Key Points A monk may only ask for his needs if he receives pavāraṇā (invitation). Clear invitations—especially phrases like “any time” or “ever”—create ongoing permission. Invitations are not binding; they simply allow the monk to ask. Renewing the invitation often helps the monk feel comfortable and avoids misunderstandings. Introduction In the Theravāda Vinaya tradition for monks who do not use money, many lay supporters are not familiar with how invitations work1. Several Vinaya rules prevent a monk from asking for his needs unless he is given pavāraṇā (invitation).

Introduction Quite a few people believe that there is a special purification process that happens during the Pātimokkha recitation meeting done on the full and new moon days. They believe there’s some magical purification going on. While it is true that after the meeting the monks are considered pure, there is nothing magical. Why the Mystery? During the Pātimokkha, the recitation of the 227 rules, lay people are often kept out of the uposatha hall (or sīmā). That naturally leads to speculation. The hall is special and sacred, not because of magic, but because of legal Vinaya reasons. Think of it like a courthouse: you can’t just hold a trial under a tree or at someone’s home. Monks must carry out official acts like ordinations and the Pātimokkha in a formally designated sīmā. They must sit inside the marked area and be within an arm’s length from each other.

Monks Using Uber and Gift Cards: Allowable as a Kappiya Arrangement Summary Are Theravāda monks allowed to use Uber, PickMe, or gift cards? Yes, but only with a proper invitation from a donor or kappiya, in accordance with Vinaya rules. While these services offer convenience, they can reduce meaningful connections with supporters — an important aspect of monastic life. Read on to learn more. The Allowability of Ride-Hailing Services In modern times, ride-hailing apps like Uber or Sri Lanka’s PickMe or Grab in Myanamr and Thailand offer a convenient way to arrange transportation. Although monks are not allowed to use money directly, these services can still be used in accordance with vinaya rules if properly arranged through a kappiya or donor.

Introduction On January 2nd, 2025, I left The International Institute of Theravāda (IIT) . It was something I had planned since late September 2024 and something I had wanted to do within the first few months of first attending in December 2022. I patiently waited for things to change. The main reason I left was that it was just a little too intensive for me and different from what I originally signed up for. I signed up to learn the Pāḷi language and also to fulfill the requirements of Nissaya Muttaka.

This is Ven Indavimala. During my re-ordination in 2007, the ones who were previously ordained got to go first by previous seniority. This is to preserve previous order of seniority to those who lost it before, but the seniority only resides in our year of ordination (if that makes sense). Technically we are all the same monk age in years. We are all 17 years or vassa. However, the monk with the most experience will be ordained before the other and he will be senior sometimes by a day, an hour, or even by a mere second. It is sort of like twins, if they know who was “born” first. Ven Maggavihari is the baby of our year and was in the very last group to ordain with a Chinese monk in the next day. He has only ordained once which is how it should be.

Palm leaf photo link wellcomecollection:1 Today I finished memorizing the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha in Pāḷi (the 311 Theravāda nun’s rules). While I did not recite the whole lot in a single session, I did memorize in chunks until the total was completely memorized at one time or another. That means, I would recite a chunk of rules in front of a teacher by memory and then work on a separate adjacent succeeding chunk for memory. After finishing the new chunk, I would recite those new rules by memory in front of a teacher and then move forward to another adjacent succeeding chunk. While this is not the best or ideal method, the chunks were quite large at times.

When it comes to shaving heads, Theravāda Buddhist Monks might be the authority on this issue. It is second nature for monks to shave but perhaps unknown to the rest of the world. In this article, we will discuss the motivation, Buddhist culture and methods for shaving the head and how it is done. Simplicity Inspires But Also Saves Money: For those of you in the layperson world (man or woman) who aspire to become monks but cannot plunge into a monastery just yet, you might want to try cutting your hair very short before shaving it. The first and foremost advice is don’t pay anyone to shave or buzz your head. If you are getting your haircut so short that a buzz cut would not be much different, an electric trimmer would cost the same or less than a single visit. In the late 90’s I used to do that myself or had another person do it. It is really easy to do. First try it with the attachments, and as your Buddhist Renunciation grows, you can try to get rid of the attachments.1 It is difficult to find the real reason why monks shave their heads, but as you can see for yourself, it is a step towards simplicity in life and one’s looks. Below is a picture of a buzz cutter. In my lay person days, I used a $20 corded device. It is good to see that they still sell for the same price. It should be noted that scissors are not allowed for monks. It has been judged by some, that electric razors are indeed modern scissors because they are two blades rubbing against each other.

