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**chodeasyday** · 09-05-2011, 10:16 AM

Well personally, I'm going to use it to try and remind myself what would the Buddha want me to do.

Is there anything monks are not aloud to eat, in the way of spices and the like? My girlfriend makes some great greek lentil soup, it has a lot of garlic and pepper in it though, I would like to take some for the Bhante, I also thought of taking him fruit and since that is fairly neutral, I take it that razors would be an acceptable thing to give as well.

The only food you shouldn't give is the flesh of an animal that was killed especially for the monk. Actually, this only applies if the monk knows that the animal was killed for him. If he knows that, he's obligated by the Vinaya to reject it. Otherwise, they're obligated to accept whatever you give, food-wise.

Razors would be acceptable, yes. Toiletry items, writing/reading materials, whatever you think would be useful for him and/or his fellow monks. Money is not really acceptable for Sri Lankan monks, I think, but I might be wrong about that. What the books say and what actually happens tend to not always agree.

09-05-2011, 10:16 AM	#7
chodeasyday Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 500 Senior Member	Well personally, I'm going to use it to try and remind myself what would the Buddha want me to do. Is there anything monks are not aloud to eat, in the way of spices and the like? My girlfriend makes some great greek lentil soup, it has a lot of garlic and pepper in it though, I would like to take some for the Bhante, I also thought of taking him fruit and since that is fairly neutral, I take it that razors would be an acceptable thing to give as well. The only food you shouldn't give is the flesh of an animal that was killed especially for the monk. Actually, this only applies if the monk knows that the animal was killed for him. If he knows that, he's obligated by the Vinaya to reject it. Otherwise, they're obligated to accept whatever you give, food-wise. Razors would be acceptable, yes. Toiletry items, writing/reading materials, whatever you think would be useful for him and/or his fellow monks. Money is not really acceptable for Sri Lankan monks, I think, but I might be wrong about that. What the books say and what actually happens tend to not always agree.
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