[Buddha-l] Bowing to the monk

[Piya Tan]

Randall,

I agree that the robe represents an ideal, and when we bow, we look up to
that
ideal. We try to work towards that ideal.

A Sinhalese layman once told me a story of how a group of monks was invited
for
dana, and he treated them all just the same (including an bad monk in their
midst).

however, after the meal when the bad monk approaches the layman (perhaps for
donations), the layman does not respect the monk. When asked why, the layman
replies that he respected the Sangha, but respects the individual in a
manner that
they are worthy of. (There is a sutta to this effect too.)

There is another account told to me of a monk I knew who was very upset when
he
was told that we respect his robe. He took off his outer robe and threw it
on the chair,
and said: "Go on, respect the robe!..."

Ajahn Brahm once said he finds it good training to bow, even before bad
(senior)
monks, which teaches him humility. (I wonder if he meant, jokingly as usual,
that
you have to do it anyway!)

Let's try to anjali at all beings, for they all have the Buddha seed. They
capable of
becoming Buddhas, or at least of awakening.

Let us try to measure people less, and maybe not at all.

With metta,

Piya Tan


On Fri, Feb 15, 2008 at 11:49 AM, Randall Jones <rjones at cm.ksc.co.th> wrote:

> "jkirk" (I think) writes:
>
>  > So a renowned lay preacher (or professor of Buddhism) is
>  > different from a monk sweeping the floor in a mountain monastery.
>  > I treat them both with respect but of different kinds. Even though the
>  > latter may be far less knowledgeable (or even practiced) than the
> former,
>  > while I would warmly shake the hand of the former, I would bow my
>  > head to the latter.
>
> I am reminded of a friend who said to me with respect to a particular
> monk, I wai the robes, not the man.  I have thought about this and I
> think this is probably what I always do.  In fact, I almost cannot
> imagine how it could be otherwise.
>
> Randall
> rjones at cm.ksc.co.th
>
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