Why does Buddhism seem like a world renouncing religion?

Buddhists believe desire is the root of all suffering......


Attachment and desire are the reason for suffering, but you see buddhist monks using laptop computers, smoking cigarettes, and using sell phone and more?


If desire and attachment leads to suffering, and part of living in the world is having desire and goals, then isn't buddhism a world renouncing religion and why?|||"You see"





No, I have never seen buddhist monks using laptops or smoking.|||Buddhism is not a world renouncing religion but it is the truth-finding-about-the-world religion.





If you study and practice deeply enough, you will realize that everything in this universe including human beings, animals, plants, non-living things, stars, even the universe itself other than Enlightenment (Nibbana or Nirvana) is marked by three characteristics: (1) Dukkha, (2) Anicca, and (3) Anatta. The simple explanation is that all phenomena cannot stay in the same condition. They will arise and eventually vanish. They are therefore neither self nor belong to anyone.





The root cause of suffering (Dukkha) is Body/Mind (= Rupa/Nama = Five Aggregates = Five Khandhas). Without desire and/or attachment, the Body/Mind is still suffering.





Monks are human beings and are still living in this world. They are using available tools including computer, cell phone, car, etc to reach their goal which is the Enlightenment and to teach Dharma to interesting persons.





Some monks used to smoke before and this habit is very hard to quit. Like any other lay persons, the sooner they quit the better.|||The teachings do not say that desire or attachment ceases.


The teachings say that in order to reach enlightenment, one stops being "hooked" by their desire, attachment ... and aversion. Don't forget aversion. This is a very subtle distinction, and it takes about 5 to 10 years of actual, dedicated Practice before you even start to grasp the distinction. It is easy to misunderstand the teachings.





Another thing that is often misunderstood is the difference between practicing Buddhism and being Enlightened. When one becomes enlightened (I can't say I know one who is yet there), one doesn't need to "practice" anymore. That's what they call it "practicing" Buddhism :) Until that, expect to see imperfection.





As for monks using laptops and cell phones, they have duties to fulfill. My teacher is a monk, and he teaches at 3 Buddhist centers in our province, spending many hours on the road going from one to another. He is called upon to attend religious conferences as a speaker, etc. etc. Somehow he finds 4 hours to do his practice every morning, and is always manages to show us how to remain centered, calm, gentle, aware, and kind.





As for smoking cigarettes, you can be sure that any Buddhist understands that the have to "un-hook" the hook of their desire, and that includes cigarettes. Either they haven't mastered it yet ... or they are not sincere practitioners (which is always a possibility). I just know that I would never take lessons from a Buddhist teacher who smoked.|||you are true that buddhists beleives attachment and desire are the reason for suffering. but it does not mean buddhism is reserve for poor people. anyone can be buddhist whether you are a street begger or Richard Gere. having computers, using cell phone is not the root of samsara. it is one's attachment which attach us in samsara. you can have a computer, cell phone but dont attach to it. this is what buddha said "if you attach to samsara then there is no renunciation". My friend practicing buddhism is how to react when things go up and down. how to be OK when you have and when you dont. that is why we call it buddhism is way of life. in buddhist history many rich has become ARHAT although they had everything. so certainly some monks are using computers and cell phone because they are in 21st century and some necessary to comunicate not because they are too much attach to it. do you think monks should be ban to traval by cars, planes if they have to go abroad? yeah some young monks can be really attach to it. but even in buddha's time not all the monks became Arhat. so same story here.





no monks smokes except thai monks. but now they too dont smoke. its wasnt because smoking ll not lead to nirvana it was because of health problem and not seen wise in society.|||Renunciation has nothing to do with worldly objects. True renunciation means to give up the ego and attachment to the objects. Change is the law of nature and over the period of time everything changes.





Renouncement does not mean giving up worldly life. It is the attachment to the desires that lead to suffering.|||Using worldly things is not the same thing as being attached to them. Ideally, the Buddhist would not care what computer or cell phone he might be using or whether he actually owned it. The smoking is something of a problem. But every one is still working their way toward enlightenment.|||Yeah, I've never seen a Buddhist monk doing the **** you said... and my parents are Buddhist. By the way, how many Buddhist monks do you know? Do you spend much time with them? Why haven't you asked them why they do it?





Most Buddhist I know follow a path mainly based on "Don't be a dick-ism"|||True in Buddhism desire is the root of all suffering, but they also wish to liberate this world of ignorance. Where are these new world monks, traditional monks live miles form modern civialization.|||It more like this:





For Buddhists, it's alright (and necessary) to consume worldly items, but what you need to avoid is having them consume you.|||Buddhists are humans and are trying to deal with life like the rest of us. Its much like saying god says don't kill but christians have murdered almost a billion people in just over 2000 years.





Atheist with Buddhists ties|||actually cell phones are only used for transmitting info and not entertainment also no buddhist monk would EVER smoke|||I have not seen the monk using laptops or smoking. I think you said is false followers of Buddhism.