Buddhist monks are some of the most serene and revered people in our society. They spend their lives dedicated to teaching others how to live with love, compassion, and peace.
What is the life of a Buddhist monk like? How do they spend their time and what do they do for fun? This blog post will explore these questions.
Society has an idealized view of monks as ascetics who are in a constant state of meditation and contemplation. This is not the case for most, if any at all. Monks have fun too!
Monks have hobbies just like everyone else and that’s what this blog post will explore. We’ll look at what monks do to have some fun and relax their minds from time to time.
When we hear the word monk, many of us might imagine an austere person who spends all day meditating. While this is true for some monks, a life as a Buddhist monk can be full of fun and joy (or at least laughter).
Buddhist monks are living people just like us, and so they too are touched by the pleasures of life. There is nothing wrong with entertainment, unless it causes trouble for someone else.
Buddhist monks are supposed to be elevated through Sādhanā to a point where their way of life seems to be their primary source of entertainment.
However, they can also enjoy their lives like any other person, watching movies, singing, or taking part in any other creative fun. If you have ever listened to a Buddhist monk, you may have noticed that they often tell jokes as a means of simplifying many complex religious doctrines, but these jokes also have a great deal more relevance and meaning.
Ultimately, entertainment should not exceed necessity. There is nothing wrong with loving movies, being fashion conscious, or eating your heart out, but you must remember that these things should not become an addiction. In other words, you need to be in control of all of this.
The rules and regulations of Buddhism are not as rigid as those of other religions. There is no rigidity in its way of life. Rather, the main objective of this religion is to enlighten one’s mind.
When a person is enlightened, they can easily find the right path to follow in any area of their lives.
What Do Monks Do for Fun?
The first thing you should know about Buddhism monks is that there are many different types, who live in very different ways. But even though there are differences with regards to lifestyle, most Buddhist monks follow a set of rules called precepts which help guide them towards enlightenment.
These precepts include things like not killing any living being (including insects), abstaining from sexual activity and strong drink, avoiding luxurious furniture and beds and always having an open mind.
Fun is generally defined by Buddhist monks as “inner peace”. This inner peace can be achieved through meditation, contemplation, and also living an ethical life. Hence the best thing that you can do to bring more joy into your life is to focus on your own well being.
The Buddhist belief system is one of the world’s oldest religions and has been practiced in many countries for centuries. The monks, who have devoted their lives to living a life that is mindful and peaceful, are typically seen as icons of peace and joy.
In the West, we might think of monks engaging in something like “simple life”– living on a limited food diet, walking many miles a day wearing only clothing made out of natural materials, avoiding any type of material or social attachment. That’s certainly one way to approach “simple life.”
But this is a partial view. It’s really about finding balance with our basic human needs and making wise choices about how much space we allow those needs to take up in our lives.
For example, while every monk eats three vegetarian meals per day and does not drink alcohol or smoke tobacco products they may choose whether they eat dessert (sugary sweet foods) for breakfast or lunch depending on their personal preferences.
Additionally, Buddhist monks can spend time playing games or talking with others at the monastery; they may also play instruments or work on crafts projects as well. In fact, it’s not uncommon to see monks laughing or playing games with each other when they’re not in their robes.
There are also many traditional games played by temple boys – for example different kinds of co-ordination games.
They may not indulge in worldly pleasures such as alcohol and other intoxicants, but there are plenty of activities they can partake in and enjoy without breaking any vows. For example, you might even find them playing board games with friends or taking part in recreational sports like basketball. Some monks may enjoy playing games like chess or cards.
They also might read books and write letters home. Whether learning about Buddhism or reading a book unrelated to religion, Buddhists enjoy reading just as much as everyone else. Sometimes they’ll go on walks around the monastery grounds to help them think about life outside the temple walls. They like to take day trips with friends.
They can also be found painting or carving sculptures out of wood, bamboo, or stone. Some even engage in archery practice from time to time! Some monks develop a certain taste for the pleasures of the world, but I suppose it depends on what they find interesting. I’ve seen monks knitting socks during downtime!
The Monks’ Way to Have Fun in the 21st Century
Buddhist monks are often stereotyped as being very solemn, serious people. But in reality, they have a diverse range of personalities and interests. They do not always live austere lives devoid of personal pleasures.
These days you can find Buddhist monks on YouTube with tens of thousands followers sharing videos about mindfulness and meditation techniques which they learned during their years at monastery school. They also use social media sites like Facebook and Twitter for different purposes: sometimes just for connecting with family back home or other students.
Buddhist monks have a lot of free time on their hands to fill, and there’s actually quite a bit of misunderstanding about what they do with it.
Some people might think that this lack of activity would lead to boredom, but in reality Buddhists are often very happy people because of how connected they feel themselves to be with the rest of the world. Instead, Buddhist monks have a lot more freedom within the monastery than most other ordained faiths allow. They often take advantage of this to learn new skills.
In countries such as China, Japan, Thailand and Myanmar life-enjoyment outside Monkhood was allowed as long as it does not lead to negligence inside such as neglecting to uphold precepts or to do good deeds; similarly in Tibet there was no prohibition against lay life being full of joy or even comic pleasures.
Monks don’t get caught up in any high drama or busyness that life tends to thrust onto us on a daily basis. They also have more serenity coupled with clear awareness, and this can make them seem very zen. Remembering to cultivate this state of being throughout our day goes a long way towards bolstering happiness levels.
Parting Words
The Buddha invited people to come together in fellowship and joyfulness naturally, spreading goodwill freely like unto themselves as a bright light dispels darkness by its mere presence. As water fills whatever vessel it finds empty.
The Buddhist culture is rich in art, music and literature. It also has a long history of comedy and humor stemming from the rituals, ceremonies and parables that take on many shapes and forms.
Monks are humans too. They do have a life outside the temple walls! A monk’s day-to-day lifestyle can be quite regimented so any free time he may have will likely go towards doing something enjoyable outside the monastery walls.