message & lives to penetrate it,

It is a principle that,

'The Blessed One is the Master, I am a disciple.

He is the one who knows, NOT I.'

For a disciple who has conviction in the Master's message & lives to penetrate it,

The Master's message is healing & nourishing.

For a disciple who has conviction in the Master's message & lives to penetrate it,

It is a principle that,

'Gladly would I let the flesh & blood in my body dry up, leaving just the skin, tendons, & bones,

But if I have not attained what can be reached through human firmness, human persistence, human striving,

There will be NO relaxing my persistence.'

For a disciple who has conviction in the Master's message & lives to penetrate it,

One of two fruits can be expected:

Either gnosis here & now,

Or — if there be any remnant of clinging/sustenance — Non-Return.

— MN 70

- The Buddha, Majjhima Nikaya 70