Would a buddhist monk...

[Phra Chuntawongso]

In the field of unreal and relative(pannatti)we use the terms-man,woman,dog,cat etc.
For example you have a user name-Hanzze.I also have a user name-Nanadhaja-This identifies you and me in an unreal and relative way.
The other day you sent me a PM to ask a question.Suppose all of here instead of using pannatti decided to use the terms of real and absolute(paramattha)
Your user name would be rupa,my user name would be rupa and all the other peoples names would be rupa.
How would you know which rupa to PM and how would the rupa that received the PM know which rupa had PM'd them?
So you see it is necessary to speak conventionally.
In Cambodia when you go to a stall to get some food and you want a bowl of noodles,you ask for a bowl of noodles and they give them to you.If you go to the stall and say "Rupa would like a rupa of rupa"my guess is that Rupa will start to feel a bit like a peta.

[Hanzze]

_/\_

[Paññāsikhara]

tell: "I am a Monk."?
Would a Buddhist monk tell: "I am a Buddhist."?
Would a follower of the path call him self a Buddhist?

...from the view of practice, except of situations where one is needed to answer ( local law)

Okay, here goes:

I am a monk.
I am a buddhist.

So yes, a buddhist monk would.

[Paññāsikhara]

Thus a stanza of the Sūtra of the Questions of the Devas (Devaparipṛcchāsūtra) says:

If he is an arhat bhikṣu
Whose impurities have been destroyed,
And who is in his very last existence,
Can he say: It is I?

The Buddha replies:

An arhat bhikṣu
Whose impurities have been destroyed
And who is in his very last existence
Can say: It is I.155

In current usage (lokadharma), we speak of the ātman, but not from the absolute (paramārtha), true point of view, for all dharmas are empty (śūnya) and devoid of substantial self (anātmaka). In current usage there is nothing wrong in speaking of ātman.

155 Sutta, entitled Arahaṃ, of the Saṃyutta, I, p. 14; Tsa a han, T 99 (no. 581), k 22, p. 154b-c; T 100 (no. 166), k. 9, p. 435c: yo hoti bhikkhu arahaṃ.... pi so vadeyya (iti devata). yo hoti bhikkhu katāvī.... vohāramattena so vohareyya (iti Bhagavā). Buddhaghosa interprets this sutta in the same way in the Sārattha, I, p. 51.

[Hanzze]

Dear Paññāsikhara,

thanks for your Dana.

[Hanzze]

_/\_

[Phra Chuntawongso]

Dear Ven. Nanadhaja,

for sure we need to use a Name for all the "rupas". So what should a monk name him self, when there is a need for introduction? What is the explanation of a Monk if he is asked who or what he is?

Hi Hanzze,I would introduce myself as Venerable Greg or as Venerable Nanadhaja or when I relocate to Thailand,Phra Greg or Phra Nanadhaja.
If I was in a country where the people were not used to seeing monks in robes walking along the street doing alms rounds and they asked me who or what I was I would explain to them that I am a buddhist monk and I would also explain if they asked,what I was doing.

[Phra Chuntawongso]

Hanzze,if you would like to see some of the problems a buddhist monk can have in the west check out this site.
http://yuttadhammo.sirimangalo.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
This monk has had to deal with the police in america.I think he gave them his name and what he was.American police do not always have a sense of humor.

[Hanzze]

_/\_

[Hanzze]

_/\_

[Individual]

When I asked the local Zen monk his name, he smiled and said, "You can call me whatever you like."

[Hanzze]

_/\_

[Individual]

When I asked the local Zen monk his name, he smiled and said, "You can call me whatever you like."

Hi Individual,

That sounds very dhamma, thanks for the hint. So is there a different?

Is what different?

[Hanzze]

_/\_

[Individual]

Hi Individual,

That sounds very dhamma, thanks for the hint. So is there a different?

Is what different?

A different between "Monk" from the view of the Dhamma taught by the Buddha.

I don't know.