Ask A Monk: Physical Exercise

What people said

Cites tkp · 2014-09 · Buddhism Stack Exchange · on “Physical Exercise as a Monk?”

The Dalai Lama takes daily exercise, including walking on a treadmill if it's too wet to walk outside -- [LINK] . It makes sense to me since given that this human life is very precious in that it gives us an opportunity for moving towards enlightenment, it follows that it's a good thing to keep the body alive for as long is reasonably possible. Yuttadhammo gives an interesting view on the whole exercise thing here: [this video] . He says that physical exercise "doesn't play any part", certainly for an enlightened being although I think he was also referring to people who want to become enlightened. But I think his overall point is one of adequacy . He doesn't deny that it's useful to, for example

Cites ChrisW · 2015-10 · Buddhism Stack Exchange · on “Buddhism and terminal illness”

Even in my limited knowledge on Buddhism, it makes sense to see a connection between a terminal illness (like cancer) and previous negative karma. Everyone who is born dies; and maybe 30% of all deaths are from cancer (other statistically likely terminal illnesses in developed countries include heart attack, stroke, and respiratory diseases). I think that Buddhists see a connection between dying and being born . The proposed cure for that (i.e. to prevent it happening again) is to be enlightened (e.g. to attain nirvana, which is also known as a "deathless" state) -- to avoid being born again in future, and avoid or minimize "suffering" in this life. Note that if a person attains nirvana in t

Cites ruben2020 · 2021-02 · Buddhism Stack Exchange · on “Health Questions Regarding the Ordained”

OP: May a monastic regulate their alms diet in order to focus on healthy foods and avoid unhealthy ones? The Theravada Bhikkhu Patimokkha [LINK] states: There are these finer staple foods: ghee, fresh butter, oil, honey, sugar/molasses, fish, meat, milk, and curds. Should any bhikkhu who is not ill, having requested finer staple foods such as these for his own sake, then consume them, it is to be confessed. Based on this, I assume that it may be possible for a monk to request for healthier meals based on his health condition, but he may not get it, if he is dependent on almsfood. In this article [LINK] , we read about the 14th Dalai Lama: During his early years in Tibet, the Dalai Lama would