besides chanting and meditation and community work, what are the life of a monks of both Theravada and Mahayana tradition?
Very different depending on which sangha you go to.
Some emphasize meditation, some community work, some propagating dharma, some balance between those, some focus on academic dharma studies, and (unfortunately) some cater to superstitions.
Get to know the sangha first.
do the monks study the dhamma? are they well versed in dhamma?
does Mahayana emphasise on Abhidhamma, like Theravada does?
Originally posted by Rooney9:does Mahayana emphasise on Abhidhamma, like Theravada does?
Abdidhamma is amazing...
Originally posted by Rooney9:do the monks study the dhamma? are they well versed in dhamma?
Again this highly depends on which sangha you go to. Some sanghas like Ajahn Chah and the other Thai forest traditions emphasize more on meditation training though his students do (some) also teach sutta studies. Some sanghas highly emphasize on study.
Originally posted by Rooney9:does Mahayana emphasise on Abhidhamma, like Theravada does?
They do teach, but I don't think the Theravadin Abhidhamma is generally emphasized.
For my own Master, his emphasis and his zen master's emphasis is on Prajnaparamita (emptiness) teachings. He shares his zen master's opinion for students to first read the 6000 lines Prajnaparamita Sutra.
Mahayana monks chant zao and wan ge right everyday.
Yes, not 'ge' but 'ke' (class)
Theravadin and Vajrayana also chant their suttas, etc.
wake up tidy bed, wash up, chant, breakfast, area cleaning, lessons, chant, lunch, free time, exercise, chant dinner, mass prayer, chant and sleep.
what time does the monks wake and sleep? I heard that they woke up at 4am to chant and meditate isnt it.
Originally posted by MaNyZeR:wake up tidy bed, wash up, chant, breakfast, area cleaning, lessons, chant, lunch, free time, exercise, chant dinner, mass prayer, chant and sleep.
monks got exercise lol? are u sure? no meditation and studying of sutras? they also need to perform funeral rites if they are invited by lay followers.
I don't know about other traditions, but in Japanese Zen monasteries the monks will wake up to clean the monastery in an hour in a very quick and intensive manner -- each inch of the floor is cleaned. That is an intensive exercise itself.
I am not so sure what times do monks wake and sleep... I guess it may not be the same for everyone.
If you're interested to know more, you should visit a Sangha member and talk about it.
Abhidhamma was taught to shariputra, who then transmitted to others. it was said that when the Buddha went to the heaven to teach his mother dhamma, the Buddha actually taught abhidhamma to his mother and the devas.
The Pali Abhidhamma, contrary to some traditional views, is not taught by Buddha and wasn't recited and included at the First Buddhist Council but is something authored hundreds of years later and included into the canon in the Third Buddhist Council.
And, I believe you have posted at a totally wrong topic.
Many scholars generally believe that the Abhidharma emerged after the time of the Buddha, to around the third century BCE. Therefore the seven Abhidhamma works are generally claimed by scholars not to represent the words of the Buddha himself, but those of disciples and great scholars.[1] Factors contributing to its development could have been the growth of monastic centers, the growing support for the Buddhist sangha and/or outside influences from other religious groups. Some scholars believe that the Abhidhamma represents an expansion of a set of teachings and categorisations that were employed during the earliest period of Buddhism and were then later developed and elaborated upon.
As the last major division of the canon, the Abhidhamma works have had a checkered history. They were not accepted as canonical by the Mahasanghika school[1][5] and several other schools.[6] Another school included most of the Khuddaka Nikaya within the Abhidhamma Pitaka.[1] Also, the Pali version of the Abhidhamma is a strictly Theravada collection, and has little in common with the Abhidhamma works recognized by other Buddhist schools.[7] The Theravadin Abhidhamma is in some respects rather skeletal, with the details not entirely fleshed out. According to Rupert Gethin however, obvious care and ingenuity have gone into its development.[8]
The various Abhidhamma philosophies of the various early schools have no agreement on doctrine[9] and belong to the period of 'Divided Buddhism'[9] (as opposed to Undivided Buddhism). The earliest texts of the Pali Canon (the Sutta Nipata, parts of the Jatakas, and the first four Nikayas of the Suttapitaka) have no mention of (the texts of) the Abhidhamma Pitaka.[10] The Abhidhamma is also not mentioned at the report of the First Buddhist Council, directly after the death of the Buddha. This report of the first council does mention the existence of the Vinaya and the five Nikayas (of the Suttapitaka).[11][12]
Question: When you want to renounce the world and be a monk, what are the procedures to be a novice monk? care to explain thanks.
if you are a sporean, if you are a novice monk, do you still get called for reservist or totally exempted? what about your CPF account? even if you are a monk, you cant withdraw your CPF till you are 62?
Originally posted by Rooney9:Question: When you want to renounce the world and be a monk, what are the procedures to be a novice monk? care to explain thanks.
if you are a sporean, if you are a novice monk, do you still get called for reservist or totally exempted? what about your CPF account? even if you are a monk, you cant withdraw your CPF till you are 62?
Monks do not need reservist because monks cannot take part in military.
Also, monks cannot have money, so you basically have to give away all your money first.
Originally posted by An Eternal Now:Monks do not need reservist because monks cannot take part in military.
Also, monks cannot have money, so you basically have to give away all your money first.
sorry another question. what if you often fall sick, like flu, cough, got skin problems that needed topical cream to apply, like chronic health problems like the ones I mentioned.
if you have no money, how to seek treatment or go to see the doctor? will the temple foot the bill for you?
Originally posted by Rooney9:sorry another question. what if you often fall sick, like flu, cough, got skin problems that needed topical cream to apply, like chronic health problems like the ones I mentioned.
if you have no money, how to seek treatment or go to see the doctor? will the temple foot the bill for you?
No worries cos the lay people can donate for you. As for Mahayana it is less strict on handling money.
I heard that before you are ordained as a monk, you have to observe 1 year of 5 or 8 precepts as a novice monk isnt it, wearing the white robe?
question: what if you lie to the abbot that you parents have granted permission to join the order. you told the abbot that your parents had passed away. will the abbot still take you in as such? will he go do a background check on you and your family first?
Originally posted by Rooney9:I heard that before you are ordained as a monk, you have to observe 1 year of 5 or 8 precepts as a novice monk isnt it, wearing the white robe?
question: what if you lie to the abbot that you parents have granted permission to join the order. you told the abbot that your parents had passed away. will the abbot still take you in as such? will he go do a background check on you and your family first?
I guess it depends. But as a Buddhist you should not lie.
I thought novice monk is only for young monks before certain age, but you can check.
Originally posted by An Eternal Now:I guess it depends. But as a Buddhist you should not lie.
I thought novice monk is only for young monks before certain age, but you can check.
yes you should not lie, but if your parents dun agree to it, how? wait for them to pass away? what if they live a long life and die at age 90. by that time you are already 50-60 plus, an old man.
will the sangha still accept you when you are that old?
do you know why some are wearing white robes?
Originally posted by Rooney9:do you know why some are wearing white robes?
Are you refering to nuns or monks and are they children age?
Originally posted by Rooney9:yes you should not lie, but if your parents dun agree to it, how? wait for them to pass away? what if they live a long life and die at age 90. by that time you are already 50-60 plus, an old man.
will the sangha still accept you when you are that old?
You should ask a sangha for their advice, they may be able to help you out from their experience with dealing with such cases.