1
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I'm 18 and feel that I'm too young to follow the monk path and work towards nirvana.

2
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Wouldn't it be best for me to follow the materialistic path now temporarily until I reach old age before walking the nirvana path as then I'd be more mature?

3
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Right.

4
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First of all, many parts of this question.

5
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First of all, there's no need to ever walk the monk path.

6
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If you're really serious about it, then the monk path is a great one.

7
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Second of all, there's a mis... I think there's a misleading premise here that somehow physical maturity or age somehow

8
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implies better practice.

9
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I think in certain aspects of the practice are benefited by physical maturity in the sense of greater experience of the world.

10
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But a great portion or a great part of the path is actually hindered by age because especially

11
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in someone who has spent most of their life following the materialistic path.

12
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So, the materialistic path, if I understand it, if you're meaning it as I understand it, is a

13
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an unwholesome one.

14
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It's one that leads to clinging, it leads to conflict, it leads to delusion and attachment and identification, all sorts of bad stuff.

15
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And so when that becomes your habit throughout your life,

16
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the idea that that would somehow make you a better meditator is unreasonable, is unlikely.

17
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Now, if you are talking about not becoming a monk,

18
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for a long time the idea that of practicing meditation and doing good deeds now to slowly slowly cultivate enough goodness to become a monk well that's a different argument but I still don't think it holds because being a monk is even more difficult than practicing as a lay person physically and as a lifestyle a person who has lived their whole life not used to the monastic discipline

19
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The life of being a monk will have a very difficult time in their old age practicing all of the many rules, eating only once a day and so on.

20
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It doesn't get easier because you've waited a long time to begin it.

21
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So even if it's about becoming a monk, absolutely, the Buddha himself recommended that it's for young people to do.

22
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Ordaining when you're 20 is a perfect time, the best time, even if it's difficult at first for a person who's able to practice it.

23
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it's really the best time of one's life because one's able to grow up as a monk, grow up surrounded by the Dhamma, surrounded by the Buddha's teaching.

24
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So certainly no benefit to walking the materialistic path.

25
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I don't think any benefit if you want to become a monk for waiting until you're very old or old at all, really.

26
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18 while you have to be 20 to ordain.

27
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And you might want to wait a little bit longer.

28
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But certainly don't ever follow the materialistic path.

29
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It's not useful for anyone in any situation.

30
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But as for following a lay person's path, that's reasonable.

31
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But don't think that it's going to make it easier to become a monk when you're old.

32
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It just might make you a bad monk.

33
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One of those monks who just sits in their room and watches television all day.