teaching to monastics vs lay people
Re: teaching to monastics vs lay people
What do we do with "such and such a teaching was taught to devas"?
Re: teaching to monastics vs lay people
“Life is swept along, short is the life span; no shelters exist for one who has reached old age. Seeing clearly this danger in death, a seeker of peace should drop the world’s bait.” SN 1.3
Re: teaching to monastics vs lay people
I believe bhikkhu is defined as meditator within Goenka tradition. This can easily include lay practitioners.DNS wrote: ↑Fri Feb 23, 2018 10:56 pm In the Suttas, we see numerous times, the Buddha beginning with "Bhikkhus . . ." but that could be because that is who his audience was on those occasions.
The Vinaya includes some discourses and teachings which were clearly meant for monks and nuns, not lay people.
Re: teaching to monastics vs lay people
Here is a sutta which talks about a major difference between lay and monk followers:
https://suttacentral.net/en/an9.41
Given this difference it seems only natural that a good teacher would present different things to each group....but this doesn't mean that any teaching need necessarily be restricted to either group I think.
chownah
https://suttacentral.net/en/an9.41
This excerpt contains the essence of the difference.....the entire sutta is worth reading too.Venerable Ananda, sir, we are householders who indulge in sensuality, delight in sensuality, enjoy sensuality, rejoice in sensuality. For us—indulging in sensuality, delighting in sensuality, enjoying sensuality, rejoicing in sensuality—renunciation seems like a sheer drop-off. Yet I’ve heard that in this doctrine & discipline the hearts of the very young monks leap up at renunciation, grow confident, steadfast, & firm, seeing it as peace. So right here is where this doctrine & discipline is contrary to the great mass of people: i.e., [this issue of] renunciation.’”
Given this difference it seems only natural that a good teacher would present different things to each group....but this doesn't mean that any teaching need necessarily be restricted to either group I think.
chownah