This is why Monks are treated differently on the streets

This interview is part of a longer interview I did with David Marks, an Australian man who has been a Buddhist Monk for 30 years. In this post, he shares more about the Monastic culture and on why people show a lot of respect to Monks in Asia.

Why are monks so much more respected than ordinary people on the streets?

Buddhist monks and nuns gain a lot of respect because the ability to give up worldly pleasures and worldly happiness to devote yourself to spiritual perfection is considered to be very honorable. People understand it is a big sacrifice. It is not easy to give up the pleasures of life.

In the Buddhist spiritual tradition, monks always played a central role in the preservation, transmission, and propagation of Buddhist teachings. In some countries like Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Burma, it’s considered necessary to become a monk to achieve enlightenment. However, that’s not the case in the Tibetan tradition. We believe that anybody can reach enlightenment, whether you are a monk or a nun, or an ordinary person.

Are there different interpretations of the original Buddhist philosophy on how to reach enlightenment? Do you think the respect monks get from ordinary people forces them on to a pedestal?

In Buddhist traditions, people debate a lot about this. In the Tibetan tradition, it’s considered to be a great fault to criticize other religions and other Buddhist practices. But there is a difference in interpretation of the Buddhist scriptures. Some traditions tend to look at other traditions as inauthentic. Still, it has never led to hostility towards other traditions. There are differences in opinions, but there are also a lot of core values they all agree on. An example is in that they all share almost identical vows in the monastic tradition. The differences are more in the methodology and goals they are seeking.

Just because somebody is a monk or nun or even a Buddhist doesn’t mean they are a Buddha. It doesn’t mean they are enlightened. Buddhist monks still have attachment, desire, anger, selfishness, pride, and jealousy. In that sense, monks are also ordinary beings. People have incredible expectations of monks. They think that because you are a monk, you are supposed to be perfect. Some monks behave very badly. Just because somebody is in robes doesn’t mean that they are skillfully working with their minds. There are good monks and bad monks, just as there are good people and bad people.

Do you think that there is anything that Buddhist monks could learn from ordinary people who live in the Western world?

In a general sense, there is always something to learn from other people. I always had great admiration for laypeople who were married with a family and had an ordinary life. From a monastic point of view, that is one of the worst things that you can do with your life. This is because it’s so complicated and involves so much entanglement with the world. That is the exact reason why people become monks, to avoid these problems. Nevertheless, I always admired those who had the strength and courage to have a family and live an ordinary life. I would never be able to manage that.

So in that sense, being a monk could be a bit of a cop-out as well. It could be running away from responsibilities. When people become a monk or nun, it is very easy not to mature emotionally. This is especially the case when they do so at a young age. It can be a powerful catalyst to carry responsibilities towards other people. Unless someone is completely narcissistic or psychologically blocked, it usually leads to greater maturation as an individual.

In my path and in my personal development, I actually found some of the ideas that evolved out of western psychological and spiritual traditions very helpful and beneficial. Although, in some ways, Buddhism is the perfect psychology, as Western practitioners, there are things we can learn that haven’t specifically evolved from within Buddhism itself. Concepts that originated from other psychological disciplines can be useful tools for understanding how and why we have certain personality traits. Also, other methods that don’t necessarily have a Buddhist reference can help us in our spiritual growth.

Do monks have a punishment system? Do monks express their feelings towards one another when they behave in a way they resent?

Yes, a monastery can expel a monk if he behaves inappropriately. At the same time, there is a lot of flexibility. One has to do pretty bad things to be expelled. But even then, it doesn’t mean that one isn’t a monk anymore. No one can take that away from you. You can voluntarily give it up, but there’s no Buddhist authority who can force you.

In Thailand, they do have a system in which a monk can be disrobed but not in the Tibetan tradition. Monks in a monastery can be reprimanded for bad behavior and even punished or expelled. Still, there’s an understanding that we all make mistakes, that we aren’t perfect. With that in mind, discipline is usually tempered with kindness and compassion.

When a young monk does something wrong, an elder monk will usually approach them privately. He will then explain how and why they need to adjust their behavior. After such conversations, it is all okay. It is a gradual training. Only in cases in which mistakes are very severe will monasteries send them away.

All credits to David Marks. Thank you for sharing your wise words.