Is it okay to read buddhist text while i am using the toilet, having a smoke?

Buddhist ethical conduct including the Five Precepts (Pañcasikkhāpada), and Eightfold Ethical Conduct (Aṭṭhasīla).
User1249x
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Re: Is it okay to read buddhist text while i am using the toilet, having a smoke?

Post by User1249x »

do it all with Sati at least i wanted to add.
binocular
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Re: Is it okay to read buddhist text while i am using the toilet, having a smoke?

Post by binocular »

Strive4Karuna wrote: Wed Feb 14, 2018 2:35 amI want to know whether it is okay if i read the dhamma on my smartphone while using the toilet or having a ciggarette while reading the dhamma?
Oh, for crying out loud, no, it's not okay!
Hic Rhodus, hic salta!
User1249x
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Re: Is it okay to read buddhist text while i am using the toilet, having a smoke?

Post by User1249x »

binocular wrote: Sat Feb 17, 2018 6:07 pm
Strive4Karuna wrote: Wed Feb 14, 2018 2:35 amI want to know whether it is okay if i read the dhamma on my smartphone while using the toilet or having a ciggarette while reading the dhamma?
Oh, for crying out loud, no, it's not okay!
ye this is also rightfully said. "Ok" is undefined by OP, trick question got me. I am too lax on this "its ok do it mindfully thing" is a weakness in my practice! Ty for pointing it out. It is tempting to think like this, i am mindful idk by my own estimation on average like 3-10 seconds every 5-15 minutes i guess, can justify a lot of sensuality at this point with this mindset of mine. It is disrespectful the the Triple Gem and we disrespect ourselves unfortunately, makes me want to train to get rid of this shit :(
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Aloka
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Re: Is it okay to read buddhist text while i am using the toilet, having a smoke?

Post by Aloka »

Sam Vara wrote: Wed Feb 14, 2018 7:42 am Friends of mine said that Tibetan Buddhists they once practiced with (at Bodh Gaya) were meticulous about not putting the sheet of paper with the text for chanting on the floor, and were mildly shocked when our friends did it. Our local monastery doesn't worry about treating texts etc. with particular respect in this way, but they are of course mindful about putting things neatly in their place, as an aid to developing mindfulness.
I used to be a practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism and it was definately considered unacceptable to put Dharma texts or books on the floor. If one accidently dropped one on the floor, one was expected to touch it to the top of one's head as a sign of respect.

I've never heard of anyone reading Buddhist texts on the toilet - and as I'm not in the habit of watching peoples toileting habits, I don't know if they do or not!

Tobacco was also considered to be an intoxicant and so therefore smoking it was thought to be breaking the fifth precept. http://www.lotsawahouse.org/tibetan-mas ... om-tobacco


:anjali:
Digity
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Re: Is it okay to read buddhist text while i am using the toilet, having a smoke?

Post by Digity »

What if you like to take long baths and read...would it be offensive to read a Dhamma book in the bath tub or on your phone?
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Re: Is it okay to read buddhist text while i am using the toilet, having a smoke?

Post by Spiny Norman »

Buddha save me from new-agers!
binocular
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Re: Is it okay to read buddhist text while i am using the toilet, having a smoke?

Post by binocular »

Digity wrote: Mon Feb 19, 2018 3:15 amWhat if you like to take long baths and read...would it be offensive to read a Dhamma book in the bath tub or on your phone?
Imagine enlightement striking while you're in the bathtub or on the toilet ...
Hic Rhodus, hic salta!
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Aloka
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Re: Is it okay to read buddhist text while i am using the toilet, having a smoke?

Post by Aloka »

binocular wrote: Mon Feb 19, 2018 10:05 am Imagine enlightement striking while you're in the bathtub or on the toilet ...


Image



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ganegaar
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Re: Is it okay to read buddhist text while i am using the toilet, having a smoke?

