AboutJustin 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 a thousand questions since joining this category. You are welcome to try me.
Experience I was brought up in the 50's as a Buddhist. For the past 30 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)
Question QUESTION: what was the buddhist stance on sex? is it ok to have premarital sex?
you once said arahant is gained on the higher abodes? how about the case of ananda, will he be reborn again the higher worlds to gain nirvana? also to other disciples
ANSWER: Hi Jaya,
The answer is in the third precept.
To elaborate:
The third precept states that one should undertake to refrain from committing sexual misconduct. This has no direct bearing on whether couple should be legally married. Marriage is actually a social/legal obligation when a couple becomes man and wife. Sexual misconduct means having sexual excesses with one and sundry without a thought for genuine relationship. This behaviour is just like animal sexual instinct. Sexual misconduct will bring potential problems like unwanted children, abortion, adultery, and death from AIDS! If a couple is genuinely in love and cares for each other, I would say that whatever they do in privacy is not sexual misconduct. However, I would of the opinion that the couple should adhere to social norm and human dignity to get married if they want to live together.
<<you once said arahant is gained on the higher abodes?>>
I never said that. Arahant status is achievable here and now.
Ananda was an arahant. So no more rebirth.
Justin Choo
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QUESTION: to clarify about the stages of enligtenment, as narada book said enligtenment is best attain on the human sphere of existence but once the chapters of 4 stages of enligtenment been takled why is that the human who wanted to be a buddha needs to ba an anagami then reborn in the higher realms to gain arahant?
isnt that arahantship is just attainable in the pure abodes?
Answer Hi Jaya,
It may good academic exercise to probe into details of how people got enlightenment. It is very common that people can have different interpretations on Buddhist concepts. In the final analysis, one has to decide which one is the most acceptable/reasonable/logical.
Having said that, I am of the opinion that one should concentrate on putting the Buddha's teachings into practise rather than spend too much time analysing the details of difficult concepts which usually have no 100% correct interpretation for the simple reason that we are all just mere mortals with limited worldly intelligence.
You can read more books and in the process you will be able to find some semblance on the various concepts.