Although Buddhist lay people might be interested in having a monk perform their marriage ceremony, it is not allowed and doing so is classed as a heavy rule (Saṅghādisesa). Such heavy rules have penalties and require the monk to lose his full status for a minimum of 6 nights1 and additional probation time if concealing the offense occurs. Image was created by AI DALL-E by OpenAI. All participants do not exist in real life.

Pa Auk Monastery in 2014, Photo by Klaus The Pātimokkha is a set of 227 rules for the bhikkhus belonging to the Theravāda sect which is based on the Pāḷi language texts. The 227 rules are grouped into seven classes with the first two, Pārājikā and Saṅghādisesā considered as “heavy”. The first heavy group is also considered irrecoverable while the second requires official transactions to restore the full bhikkhu status to the offender. The seven classes are listed below:

Bowl with bowl stand (maybe Pa-Auk) There are certain characteristics of the Theravada Buddhist monk’s bowl that might be interesting to know, even though the information is quite dry. Enjoy! Material: The Buddha has allowed two different types of materials for bowls: iron and clay. When we say iron in Asia, we mean steel. Stainless steel is called steel. Is stainless steel allowed? This metal was not invented yet, but The Buddha left us with the great standards to judge if something should be allowable that was not mentioned during the time of the Buddha. Because it is strongly resistant to most rust, and still contains iron, it has been unanimously decided that stainless steel is allowed. Today, it is one of the most popular long lasting bowl materials used.

A Money tree in Laos cc-by-attrib-sa https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Buddhist_money_tree_with_toilet_paper.webp Are Buddhist monks allowed to use money? The short answer is that monks are definitely not allowed to even touch money for all traditions; Theravāda, Mahayāna, and Tibetan. However, it is very common for monks to not only accept money from lay people without shame, but they even encourage lay people to offer the money. Nevertheless, it is still a rule and there are heavy consequences if this becomes a lifetime habit and a wrong mode of livelihood. In the Theravāda, you are likely to find less than 2% of monks who follow such rules. While 2% seems like very little there might be over 5,000 monks who follow such rules world wide.1

Sattigumba and Pupphaka Asevanā ca bālānaṃ, paṇḍitānañca sevanā; Pūjā ca pūjaneyyānaṃ etaṃ maṅgalamuttamaṃ. Avoid the Fools and Associate with the wise. Give respect to the respectable. This is the highest blessing. Maṅgala Sutta This small quote is from the first verse spoken by the Buddha when he was asked, “What is the highest blessing?” There are thirty-eight blessings listed and you can find them here. However, the first verse is the most important and we will only discuss the fools and the wise.

Originally Published: April 21, 20241 Summary: Yes, it is possible, but it is difficult to recommended because it can be very dangerous for saṅgha. Some monasteries will prohibit ordinations of openly gay men. Why? The short answer is that the monastic environment is specifically designed to be segregated for celibacy. Segregation of genders breaks when homosexuals are ordained and mix with other monks. This is true especially at large monasteries where there is less supervision.

A couple of months ago, I was contacted by a professor of World Religions in the College of Religious Education at BYU named, Alonzo Gaskill. He had read my previous article on Buddhist Monk’s Robes Information and wanted to interview me for another Buddhist robes article for Patheos.com. We talked for quite a long time about Buddhism, my past, and why I ordained, and then the time was up. So we scheduled another call to talk about robes the next day to actually talk about the robes. The credits at the end of the article say “Interview conducted, transcribed, edited, and condensed by Alonzo L. Gaskill. Well, he certainly did condense the 3+ hours of interview time, but I think he did a great job at getting the key points.

