Page 29 - Applied Buddhism

Chinese Buddhist temples, following the Mahāyāna tradition, picture of their smoking habits and their perception of smoking.
are found throughout Malaysia. There are many Thai Buddhist Nevertheless I have interviewed some monks in the Kuala Lumpur
temples (wats) of the Theravāda tradition in the northern states region before coming to this Conference. The result of the interview
where some Thai descendants live. These temples are also may not be extrapolated to represent the full picture since the sample
frequented by Chinese devotees. The Sinhalese have established a size is too small, but it nevertheless allows one to have a glimpse of
temple in Penang and Taiping and two temples in Kuala Lumpur. the Kuala Lumpur scenario.
They follow the Theravāda tradition. In recent years, Vajrayāna
centres have also been established in major cities. These centres are Of the ten monks interviewed in Kuala Lumpur, six were from
led by Tibetan monks but the devotees are Chinese. the Theravāda-Sinhalese tradition, two from the Theravāda-Thai
tradition and three from the Mahāyāna-Chinese tradition. Eight of
In the Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna traditions, smoking is not them were not smokers and two were former smokers. The two
common. In my 30 years of association with Buddhist activities, former smokers were from the Sinhalese tradition. All of them
I have not seen a single monk from these traditions who smoked. agreed that smoking is bad for health, is a waste of money, and is
On the other hand, smoking is seen amongst Sinhalese and Thai not a good social behaviour.
monks of the Theravāda tradition. The Sinhalese monks are more
discrete, and they do not normally smoke in public, but the Thai When asked whether people should offer cigarettes to monks,
monks smoke openly. There was an occasion when a Thai chief the eight non-smokers replied no, and the two former smokers said
monk entered a shrine room to perform an important religious that it is up to the people to make the offer.
ceremony, with a cigarette in his hand, much to the displeasure of
the VIP present in the ceremony. When asked about the Buddhist teaching regarding smoking,
one monk said it was silent on it, three of the monks said it
In other words, smoking amongst monks only happens in Thai discouraged smoking, while one monk said it forbid smoking.
and Sinhalese temples. Since Thai temples are concentrated in the The remaining five monks were of the opinion that smoking is a
northern states and Sinhalese temples are few in number, many lay violation of the Five Precepts.
Buddhists residing in other parts of the country are not aware of
this practice and are often shocked to discover such a behaviour. The eight monks, inclusive of one former smoker, believed
However, for Buddhists who frequent these temples, they have that Buddhist monks can be effective in persuading people to give
come to accept the practice and have even become a source of up smoking. When asked what they did when offered cigarettes,
supply of cigarettes for the monks! all of them said they rejected the offers. Two of them said that
monks should take the opportunity to educate the devotees on the
Since there are not many monks in Malaysia, my observation right form of offering when offered cigarettes. Of the two former
and frequent association with some of them is enough to paint a smokers, one is more than 80 years old and the other is in his late

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