Changing Society

社会的变动：

When society changes, monks cannot remain as traditionalists without adapting to the changes, although they have renounced the worldly life. People who cannot understand this situation criticize the behavior of certain monks because of those changes.

However, when the monks want to amend even certain minor precepts, they would have to do it with the sanction of a recognized Sangha Council. Individual monks are not at liberty to change any Vinaya rules according to their whims and fancies. Such a Council of Sangha members can also impose certain sanction against monks who have committed serious violations of the disciplinary code and whose behavior discredits the Sangha. The Buddha instituted the Council to help monks to prevent evil deeds and avoid temptation in a worldly life. The rules were guidelines rather than inviolable laws handed down by some divine authority.

当社会改变时，僧众也无法依据传统，不作改变，虽然他们已经放弃了世间的生活。有些人无法谅解，僧人根据社会改变而作出的相应改变。若僧人想要修改任何戒条，都必须获得僧团的批准和通过。个别僧人是无权修改或更动任何戒条。僧团有权根据僧团的需要而增加戒条。佛陀指示僧团协助僧众防止邪恶和世间的诱惑。戒律只是一种生活的指导，不是「神」的旨意，或掌握在「神」手中的无上权力。

In Asian countries particularly, monks are accorded great respect and reverence. Lay people respect them as teachers of the Dhamma and as men who have sacrificed the worldly life in order to lead a holy life. Monks devote themselves to the study and practice of the Dhamma and do not earn a living. Laymen, therefore, see to their material well-being while they in turn look to the monks for their spiritual needs.

在亚洲国家，出家人受到普遍的尊重。信众把出家人当作是引导他们脱离苦恼，过着神圣生活和教导佛法的导师。僧众无私的指点佛法的学习和实践，并不要求物质的回报。因此，信众也为僧众提供了生活的必需品，以换取精神的需要。

As such, monks are expected to conduct themselves in such a way that will earn them the respect and reverence of the public. If, for example, a monk is seen in a disreputable place, he will be criticized even if he is not involved in any immoral action. Therefore, it is the duty of the monks to avoid certain uncongenial surroundings so as to maintain the dignity of the holy Order.

因此，僧众也培养了优良的品德，来换取公众的信赖和尊敬。如果，一名僧人，在某些不道德的场合出现，虽然他并没有不道德的行为，他同样要受到他人的责难。因此，僧人必须很注意自己的言行举止，避免僧团的名誉受到伤害。

If a monk does not respect the feelings of his lay devotees and behaves according to what he alone thinks is right, then the lay devotees are not bound to look after his needs. There are many instances recorded in the Buddhist Texts that even during the Buddha's time, lay devotees had refused to look after arrogant, quarrelsome or irresponsible monks. Monks can be criticized for doing certain worldly things which only lay people are at liberty to do.

如果，僧人不尊重信众的感受，自己独断独行，他将被信众唾弃，不再受到信众的供养。当佛陀在世时，也有不少不负责任的僧人，受到信众的唾弃而失去供养，这些实例都详细的记载于经典里。僧人从事一些世间的活动，会受到批评，只有在家信徒可以自由的从事世间的活动。