Yesterday, I recited the 227 rules of the Pātimokkha for 110 bhikkhus at Pa-Auk Meditation Center in Pyin Oo Lwin. When a monk recites the Pātimokkha, traditionally he does so by memory and not by reading. My recitation was not the best quality, but it was not so bad considering I only started when I was 47, and I have only done this 5 times now. However, the recitations get better and better each time I do it and I hope improvement continues until perfection.

Copyright notice.. picture by Kim Traynor cc-by-sa Note: This post is not for everyone. Those who claim to be bhikkhunis and supporters of the movement, and monks and nuns in general will find this interesting. Did you know that bhikkhunis (nuns) are not allowed to sleep alone or travel alone and if they do, they are sentenced to 2 weeks of rehabilitation and lose their full status as bhikkhunis during this period? In my last article Are Theravāda Bhikkhuni Ordinations Valid?, we discussed whether or not the bhikkhuni ordinations are valid. In this article, we will assume that today’s bhikkhuni ordinations are valid and then explore the heavy rules and consequences that are at stake. You will learn that bhikkhunis who claim to be serious about the rules are likely to be already breaking some of the heavy rules of the bhikkhuni vinaya.

Very few people from the West know about what the monks use for their bath towels and their bathing soap. Monks use items that are much different than those found in the West, although commonly known in Myanmar and other Buddhist countries. Furthermore, the monks use these items because of the monk rules associated with them in addition to the abundance and low cost. Monks at Pa-Auk usually use small hand towels instead of normal “wrap-around” sized towels.

Pa-Auk Bowl Blackening Foundry (not a political picture) We have seen many Facebook selfies of politically active monks with their bowls turned upside down. What does this mean and is that proper? The answer is: What you see on Facebook is not proper for monks or nuns. What you see on the news with monks and nuns as protesters is not proper. Overturning a bowl is an official Buddhist act, but what you have seen on Facebook and on the news are not official acts of overturning a bowl. These monks or nuns are doing this purely to be political. The Buddha has specifically mentioned that “talks of kings” should not be engaged in. What more could be said about participating in political protests?

Various items for Kaṭhina It is quite common in Myanmar to offer robes at the end of the Rainy Season (vassa) in a ceremony called Kaṭhina. How long do monk’s robes last? A monk normally has a set of three robes; a lower robe, an upper robe and a double robe sometimes referred to as the outer robe. During Kaṭhina, a set of robes are offered, but usually just the lower and upper robes since the double robe or outer robe lasts a long time. I’m not sure how old my double robe is, but I think it may be seven years old. It is faded, but still quite strong. During this Kaṭhina, 2021, the monks at Pa-Auk got a whopping eight sets of robes and one set robes were offered at the end of vassa a week ago, totaling nine sets of robes! Various other items were offered too, like slippers, a blanket, a pair of socks, tissues, soap, sponges, a bowl bag, rope, etc. I was also offered various requisite slips. This year someone was collecting the slips for a Myanmar Tipitaka (set of Buddhist Scriptures). Now my 60,000 myk office requisite slips are gone. Easy come, easy go. Last year, I collected 27-28 slips (1,250,000 myk) to sponsor a meal arranged by the office. These days, I’m more joyful to give my slips for the set of scripture books rather than a meal arranged by the office.

Artistic digital recreation of Migalaṇḍika (an ascetic who looked like a monk) The Monastery Murder Massacre that happened in Vesālī during the time of The Buddha is not well known among lay people. It was because of this massacre that The Buddha made a rule about killing humans. For the first 20 years, there were no rules and this was the third rule that was ever created. Before this, the monks intuitively knew what was proper and there was no need for rules. As time went on, new problems arose and more rules were made. We have 227 rules that are recited every fortnight, but we actually have thousands of rules and variations of rules which were made over the time of the Buddha. The slightly abbreviated story below is mentioned in the first Pāḷi book of the Tipitaka translated from The Book of The Discipline (Vol 1), PTS, cc-by-nc:

