Most Buddhists are lay followers â?? they live in the everyday world, get married and have families. Some, however, become monks and nuns, live in Buddhist monasteries and stay celibate. They do this because they believe they can abide by the Buddhaâ??s teaching much more fully without the distractions of work and family commitments. Lay-followers are expected to abide by the five precepts or rules. Put most simply, these are: not to kill, not to steal, not to misconduct oneself in sexual activity, not to lie and not to take intoxicating drugs or drinks. The upside of this is that Buddhism urges us to be kind to all living things, to practise generosity, to act responsibly as sexual beings, to be honest and truthful, and to keep the mind clear. Significantly, not all Buddhists are vegetarians. The Buddha did not prohibit the eating of meat unless an animal had been specifically killed for the person who was to eat it.
Etrain Reviewed by Etrain on . Contemplating Buddhism Hello everyone, I'm still very young and I don't have a religion. Before now, I have never been a big fan of religion, although lately I have been contemplating buddhism. If anybody here has any thoughts/suggestions or knows a buddhist, I would appreciate it if they would enlighten me with knowledge. I've heard mixed reports on cannabis/drug use regarding the religion, but talked to a buddhist today and said cannabis has long been used as a meditation and enlightenment tool. If I wanted to take Rating: 5