Buddhist Monks

Bhutan Makes Condoms Available To Buddhist Monks To Stop Spread Of STDs

NEW Delhi (RNS) Health officials in the tiny Buddhist kingdom of Bhutan are making condoms available at all monastic schools in a bid to stem the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV among young monks who are supposed to be celibate.

At least they are dealing with it honestly and realistically.

Korean Buddhist monks hit by scandal after devotees filmed smoking, drinking and playing high-stakes poker

I wonder what the old women in Mount Abu do in their free time ...!??

What's a bit more concerning about the Buddhist monks in Bhutan is that they are basically talking about the rape of children.

It's funny how all these religions sell themselves as sources of salvation but when one looks closer they're as messed up, or more messed up, than the rest of us.

Psychiatrists suggest the spread of disease could be a result of mental stress. It is not uncommon for monks and nuns, mostly between the ages of 15 and 25, to visit psychiatrists. Even senior monks show symptoms of severe stress, especially when they are undergoing long periods of meditation, Dr. Damber Kumar Nirola told Kuensel.

"About 70 to 80 percent of (senior) monks are obese, hypertensive and also suffer from back ache because of their sitting posture and sedentary lifestyle," urologist Lotay Tshering told the paper.

I would guess the second part is pretty much the same in the BKs but that young BK girls don't get to go to psychiatrists, just told to "do more meditation".

The institutionalising of "spirituality" with its inherent pressure to conform will inevitably lead to individuals becoming perverted - in the literal sense "having been corrupted or distorted from an original course, meaning, or state".

Institutionalising the personal leads to the imposition of "should" over "is" - that's OK sometimes for sadhana/effort making, but often what "is" needs something other than a idealised or pre-scribed "should".

Day after day, "Monastic Life" is proving to be beyond human nature and capability, especially in our modern times .

Monks in Christian Monasteries have realised this fact and partly diverted to other Earthly interests, such as learning foreign languages (many of them speak more than five languages), starting small farms within Monasteries, and even establishing "Wineries" and getting involved in the local community activities.

Brahma Kumaris are still very much backward in this respect, sticking to their out-dated teachings, and are hardly making any effort to adapt to modern times.

Head of BK cult "Janki", meets thousands of foreigners each year, yet she does not speak any foreign language, including English ...!!

Janki has better understanding of English than she lets on - hearing more than speaking though.

The problem is not so much monastic life in itself, or celibacy in itself. It is the expectation of someone continuing with it when they really shouldn't.

Usually that expectation is linked to some idea that celibacy is superior to being sexually active. Like, not everyone has to be on a permanent diet you know.

And the same happens with people projecting the idea that there's something wrong with you if you lose libido for a while. Or if you really don't feel like eating dessert.

To everything there is a season. Cannot we just allow people feel free to abstain when they want to abstain, and partake when they want to partake? If we did, people might have the time to examine what they feel in whatever stage they are passing through, and learn something, instead of being distracted by concerns of being judged morally by others?

Day after day, "Monastic Life" is proving to be beyond human nature and capability, especially in our modern times ...

I am glad you brought this topic up because I think it influences individuals desire to surrender to the BKWSU. Monastic life is idealised in some corners of society, or in some phases if individuals life. For example, teenage girls often go through a phase of wanting to be a nun at the age their bodies are developing which is probably all wrapped up with confused feelings about motherhood (caring for others), sexuality or a distaste for it, and wanting to remain a child, e.g. non-sexual.

If I use that word "child" and we think of the additional burden of sex and shame in India, you can immediately see the Brahma Kumaris would be similarly attractive to teenage girls there.

I had a friend who became a Tibetan monk (i.e. a Yellow hat). He confirmed that a) many Westerns have psychotic episodes doing the practise, and b) the monks have no idea why and no idea to adopt their teachings to the minds of other cultures. They were a bit like the BKs in that manner, the only solution was more of the same thing that caused the problem in the first place.

Monastic practises are obviously for a number of purposes and obviously have deep effects on individuals, for example, is it not bizarre that what is considered a 'most severe punishment' in one sector, i.e. solitary confinement and sensory deprivation, is consider a 'spiritual benefit' in other? Same to not just with celibacy but even deny touch and affection.

Monks in Christian Monasteries have realised this fact and partly diverted to other Earthly interests, such as learning foreign languages ... Head of BK cult "Janki", meets thousands of foreigners each year, yet she does not speak any foreign language, including English ...!!

Yes, I think the Brahma Kumari leaders, for the lack of any experience and understanding and far more urgent pecuniary desires (money/property) made huge compromises in developing a real or complete system. Likewise believing the world was going to end in 1950, 1976, mid-1908s did not lead them to consider a sustainable system, it only encouraged them to burn everyone candles at both ends.

One thing to consider is that when you listen to Lekhraj Kirpalani or Om Radhe's taped speeches, their talks are not that elegant or high minded and I suspect this is also true of Dadi Janki. She and Jayanti have developed their quite unique double act, like a ventriloquist and its dummy, in which Jayanti adds a considerable polish to Janki's quite simplistic utterances.

Given Janki's lack of depth, did she not have time to sit down and genuinely learn something like a few languages? There are many perfectly intelligent Indians who do not claim to be one the 8 most perfect souls in the world who are capable of speaking many languages.

I suppose it is all a bit about the power game and keeping up a certain mystique. In my opinion, Westerners were sucked into the BKs because, not speaking Hindi, they were unable to grasp just how intelligent or classy, or not, it all was and, increasingly, Westerners are being suck into the BKs not on the basis of what the BKs are ... but on a mix of the appeal of something 'exotic' and the polish that gifted and talented Western BKs have brought to the religion from outside of it.

In short they don't see the real core of the BKWSU for a long time, perhaps ever ... or at least until they go to India.

What is your opinion/experience?

* (I remember once, a long time ago, a Hindi speaker on this forum said that "God" in the BKWSU's taped messages, speaks with a low middle class accent/level).