cc0 picture https://pxhere.com/en/photo/489726 There is not much written in English explaining why bhikkhuni ordinations are rejected by the Theravāda Community of Monks. The English writings are a poor representation of the vast majority of Buddhist Scholarship and that is why there is “controversy” regarding the revival of the extinct Theravāda Bhikkhuni order. There is really no controversy to speak about once you know the full story. Many Westerners believe that women are not able to become nuns without such a revival, but that is not true. The extinct bhikkhuni ordination had rules that were numerous, restrictive, and heavy in consequence to protect their brahmacariya life. To give monastic opportunities to women, the senior monks created new lineages in Myanmar, Sri Lanka and within the Western Thai Tradition long before this “revival”. Not only that, these “new” traditions have been designed to simplify and remove many of the “difficult to follow” rules which gives more freedom to practice to attain the goals of Buddhist meditation. Pa-Auk allocates roughly half of its residential resources to female monastics with equal access to the teachers. Na-Uyana in Sri Lanka and Amaravati in England have similar arrangements. One of these nuns has her own international meditation center with donors to offer full autonomous support.

Recently, I got a nice message from a monk friend telling me he was taking vassa (3 month Rainy Season Retreat) on July 23rd (the Full Moon Day) and wishing me a happy vassa before he goes offline for three months. However, we at Pa-Auk are taking the vassa today on July 24 (the day after the Full Moon Day). The calendars often say it starts on the Full Moon Day, but we don’t do that at Pa-Auk. So who is correct? Rainy Season from the back of the sima hall

Did the Buddha do intermittent fasting? The answer is: Yes. When I first became a monk, people were shocked about how I gave up eating after Solar Noon and I have not eaten dinner in over 20 years. Sometimes I switch to one meal per day, but I often find a light breakfast, mostly liquid foods or rice soup, with a full lunch works best for me. These days, many people are using intermittent fasting as a form of weight loss and when I describe my Buddhist monk diet, they give a nod and say “Intermittent Fasting… It’s Healthy.” I guess I’m always one step ahead of mainstream society!

cc0 picture Recently, there have been some instances in the news of monks who have been accused of rape or consensual sex. One monk appears to have supported a child with his money. While we won’t know the true outcome until an admission of guilt is made, we should investigate what is a rule and what is not a rule. Although it is appalling that the Catholic church allows its priests to continue in the order even after such admissions of guilt for sexual acts, the Buddhist rules across all Buddhist schools have a different approach.

Of course I’m happy! On November 24, I helped make a nice breakfast and lunch for Pa-Auk Forest Monastery, Pyin Oo Lwin. I organized 28 monks including myself to be the donors for the whole day meals + fresh squeezed apple juice, for a full value of 1,250,000 Myanmar Kyat. It fed approximately 530 yogis across four sections in Pa-Auk Forest Monastery. But how is that possible for monks to donate money?

Pabbajja Ordination in Pa Auk (8th April 2014) The short answer is: If you are looking for vinaya (places that don’t touch money), and you believe in the commentaries and Abhidhamma and want to meditate, you have two choices, Pa-Auk and Na-Uyana. If you don’t believe in the commentaries and Abhidhamma, you are best off at a Thai Forest Monastery like Ajahn Chah (Mahanikaya) or Ajahn Maha Boowa (Dhammayut) monasteries. There are other places that I might recommend too. I will mention them later.

Please note: this was written in 2020 but also applies to 2023. Vassa starts on August 1, 2023. There seems to be confusion about when vassa is this year. This year is a special year and Vassa starts the day after the full moon day in August. The full moon day is August 3rd and Vassa starts on August 4th. However, there are some traditions that believe that Vassa has already started with the full moon day of July 4th and Vassa on July 5th.

Recently, I had a chance to go to a Lao Monastery in Elgin, Chicago, IL, USA for 12 days. I usually avoid American Theravada Temples like the plague because most of these places have monks who use money and much of the monk life is centered around collecting money. This is a typical standard not only in America but in most countries. This monastery however, is different. In 2015, the committee decided to stop being a useless, unwholesome temple that teaches wrong dhammavinaya (teaching and training — on wrong ways to give donation and wrong ways to make merit, and obviously wrong kamma and results). If that is not bad enough, they used to sell alcohol for fundraisers too (!). Unfortunately, I know of three other Lao monasteries in America that sell alcohol. The committee knew this path was in the opposite direction of The Buddhist Path and decided to change. They offered the resident monks to join them with a two year transition period and although the monks agreed such changes were wholesome, when it came down to the wire, they never changed and drove themselves across town in their own cars to another local Lao temple in 2017.

