Page 31 - Applied Buddhism

fifties. The former gave up smoking more than 15 years ago and the During the time of the Buddha, some monks enquired from the
later 10 years ago. The former was offered cigarettes by tobacco Buddha whether they could smoke during winter in order to keep
companies and the latter by devotees. They both smoked a packet warm. The Buddha did not object. This is taken by some as the
of cigarettes a week. green-light for smoking. One must understand that smoking was a
hard-to-come-by leisure in those days, when people did not often
In general, the practice of smoking amongst monks in smoke. It was only after the 1940’s that smoking took on a massive
Malaysia represents a lower percentage when compared with the scale as a result of the invention of cigarette-making machines.
total population. While only about 7% of the monks smoke, the This has brought about unprecedented health and social-economic
national percentage, according to 1996 Ministry of Health’s Survey problems, which if the Buddha was around, I am sure He would not
is 44% amongst the male population, and 3.5% amongst the female agree to it.
population. There are no less than 100 nuns in Malaysia. All of
them do not smoke. It is also a well-known fact that smoking is a waste of money,
and it is hard to imagine monks who depend on the public for
As far as the lay people are concerned, they normally find it their sustenance, puffing away the hard earned money of their
unacceptable for monks to smoke. The general perception is that benefactors. In a story published in the Star (newspaper), a 70-year
smoking amongst monks is incompatible with the teachings of the old widow related how she made regular donations to a monk who
Buddha. People generally cannot understand how monks who are asked for donations to build a temple in Thailand. She continued
supposed to live a simple life of purification can indulge in a social to do so for a year until she caught him smoking in a back alley
vice. using his alms bowl as an ash tray. “l was so angry I wanted to hit
him,” the widow said. “All this while when I thought I was doing
In my humble opinion, and I believe this is also the opinion something good, he was spending my money on cigarettes and who
of most Buddhists who know something about Buddhism, monks knows what else!”
should be free from nicotine addiction, and therefore should not use
tobacco. On the contrary monks should be active in saving lives by Since the Buddha’s teaching and the general perception of the
preventing tobacco use and helping people to quit. To say that there Buddhist devotees are not in favour of smoking, Buddhist monks
is nothing in the Buddha’s teaching that discourage smoking is who are involved in smoking should stop this habit immediately. On
more of an excuse rather than rational reasoning. It is true smoking the other hand, laymen can discourage the use of tobacco amongst
may not be included in the fifth precept since it does not lead to monks, by saying politely, (quoted from Venerable Visudhacara):
intoxication; nevertheless there are other aspects of the Buddhist “Venerable sir, with all due respect allow me to point out that you
teachings that obviously do not encourage smoking. For instance, are depending on the lay devotees for your support. You are unable
the Buddhist teachings encourage simple living, thrift and mental to earn any living except to live on alms and depend on the charity
development. These qualities are incompatible with smoking. of the people. Is it proper for you to burn away the good devotees’

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