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This question reminds me of a story about two young monks who got into a
heated debate about whether it was OK to pray and smoke cigarettes at the same
time. (Other versions of the story replace the cigarette smoking with another
carnal activity.) Anyway...the young monks decided to resolve it by going to a
higher authority.
One went to the abbot, and asked, "O holy one, am I permitted to smoke
cigarettes while I am praying?" His answer was to the effect, "You evil, sinful
creature. How could you even contemplate such a sacrilege? Here are some
specially painful penances to help keep your vile little mind away from such sinful
worldly temptations."
Then the second young monk tried his luck, "O holy one, am I permitted to
pray while I am smoking a cigarette?" "Of course, my dear child, you may pray at
any time! How wonderful that your spirit is drawn to prayer even in such a
situation."
Hmmm...This may just be a matter of semantics. But if you're anti-semantic,
or maybe if you're looking for that special place where there is no
"Buddha-non-Buddha" distinction, it doesn't matter whether you're playing the flute or
not. If you're a Buddhist, isn't everything a part of your mindful meditation?
Gassho, y'all....
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<DIV>This question reminds me of a story about two young monks who got into=20=
a heated debate about whether it was OK to pray and smoke cigarettes at the=20=
same time. (Other versions of the story replace the cigarette smok=
ing with another carnal activity.) Anyway...the young monks decid=
ed to resolve it by going to a higher authority.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>One went to the abbot, and asked, "O holy one, am I permitted to smoke=20=
cigarettes while I am praying?" His answer was to the effect, "You evi=
l, sinful creature. How could you even contemplate such a sacrilege?&nb=
sp;Here are some specially painful penances to help keep your vile litt=
le mind away from such sinful worldly temptations." </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Then the second young monk tried his luck, "O holy one, am I permitted=20=
to pray while I am smoking a cigarette?" "Of course, my dear child, yo=
u may pray at any time! How wonderful that your spirit is drawn to pra=
yer even in such a situation."</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Hmmm...This may just be a matter of semantics. But if you're anti=
-semantic, or maybe if you're looking for that special place where there is=20=
no "Buddha-non-Buddha" distinction, it doesn't matter whether you're playing=
the flute or not. If you're a Buddhist, isn't everything a part of yo=
ur mindful meditation? </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Gassho, y'all....</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></BODY></HTML>
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