Many people who have learned that I have re-ordained and actually know what that means have asked me why I did it. It is a long story, but I will try to be brief. During my first ordination in 2001, at Pa-Auk Main Branch with Venerable Pa-Auk Sayadaw as my preceptor, I was asked 13 questions. According to tradition, every monk is asked these 13 qualifying questions in the ordination ceremony twice. It is a requirement for the ordination that a monk gets taught about the 13 questions before he is officially asked these questions. Because this requirement needs to be verified, the “practice session” has become embedded into the whole ordination procedure. The first time the set of questions are asked, the sangha or group of monks can witness that the candidate was given a lesson. The second round of questions (only 3 minutes later) is for real and the sangha can officially hear the answers for each qualifying question. The official ordination chant called “kamma vaca” follows immediately. After that, the monk is “ordained” and then taught about the robes, food, lodging and medicine requisites.

Recently, I ran into a very angry man who came out of his house yelling at me and coming closer and closer. Eventually, I won the fight with my two big weapons, loving-kindness and my commitment of being free from money for all these years. I have been going for alms in this neighborhood for a little over a year now, and while I did have two girls yell at me, they did not leave their property boundary. Later, I switched to a new street in the same neighborhood as I explained in my last story. However, things were different as this guy came out of his house with raging anger, coming closer and closer to me, I was unsure what would happen.

Below is a chart comparing special allowances by tradition which is useful for making a decision on where to ordain. If you need an explanation, read further. Dhammayut Wat Pah Pong Wat Khao Sanamachai (Hua Hin) Pa-Auk Cigarettes Allowed No Smoking No Smoking No Smoking Betel Nut Allowed No Betel Chewing allowed No Betel Chewing allowed No Betel Chewing allowed Cheese 7 Day (medicine) Cheese 7 Day (medicine) Cheese allowed before Noon Cheese allowed before Noon Dark Chocolate 7 Day Dark Chocolate 7 Day Chocolate allowed before Noon Chocolate allowed before Noon Bottled Juice 7 Day Bottled Juice 7 Day Fresh Juice Evening Fresh Juice Evening Soy Milk lifetime medicine Soy Milk lifetime medicine Soy Milk before Noon Soy Milk before Noon Tea/Coffeemix Allowed 7 days Tea/Coffeemix Allowed 7 days Tea/Coffeemix before Noon Tea/Coffeemix before Noon Requires shaving of Eyebrows Requires shaving of Eyebrows Most do not, optional Not allowed Tan robes Tan Robes Any allowable color Burgundy required Checks accepted (not money) Checks accepted (not money) Checks not allowed (money) Checks not allowed (money) Co-Signing Checks allowed Co-Signing Checks allowed in some places Signing checks not allowed Signing checks not allowed Exclusion of non-Dhammayut monks from Pātimokkha Exclusion of non–Wat Pa Pong monks (Thailand) All Vinaya-compliant monks welcome All monks are welcome Rejects Commentaries Rejects Commentaries (if scholarly) Accepts Commentaries Accepts Commentaries Rejects Abhidhamma Rejects Abhidhamma (in most cases) Accepts Abhidhamma Accepts Abhidhamma Believes Buddha Lives in Nibbāna (Ajahn Mun’s Biography) Some defend Ajahn Mun’s biography, others blame the author Buddha does not live in Nibbāna Buddha does not live in Nibbāna There are some allowances and differences among traditions. I have included four traditions to the best of my knowledge about certain “allowances” that are allowed in some places and not allowed in other places. Who is right? I believe that the two monasteries on the right (especially Wat Khao Sanamachai) are correct, while other monks will believe that the monasteries on the left are correct. You can read it and decide. Na-Uyana Monastery in Sri Lanka is not included but is similar to Pa-Auk. I explain a few differences for Na-Uyana within the explanation text.

