time spent in the monastery??

[nathanielfirst]

I am trying to figure out how much time your typical buddhist monk might spend in the monastery vs. outside the monastery, doing anything whatsoever (in town)

the reason I am asking this question is that I am trying to decipher how ethics promoting Buddhism is in adherents and as a monastic religion with a whole shelf of writings on monastic code that are scripture it seems to me capable of making a few people very ethical, yet to me they do not then interact with too many people
so I am here weighing to myself the value of a monastic religion vs. a religion that doesn't concentrate devoted followers together in one place.
and I can't locate any sociological research on this tho it exists somewhere.

 

[xkatz]

In Buddhism/Buddha Dharma, anyone can a be a monk for as long or as short as they like. In fact, in places like Tibet and Thailand (I think), children are often monks so they can get a good education, after they are educated they can choose whether or not to be a monk. There is no penalty for leaving a monastic life.

Buddhist monks as far as I can tell do spend a lot of time inside monasteries, since that is where they live and learn. However, they must go out to get food and help the community.

Sorry if I got a bit off topic there, but that is the most I know.

 

[Engyo]

Nathaniel -

There are a very wide range of customs regarding this question for different traditions and schools of Buddhism. There isn't any one specific answer; you would have to specify a tradition and school to get a response that would mean something.

"Monks" in Japan generally don't follow the vinaya, for example, and may only spend time in monastery when in training. In Thailand, or Sri Lanka, monks might spend most of their time in monastery. It's just going to vary a great deal depending on location, culture, and the type of Buddhism being practiced.

 

[DreadFish]

Yes I think it depends on which sect etc. Like Engyo said, in Japan the monks have a different set of regulations, they can marry and have sex and the like. Also I dont think that zen monks in america live in monasteries as much, I think alot of them have a house and a family and the like.

 

[koan]

You mean American monks in the Japanese tradition (By the way, they usually call themselves priests). Monks and nuns in other Asian traditions, usually live in a monasteries or set up their own.

 

[DreadFish]

You mean American monks in the Japanese tradition (By the way, they usually call themselves priests). Monks and nuns in other Asian traditions, usually live in a monasteries or set up their own.

Yes thats what I mean. And I had wondered about 'priest'. So they dont refer to them as monks at all in Japanese Buddhist tradition?

 

[koan]

In Japan, they refer to themselves as Monks or Priests. There is some conjecture on the usage of the term Monk in Japan, as they don't follow the Vinaya.