Re: Vinaya and Bhikkhus in Parliament

Dear Ven Dhammanando,

I enjoy reading your reply on this matter, particularly the part about diving headfirst into a dunghill. May I know your bhikkhu age, venerable, and perhaps something else about you?

You said:

>I
>suppose if a monk serving as a member of parliament were to
>accept a salary, then he might be censured by the sangha for
>wrong livelihood. Later, heavier sanctions could be applied
>if he did not quit that occupation.

I agree.

On top of that any salary, material privileges or perks due to being a member of parliament would not be allowable for him or any other monks. Even if he were to attend a function meant for members of parliament, the food would not be allowable, since it comes through wrong livelihood.

>But what if the monk were to accept no payment for his work?
>In that case, perhaps his role as a public servant might
>give grounds for censure (or worse) for improper association
>with householders.

Do you mean to say his is to be considered a kuladussaka?

>Of course this is all pretty theoretical. In practice, I
>think the political role of much of the Sinhalese sangha is
>too deeply entrenched to make any such action feasible,
>unless there were some heavy-handed intervention by
>the State.

It's unfortunate indeed. I think it's unlikely that the government would do anything of that sort, since it would certainly anger their supporters. It is best handled by the Sangha itself, but even conscientious monks would not bother to invoke the Vinaya to deal with them accordingly. They are clearly outnumbered and should they try to do anything, they can get themselves into a lot of trouble for little, if any, benefit.

Such is the general state of the sangha in traditional Buddhist countries. Some people feel that such decadence is partly due to too much wealth being showered on the Sangha, which (as I understand) has been happening even since before the arrival of Ven Buddhaghosa to Ceylon.

On a slightly brighter side, there *are* still pockets of conscientious monks in scattered in Sri Lanka and other traditional Buddhist countries.


mettâ,
kb