Monk bowls are black because they are fired with sesame oil 5 times to protect it from rusting. There are two types of bowls allowed; Iron and Clay. Iron bowls need to be fired 5 times and clay bowls only need firing twice. Obviously, the clay bowls do not need to be black in color but are rare to find because they are fragile and very very heavy. Iron bowls are black from the baked-on sesame oil. The oil is also treated or burnt beforehand too.

Why do monks have one shoulder exposed sometimes and both shoulders covered other times? There is a very small rule about having the robes fully covered when we are in a populated areas (sekhiyā 3). Although it is a very small rule, it can say a great deal about the monk and his respect for the monastic code, especially in the afternoons or evenings. “Populated areas” refers to when we are outside of the monastery and outside of the forest. Buddhist Shrines in a city like Shwedagon Pagoda can be considered a “monastery” and it is OK and sometimes culturally proper to go bare shouldered inside. However, some may choose to stay to be fully covered if there are many women around.

Sewing pattern from BMC 1 (creative-commons, Thanissaro Bhikkhu) Robe Information Few people realize that the Theravāda monk’s robes are actually a piece of rectangular cloth with no sleeves.1 If you see a Theravāda monk wearing his robes in different styles, then rest assured it is due to the art of “tying the robes” or “rolling the robes” — what I call “robe origami.”

That is me going for alms on Aalona Street Kilauea. Collecting alms, also known as piṇḍapāta by Theravāda Buddhists, is a legal activity in the USA. There are some restrictions though. I spoke with a lawyer who seemed to know civil liberties quite well, but there are no guarantees with what I say. However, this information should make sense and seem legal to you. It is legal to ring the doorbell of any house and preach to them or talk to them about politics under the freedom of speech rights. One can even ask them to support or give money to a cause. One can sell them vacuum cleaners too. However, if they have a sign that says, “No Solicitation” or “No Trespassing” or “Private Property,” or any other derivative, then one needs to stay clear away from the property lines or at least up to the sign location.

Muslim Imam giving dana. The short answer is, “Yes.” Of course we should be nice to Muslims, Christians, Atheist, animals, snakes and all beings. Sabbe Satta means all beings. In this long winded article, I speak about how the Muslims will win a majority in Myanmar and how Buddhism is already falling down in quality and quantity. Any “evil” actions like parochial schools, or large families were actually practiced in Myanmar by Buddhists only 20 or 30 years ago. They have continued with this practice, while Buddhism has slacked off.

Vegetarianism and Theravāda Buddhism I have been asked to write a little something on vegetarianism and Theravāda Buddhism. I am qualified to be quite objective, and to see both sides of the issue because I was a vegetarian for a total of ten years as a lay person and I had vegetarian eyes. That meant that when I looked at meat, cooked or not, I saw a dead animal in front of me. Now that I am a monk, I am no longer a vegetarian although I have lived at vegetarian monasteries for many years, so I know both sides of the coin.

Inspire Means To Leave Facebook Much of what I write about is related to stories that happen to me that would charge me up and make me feel inspired. I would then write down what happened and share it with others. Often my stories are related to vinaya – the monks’ rules and living without money. These days it is special for a monk to live without money and I can inspire people simply by following the rules. However, it really should not be that way. I’m not really that special nor inspiring, but the times have changed, and simply being one who does not touch money seems to inspire people because it is rare.

When Ven. Devananda and I traveled to Kauai in 2015, we did not have a Kappiya (helper) to buy us food or even pay for our luggage. One can live without helpers, but it does take some pre-planning. We had a ticket from Yangon to Honolulu that was dirt cheap at only $854 for a round trip fare. However, it came with 12 hour and 6 hour layovers in China. I think the whole trip was over 40 hours. All meals would be provided on the plane that were within our eating times. We did OK with that, but there was a problem when we would transfer to Kauai via a domestic flight. These days, luggage is not included in the airfare and Hawaiian Airlines did not allow one to prebook luggage and pay for it in advance except during the last 24 hours. My brother was arranging everything for us and he was on vacation during the same time that we were travelling. Have you ever heard of Murphy’s Law?