Post by ganegaar »

if the intention is to read and understand, and if that is the time one can find on a busy life, if the intention is not to disrespect,
what is wrong with reading in a toilet?

there are people who would tatoo buddha images out of respect, some do the same out of ignorance,
yet is not the intention that matters?

I would not recomend it in front of culturally sensitive ppl, but at your own home, with no one else to have negative emotions, I see no wrong in that, as long as the intention is pure!
Sīlepatiṭṭhāya naro sapañño, cittaṃ paññañca bhāvayaṃ;
Ātāpī nipako bhikkhu, so imaṃ vijaṭaye jaṭanti.
Digity
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Re: Is it okay to read buddhist text while i am using the toilet, having a smoke?

Post by Digity »

I sometimes like to sit in the bath and read (laugh if you want). I can be there for three hours sometimes. Sometimes I like to read Dhamma at that time or listen to a Dhamma talk. It never seemed inappropriate to me, until I heard about not reading a Dhamma book in the washroom. I heard about that independent of this post. Now I'm not so sure. I obviously don't want to disrespect the Dhamma.
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Aloka
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Re: Is it okay to read buddhist text while i am using the toilet, having a smoke?

Post by Aloka »

ganegaar wrote: Mon Feb 19, 2018 3:00 pm I see no wrong in that, as long as the intention is pure!

Although its not a place I've ever wanted to read something myself, I agree that pure intention is all important - that and the lack of a queue of other people waiting to use the toilet!


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Disciple
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Re: Is it okay to read buddhist text while i am using the toilet, having a smoke?

Post by Disciple »

Not okay. Should be plain common sense.
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ganegaar
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Re: Is it okay to read buddhist text while i am using the toilet, having a smoke?

Post by ganegaar »

About reading dhamma books, one thing to note is, certain dhamma books are treated as sacred text, just like bible and quaran, and they are usually the tripitaka or direct derivatives of it. For example, in Sri Lanka, we have such a sacred text called "piruwana poth wahanse".
Now, those books ofcause is not ok to be disrespected, because it involves hurting some peoples sentiments for sure. And certainly not a good idea to take those into a washroom!.

In a house in a western country that I visited, there was a Buddha statue in the toilet, seriously! It was used as a decoration, probably to make it look "serene" or "calm"!. I wonder how people would react to that, but to give the fair share of doubt to the owner, I think he just used it as an ornament, not as a disrespect.

On the other hand, there are people, who wear underwear with printed Buddha images. Now, I am not very sure what they want to show with that!
Sīlepatiṭṭhāya naro sapañño, cittaṃ paññañca bhāvayaṃ;
Ātāpī nipako bhikkhu, so imaṃ vijaṭaye jaṭanti.
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bazzaman
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Re: Is it okay to read buddhist text while i am using the toilet, having a smoke?

Post by bazzaman »

Leaving aside the sacred/profane question... I have found that reading of any kind while sitting on the toilet is detrimental to the functioning of ones innards. Maybe best to just concentrate on the job at hand...
Atāṇo loko anabhissaro...

Yena yena hi maññanti tato taṃ hoti aññathā,
malunkyaputta
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Re: Is it okay to read buddhist text while i am using the toilet, having a smoke?

Post by malunkyaputta »

No_Mind wrote: Thu Feb 15, 2018 11:58 am No looking at porn with -- same as above .. also make sure no suttas are open while watching porn on laptop .. or there is no desktop wall paper of Buddha
Hello my brother :)

I personally believe that consuming porn is not in accord with keeping the 3rd precept (avoiding sexual/sensual misconduct) - as it is taking advantage of someone else's pain/misery/suffering (the "actors") for your own pleasure...

I am no saint, though - I used to watch quite a lot :(
But that is my Khamma...

As of the current day - I am proud to be 4 months absolutely free of porn! :woohoo:

It would be wise for you to see (even just for the sake of it) - what happens if you stop...

Have a great day :)
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