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If only it were
as easy to attain Enlightenment as it is to shave one’s head and put
on robes! Becoming a monk does not automatically make one enlightened,
nor does it mean one is better than others. The excessive respect
shown by many Buddhists towards monks is weakening and corruptive;
imagine what an effect it may have upon a monk to hear people say—as people do—"When I
meet a monk. It is the same as meeting the Buddha"! Not only is
such respect potentially dangerous, but it also lays people open to
disappointment. The monk has to be aware of the dangers by knowing his
own mind; he knows if he is enlightened or not, and that no
high-sounding titles by which people address him will change this.
A monk is not a
priest, to mediate between people and the Buddha. The Buddha did not
ask people to worship Him and pray to Him, but taught a way by which
anyone could develop his/her own potential and become enlightened; nor
was this only for monks and nuns.
Provided with
good conditions for following the Way by the kind support of the
house-holder devotees, the monks and nuns show their gratitude and
affection by sharing with the people what they have discovered of the
Way that might be of benefit to them. So, all members of the Buddhist
community, or Sangha, may develop together.
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The Monk
is a
Teacher;
the Temple
is a
School.
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