Here is a quick tip on how to make a filter in just a few minutes. Maybe as fast as one minute. This is useful for monks who want to put filters on their water taps. It is my own invention as far as I know, but I am sure other monks somewhere else also do the same. The Buddha did mention that if we did not have a filter, we could use the corner of our robes (that we are wearing). This was how I got the idea by using an old robe. Old robes are abundant and easy to find in almost any monastery. Be sure to clean the robe before officially using the filter. This one was washed twice, but still had a stain on it. If you are really lazy (like me), you can cut out the filter and then just wash that small piece of cloth in a very short time.

I Finally Did It! This Rainy Season (Vassa) I was able to learn the Pātimokkha (227 Rules) by heart. It is the first round and it takes me a long time to do it, and there are mistakes. Never the less, it is considered “learned” and “memorized” at this stage. I will hopefully recite the Pātimokkha for the full moon November 3rd if all goes well. I need to get my 2+ hours of recitation down to at least 1:15 minutes. Most people do the recitation in 45 minutes or less. Some can do it in 25 minutes! It is also very common for experienced chanters to make mistakes and or need prompting for certain rules but not as much as I need right now. It is a mother-load of text. I will recite the whole text daily and rework the sections I am slow and rusty on until it gets smoother and faster.

When should you give to Saṅgha? When should you give to individual monks? This is a question that is not addressed very often and it can cause lots of trouble for monks knowingly and unknowingly. Quite often, many monks blindly prompt donors to recite a line of pāḷi before they offer anything to them. “Bhikkhu Saṅghassa demi.” There are some variations, but that is the generic formula. It means, “I give to the community of monks.” This is done to give the donor more merit. He makes more merit when he gives to a community instead of one single monk. Even though the monk may prompt such a phrase to the donor, he is likely to be unaware of the procedures to properly handle a community donation.

Here is an instructional video on how to make a foot-rug from old and discarded monk’s robes. If you are a monk, perhaps you will be very interested in this. I made the video as I was making my very first rug. Ven. Khemavamsa is the one who helped in the end. It was his idea and I have never seen this before. The story from the texts is below:

Why are most monasteries not allowable for vinaya monks? Today, I was Skyping my parents which is something we do once or twice a month now. I feel it is good for them to “see” me as a monk, rather than having them talk to me and visualizing their son from 1999. That was when I left home and things changed for me. We had a nice discussion. We spoke about possibilities for a visit, but I told them that finding a place was difficult, because the monks all use money and whatever they buy with that money becomes unallowable. I used an analogy for what some Jewish people call Kosher. Some very strict Jewish people will throw away plates and silverware if both meat and dairy had touched it. My parents were not like that, but some of the older generations of my family (I have heard) were like that.

“Singing With My Bowl” Today, after I Skyped my parents to say hello, I was doing my usual weekend schedule after: Go walking for alms, and then meditate at Swedo Paya (Tooth Relic Pagoda down the street from me). It is my favorite part of the week. It is where I can stop being a college student and be more like the monk I prefer to be. Near the end of my meditation in the Pagoda, a large Vietnam group came and did a chanting procession circumnavigating the inside of the pagoda. Afterwards, they sat down and did some more stuff. My watch beeped 8:00 am and it was time to leave. As I was walking, the Vietnam tour guide asked me to stop so he could take my picture. Then he upgraded my compliance and moved me towards the central Buddha Relic which I also agreed to do. He then asked me. “ You are from the USA, right?” “Yes” “Are you from the Takado (Myanmar language for university)?” “Yes.” “Oh we are going there in 5 minutes. We are going to offer money to all of the monks.” “Oh. I do not touch money. It is against the rules that The Buddha wished us to follow.” “Really?” He was afraid that nobody would accept the money he had arranged, so I told him the truth of the matter and said, “But most monks do not follow this rule and will accept the money.” “We will also offer rice today, and you can eat our rice.” “I collected my food from the village and I will eat separately.” “But how? What will you eat?” “Come and I will show you my bowl over here?” We walk towards my bowl. The vibe changed and he started asking me more questions like what I did before I was a monk and how many years I was a monk, etc. His voice was so filled with faith. It was different from when we first met. This was special and rare meeting for him. “What was your job before you were a monk?” he said. “I was a computer programmer.” “How could you leave your country with all of that wealth and come here?” “The Buddha also came from a rich family, No? I did not tell him how much money I had made in the 1990’s. It is still an American culture thing not to say that stuff. It was probably double or triple what he had imagined even in today’s dollar value nearly 20 years later. He disappeared and I started to wrap my robe around both of my shoulders. This is the proper way a monk should wear his robes at all times outside of shrines and monasteries. This style of wearing the robes is not just for the mornings while collecting food although it may seem like that.

