REL 020 Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: Impermanence
24 Oct 2016
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A(cid:374)a(cid:374)da: (cid:449)as the buddha"s frie(cid:374)d a(cid:374)d ofte(cid:374) asked for (cid:272)larifi(cid:272)atio(cid:374). Maitreya: is the next buddha that will come when all sentient beings must be enlightened. The boy becoming a monk is allowed to accept gifts because they help him follow the middle path. Monks all have umbrellas in order to keep dry or cool. This keeps them from being distracted from their meditation etc. The flowers etc. are very transient and can help teach the lesson of impermanence. They (cid:272)a(cid:374)"t (cid:272)o(cid:373)pletely separate fro(cid:373) the rest of the populatio(cid:374). He can stop being a monk whenever he wishes. No one is forced to become a monk but there is a lot of social pressure to become one. There are no nuns at this time. Separation: shave his head, new robes (white ones show him being in this transition phase), feet washed, bows to his parents.
