You are here:

Buddhists/difficult !!

Advertisement

Expert: - 12/15/2008


Question
hi , im a little confused . getting on to , im 59. ( almost ) my freind is a devout christian , no probs with me . he recently quoted an extract from a book re , 2 chaps , an elder and a novice walking a path . when they reached a ford there was a lady trying to cross .the elder picked her uo and carried her across the ford , 2 miles later the novce said to the elder , " we were taught not to be invloved with women " the elder replied , " i put her down 2 hours ago ,and your still carrying her " . i like that but find it confusing and im trying to find my way and dont know where to start ! any help would be appreciated , thanks . i do have another about a thief who stole from an elder but i presume you know the morale behind it , just like to mention im not one . regardsmick

Answer
Hi Mick,

Thank you for asking me.

The message is that we should not indulge in unwholesome thoughts.  In this case, the action was done in good faith.  After the action was done, the elder did not indulge in thinking about it.  It was over for him, period.  As for the novice, although he did not actually act on it, his mind was polluted with unwholesome thought.

Hope this helps.

Justin Choo

[I like to invite you to visit my blog:]
http://lifeislikethat999.blogspot.com/

[And these sites by Rev. Dhammika:]
http://sdhammika.blogspot.com/
http://www.buddhismatoz.com/

Buddhists

All Answers

Answers by Expert:

Ask Experts

Volunteer

Justin Choo

Expertise

When in doubt seek it out. All your questions will be answered, and you may not have to agree with the answers. Such is the beauty of Buddhism. You are free to decide. I follow the Theravada tradition, and have been studying Buddhism for more than 40 years. Please view my profile for more details. I have answered more than 1500 questions since joining this category. You may like to give me the honor to answer your question.

Experience

I was brought up in the 50's as a Buddhist. For the past 40 years I have read numerous books on Buddhism and listened to numerous talks on Buddhism by well-respected and learned monks and lay teachers. I conduct Buddhist classes for parents of Sunday School children in a Theravada Buddhist Temple. My teacher was the late Chief Reverend, The Ven. K Sri Dhammananda of The Brickfields Buddhist Mahavihara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. You can view the relevent website in memory of my revered late teacher @ http://www.ksridhammananda.com

Organizations
I am a life member of the Buddhist Missionary Society Malaysia.

Publications
YOU ARE INVITED TO VISIT MY BLOG @ http://lifeislikethat999.blogspot.com/ Published a book called "The Rainbow And The Treasure". It is a compilation of extracts from various sources to introduce Buddhism to beginners. (Currently out of print)

Education/Credentials
Bachelor of Commerce And Administration, Victoria University Of Wellington, NZ.(1974)

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.