I am having to go back and recapture stuff that just came so thick and fast I could not get it blogged.
Last week we went to a Temple and were honored to meet the director monk. He was educated in America and was the most gracious and sincere man I have ever met.
He gave us the basics of Buddism, but the fascinating part was how Buddism has changed in Southern Asia as opposed to Northern Asia. Case in point is the absence of women in the monestaries.
Buddha originally taught that man and women were no different in ability to follow the path and join monestaries. Various (male) cultural issues arose even before the Buddah had died, but they laste after he did. Centuries past and with the influence of the west, women began to apply. The North being more progressive agreed to set up separate monestaries and ordain women. The South being more "by the book" will not ordain and does not welcome women monks should want to establish femal monestaries. So it goes.
Whatever the training is, I have heard no loud argements or honking horns!
Last week we went to a Temple and were honored to meet the director monk. He was educated in America and was the most gracious and sincere man I have ever met. He gave us the basics of Buddism, but the fascinating part was how Buddism has changed in Southern Asia as opposed to Northern Asia. Case in point is the absence of women in the monestaries.
Buddha originally taught that man and women were no different in ability to follow the path and join monestaries. Various (male) cultural issues arose even before the Buddah had died, but they laste after he did. Centuries past and with the influence of the west, women began to apply. The North being more progressive agreed to set up separate monestaries and ordain women. The South being more "by the book" will not ordain and does not welcome women monks should want to establish femal monestaries. So it goes.
Whatever the training is, I have heard no loud argements or honking horns!
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