To receive this by email, sign up at https://americanmonk.org/subscribe/ Last year, this picture (without the writing) went viral. The viral post seems to makes its rounds from time to time and every so often, someone tells me they saw my picture. It started when I was in Bagan for an 8 day trip with my friend Ashin Pannyagavesaka. We did a slow and thorough excursion and walked a good chunk of Bagan when rides were not provided. We were happy. I liked to roam about and my Bhante friend liked to take pictures.. often many candid pictures were taken of me too. We hit just about every major and medium sized pagoda. As we would enter each pagoda, a routine would settle in. I would walk in the compound and the vendors would try to get me to buy something. I learned the phrase, “Paisan ma khainboo” which means “I don’t deal with money (because it is bad).” I would say that and the vendors would respectfully stop their sales pitches to me, often with hands in prayer position (anjali). Going ahead of my friend, and into the pagodas, my friend would be asked many questions about me by the vendors. “Who is he, what country, how many years as a monk?”

Alms Inspiration is like a bright star that shines among the dim. In Monastic life, there are few monasteries or monks that really inspire people. Following the vinaya (or rules) inspires people. It is tried and tested. This was an old picture when I was in a vinaya monastery that follows all of the rules including the “basic ten rules” that a 7 year old beginner monk is supposed to follow. “Varanasi” is the name of the monastery which is a learning monastery that was started by an Ethnic Nepalese Myanmar community. If I do not return to Hawaii in June, I might consider going there to continue my studies after I my planned 6 to 8 week mediation retreat during April and May. The conditions of the monastery are secondary to being inspired by monks who follow the rules.

Here is a comparison of 5, 8 and 10 precepts. The Buddhist who follows five precepts is known as a regular lay Buddhist. The person who follows 8 precepts is known as a serious Buddhist yogi. The person who follows the 10 precepts is known as a novice monk. A bhikkhu follows 227 rules. It is important to know these classes to know which rules are more important to follow. It also can explain, what class of rules a monk is following. It is a unique way of looking at Monastic Morality. It is also important for lay people who take 8 precepts to really take real 8 precepts. If a lay person takes 8 precepts but knows they will not follow them, they are lying and not only breaking one of the first precepts and generating bad kamma, but they are practicing rights and rituals, something that is in the opposite direction as Enlightenment and what The Buddha preached.

[![fetus](/images/fetus.webp" >}}](/images/2016/12/fetus.webp" >}} What do Theravada Buddhists believe in terms of abortion? Much of what has been written are liberal beliefs and overturning what is written down in the texts. They claim “Modern Buddhism” as a section heading, but there is no such thing as “Modern Buddhism” since there is no such thing as “Modern Kamma.” The rules of kamma do not change over time, and abortion has been around since the time of the Buddha. My job is not to make decisions or advice for others, but to give a “pure” classical Buddhist explanation on abortion.

Calculation of odds. Do you believe in devas? Devas are the Buddhist equivalent to angels. Ok .. Here is the story. I was on alms round two weeks ago and a regular supporter invited us to ask for anything for our studies at school. I needed some pens, so I asked for some pens. He told me to wait and showed up with a huge pen gift-box. He opened it up for me and there was a fat and expensive Cross pen inside. It was probably worth over $100 and there was no way that I would accept it. I refused it a few times despite his insistence, and then he finally agreed to get me disposable pens the next day.