Theatrical shows and dissipation of wealth
Ficus_religiosa
Veteran
I was just re(rere)-reading Sigalovada Sutta, when I came to think: What are those "theatrical shows" one should not frequent? An analogy to today would entail such actions as going to the movies, the theater, strip clubs, circus, stand up comedy and so on. Being even more strict, it would also mean no video games, movies at home or tv-shows (unless video games are seen as a game as in gambling, which should only be avoided if it causes heedlessness).
We can all interpret it how we want, and my question must be understood more in a historical way. What were those theatrical shows the Buddha would know of? How could they lead to the dissipation of wealth? It is easy to guess why monks should avoid such spectacles, and even laymen if the reason was to not be goaded into general heedlessness like with intoxicants. But here it is listed alongside gambling(!) as a way to squander wealth, and gambling is even seen as less dangerous than these shows, since gambling is only to be avoided if it causes heedlessness.
(There are mentioned these examples of theatrical shows:
dancing, singing, music, recitation, playing with cymbals, pot-blowing, and one will "ever think" about such shows, but I fail to see how this dissipates wealth like gambling?)
Comments
In Buddha's days there were no shows open to the public. People paid for performers to entertain them. If you want a perspective think of a lap dance.
That's not true. Street performers, carnivals and folk dances were very much 'public entertainment'.
@Ficus_religiosa, I think you may find that the term 'Noble Disciple' is a term for one wishing to attain enlightenment through serious dedication.
If you wish to dedicate yourself that way, I would suggest you therefore avoid the forms of entertainment listed. If, however, you have no extreme intention of dedicating yourself tirelessly to enlightenment, you can still indulge.
Mindfully.
@Ficus_religiosa
You might be surprised to see how many theatrical shows can be found in any Buddhist school .....and....... what better describes our own identity but a theatrical show?
The difficulty in any spiritual process of trying to address attachments, is that our identity, which feeds it's existence with the stimulation of those attachments, is very crafty in finding replacement snacks.
The real wealth spoken of, to avoid dissipating through any means, is the wealth of mindfulness.
I was about to say, how would monetary wealth be dissipated by this, exactly? In nearly all cases it just is redistributed.
One would suggest 'wealth' might be poorly translated, if it is a form of immaterial wealth such as mindfulness it would be clearer if that was stated directly.
My guess on the dissipation of wealth would be that it can be spendy to go see a show. Not only are there the ticket prices but usually there is transportation, food and it may put you in the mood for who knows what else.
I can't think of anything in "The Sound of Music" that would make you feel that way.
"The Rocky Horror Show", on the other hand....
You mean we have to give up lap dances??????
Now you tell me.
The likely correlation is dissipation of funds away from the family / worthy causes.
Not before I slip a 20 in your gown - you're hot.
@federica singing and dancing remained as personal entertainment well into the 20th century in India. Of course street performances like shadow plays and bamboo tricks were another matter.
Not if your wealth can stand a little dissipation. You know what I mean.
My missus really likes attending theatrical shows. I guess the Buddha gave this teaching in a time where women stayed at home and didn't complain that they were taken out too seldom
I wasn't aware of the distinction between regular laity and "noble disciples". Thanks for clarifying
I think the translation in today's terms of what the sutra complains about saying "distribution of wealth" would more accurately be "waste of money". The monk who wrote this would also complain that watching an entertainer is also a waste of time and even unconductive to a monk's dedication to being enlightened. There's many religions today that consider "having fun" as somehow sinful or unhealthy. In the religion I grew up in, going to a movie was forbidden unless it was something like the life of Christ because people were doing sinful things on the screen. Not to mention the radio was only ever tuned to a Christian station. I had to sneak to listen to even country music on the radio.
The monks who laid down the rules in early Buddhist sanghas were a dour, strict bunch to go by the sutras. Of course, going by the rule book, our college campuses are full of bright, dedicated students focused on learning. Obviously the younger monks had a different attitude, or the rule wouldn't even be necessary.