I've heard some Thai monks eat chocolate in the evening. As it is considered milk, it doesn't break the fast.

their leader being the "White Dhammakaya" which is locked in a Manichean war with a "Black Dhammakaya" for control of the universe. Is this actually found in their writings? I'd be interested in reading about this. A western bhikkhu I met said after he ordained with them, they s...

I've read quite a bit about Wat Phra Dhammakaya, and I visited the temple when I was in Thailand. I understand that they view Nibbana as the true self, which, while seeming to go against standard Theravada Buddhism, has been taught by Ajahn Mun, Ajahn Maha Bua and the 12th Supreme Patriarch of Thail...

I'm an ex-Christian who is now a Buddhist. I was involved in all three branches of Christianity over the years - Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant. I'm curious as to what other Theravada Buddhists think about the god of Christianity. Does he exist? To recap, the god of Christianity is an insanely je...

I know it's common for Protestant Christians to have Bible study groups (my friends in Korea went to Bible study or "discipleship training" regularly). Would this work in a Theravada Buddhist setting? A group of Theravada Buddhists come together to study some of the suttas from the Pali Ca...

SarathW wrote: ↑Sun Aug 11, 2019 9:31 pm Do they eat the sacrificed animals?
Do people sacrifice animals (or kill) have a lower life expectancy?

In my understanding, the meat from the animals sacrificed at Eid al-Adha is given to the poor.

Ancient Judaism used to offer animal sacrifices to God. At first, people would build an altar and offer a sacrifice. Later, God told Moses to have a portable shrine called the Mishkan built (usually translated into English as the Tabernacle ). The sacrifices were offered there, and the process is de...

Thanks for the replies, particularly about Sri Lanka. Since many Buddhists in these countries do so, do you think it is acceptable for Theravada Buddhists to pray to Vishnu, Ganesh or Shiva for, say, a new job, good health etc? Mahayana Buddhists pray to Bodhisattvas like Avalokiteshvara for these t...

When I visited Thailand recently, I noticed that there were elements of Hinduism incorporated into the Thai culture. I saw a shrine to Shiva near Chinatown in Bangkok. Statues of Ganesh were on sale along with Buddha statues. When I visited the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple (a Tamil-style Hindu temple) ...

For some people, it is simply not possible to enter the stream in their present life. How would you know? According to the suttas stream entry path requires hearing the true dhamma with proper attention. So as long as they have eyes, ears, and attention, they can attain stream entry path. We can th...

Thanks for the replies. It seems that once you have changed your views, the bad kamma is gone? since you're afraid of hell, it should be this life this life to awaken, or enter the stream For some people, it is simply not possible to enter the stream in their present life. One of the conditions of e...

I know that in Pure Land and Nichiren Buddhism, slander of the Dharma is seen as a bad offence. I recently returned to Theravada from a Mahayana mindset and decided to look up what the Theravada view was on such a concept. I didn't find anything about slandering the Dhamma, but I did come across a r...

Did the Buddha explain in the suttas where he mentions sex with someone "under the protection of their parents" what this actually means? Surely the Buddha did not endorse a view akin to that of Islam/Christian Patriarchy where an unmarried woman is under her father's authority until she m...

I know that Wat Phra Dhammakaya is controversial in Thailand, but what do people here think about the offshoot temples around the world? I know they teach the doctrine of the Dhammakaya, or Dhamma body, which is nibbana and the true self, but I read that the Supreme Patriarch of Thailand taught that...

To get this thread back on track... What does "being under the protection of one's parents" mean in the modern age, particularly where the trend is for both men and women to move out as soon as they turn 18/leave school? Is a 19 year old woman living by herself and working considered "...