Where in the Vinaya are bhikkhus forbidden from touching/playing musical instruments

[Dharmic]

Instead of discussing about the subject in the OP some are simply skirting around the issue. When it comes to other topics some people quote the Buddha's words enthusiastically but now instead of calling a spade a spade they are trying to deflect attention from the actual issue by bringing up irrelevant points.

Potaliya, four kinds of people exist and can be found in the world.

What four kinds? The four kinds are:

(1) Some people blame those who should be blamed, according to the truth, at the proper time, but do not praise those who should be praised, according to the truth, at the proper time.
(2) Some people praise those who should be praised, according to the truth, at the proper time, but do not blame those who should be blamed, according to the truth, at the proper time.
(3) Some people do not blame those who should be blamed, according to the truth, at the proper time, and do not praise those who should be praised, according to the truth, at the proper time.
(4) Some people blame those who should be blamed, according to the truth, at the proper time, and praise those who should be praised, according to the truth, at the proper time.

Potaliya, these four kinds of people exist and can be found in the world. Of these four kinds of people, that kind should be the most fair and right, the most refined, to you?

"Venerable Lord Gotama, of all those four kinds of people, the kind of person who does not blame those who should be blamed, according to the truth, at the proper time, and does not praise those who should be praised, according to the truth, at the proper time; is the kind of person who is the most beautiful and refined to me. What is the reason for this? Because this is fair and right with upekkha (equanimity)."

Potaliya, of all those four kinds of people, whichever kind of person blames those who should be blamed, according to the truth, at the proper time, and praises those who should be praised, according to the truth, at the proper time; this kind of person is the most beautiful and refined of these four kinds of people. What is the reason for this? It is fair and right because such a one knows the right time in those circumstances.

[binocular]

In my experience Bhikkhu Bodhi is good at replying to queries. I've occasionally asked him questions by email and got prompt replies.

Was it him who replied, or his secretary?

[mikenz66]

What secretary?


Mike

[CedarTree]

What secretary?


Mike

binocular just likes to stir up things.

[Aloka]

What secretary?


Mike

binocular just likes to stir up things.

I don't think that's a very helpful comment to make in a discussion.

Monasteries often have "Contact Us" forms to fill in with personal details , and communications with people as well known as Bhikkhu Bodhi might have to be discreetly checked by someone else first, before they even get to BB, because there are so many abusive people on the internet (and in the outside world) these days .

When I was involved with Tibetan Buddhism some of the teachers had students who were also personal assistants and typed out replies to e-mails or letters from dictation.

It also meant that communications were kept more open, rather than secretive.

[DNS]

What secretary?

That reminds me of when I received a promotion to a higher position in the federal prison system (U.S.) and I asked my boss who my secretary is and he said "what secretary; do you have a mirror?" He explained that secretaries are a dying position, that it is easier to just type up your own letters, reports, etc on your computer. And I thought about it and it made sense with the advent of computers (this was around 1990) that it would just waste time to dictate into a machine, get the reports back and then send them back to the secretary for any changes, etc; that for better or worse computers made secretaries pretty much an outdated occupation.

Monks and abbots however might still need a lay steward for filtering out spam, handling donations, etc.

[_anicca_]

Perhaps Bhikkhu Bodhi was not playing the piano, but he was practicing charity.