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Yes, those who are not ordained monks or nuns have always had an important role in the community of Buddhists. As Buddhism spread from what is today India to other eastern countries and, in the 20th century, to the west, it adapted itself to different cultures. Today in the west, most Buddhists are not celibate monks or nuns. Communities of monks and nuns are usually supported by many practitioners outside those communities. Most people today who engage in Buddhist practices designed to minimize suffering are neither monks nor nuns.
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What else can I help you with?
Can monks stop being monks?
I can speak for other religions but as for Buddhism a Monk a can leave at any time. Buddhism is about personnel growth and development. If a Monk or Nun feels that they have attained enough wisdom and want to leave they can.
What is Buddhism's church?
There are no churches in Buddhism. We do not believe in any immortal all-powerful gods. We worship no gods or people. Therefore we have no places for those activities. We do have monasteries were monks, nuns and lay people gather together and learn the teachings of the Buddha.
Are Buddhism temples run by monk who also act as warriors in ancient times?
No. Buddhism is a region of peace and compassion. The only Buddhist monks that practice any martial arts are the Shaolin monks in Shaolin monastery in China. They have been involved with fighting bandits and in some battles in ancient times.
Who do Buddhist Monks pray to?
If you consider prayer to be an homage to a deiry or a request or assistance from this same deity, then Buddhist monks don't pray at all as Buddhism has no deity, The monk's chanting helps them meditate and fix their minds on the aspects of Buddhist thinking that lead to enlightenment.
What role did missionaries play in Buddhism?
they didn't play any role because they never heard of it you must be mistaking!?!?
Who were the priests for Buddhism?
We do not have priests in Buddhism. We worship no gods or persons. It is a religion and a way of life devoid of authority, ritual, speculation, tradition, and the supernatural. There is no dogma that a person needs to believe in to be a Buddhist. In Buddhism we have only Monks/Nuns and lay people. Monks and Nuns have dedicated their lives to learning and practicing the Buddha's teachings in a monastic setting. Monks and Nuns who have been given transmission (that is they have received and understood the Buddhas teachings and can apply them correctly to any situation) can teach others about what the Buddha taught. That's about as much of a hierarchy there is in Buddhism. It is more a collection of like-minded individuals who study and practice cooperatively the Buddhas teachings.
Does Buddhism have any church organizations and leaders?
Unlike many Christian churches, in which there is a hierarchy of responsibility and control, Buddhism has no overall structure or central church. There are different Buddhist traditions, called lineages, such as Tibetan Buddhism, or Theravada Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, etc, each lineage might or might not have a Lineage Master (like the Dalai Lama, who is the Lineage Master for the Gelug tradition of Tibetan Buddhism). To explain this you need to understand how Buddhism is taught.Buddhists have monasteries where a master and monks live. these monks have dedicated themselves to learning the teachings of the Buddha. Buddhist Masters are monks who have learned the teachings sufficiently and has the ability to speak authoritatively about the teachings. They have received permission to do this from their master. This permission is called being given transmission. A monk who has been given transmission could then go to another area, open a monastery and then teach others. If one of his monks then learns the teachings sufficiently, the new master could give transmission to his student, and the cycle continues. Please note that learning the teachings of the Buddha is not memorization, these masters must completely understand and be able to explain the teachings in their own words and apply them to today's situations.So Buddhism has a very diffuse structure.
Where do Buddhism's go to worship their leader?
We Buddhists do not worship any god, deity or person, not even the Buddha. We have temples and monasteries where monks and nuns live who provide teachings and lead meditation sessions, but no worshiping.
Do Tibetan monks believe in a god?
Tibetan monks do not traditionally believe in a single all-powerful god like in some monotheistic religions. Instead, they focus on spiritual development, meditation, and compassion towards all beings. Their beliefs are rooted in Buddhist philosophy, which does not center around a creator god.
What do you call monks?
You just call Monks Monks and Nuns Nuns. They don't have any other names.
Are there any rituals in Buddhism?
There are no rituals in Buddhism. Infact Buddhism is against rituals. Buddhism is nothing but morality.
Can monks and nuns marry?
Sure, but they have to leave their positions.
