What is the life of a monk really like?

Pay everyday's attention to:

1. listening meditation lesson from tipitaka-memorizer.
2. observing the 91,805,036,000 vinaya-rules.
   1. keeping to violate the prohibited rules, such as denying money, denying sex activity, etc.
   2. keeping to do the procedure rules, such as memorizing bhikkhunissayamuccaka-course, go to bowl, keeping the monk robe, etc.
3. keeping the balancing between the virtual, the concentration meditation and the insight meditation to enlighten nibbāna.
4. develop the knowledge from bhikkhunissayamuccaka-course to tipitaka-memorizer.

Theravāda buddhism has only reciting, we don't have prayer.

Theravāda buddhism has only reciting, we don't have prayer. Reciting is like when you want to speak thai language, you have to recite thai vocabulary and thai grammar to memorize it for using it in every where and every time you want to speak in thai.

So, when you want to practice follow the buddha, you have to memorize the buddha's teaching, first.

Also, there are many types of reciting in buddhism, which depending on situation, such as:

1. Reciting for meditation of the practitioner, such as in Sutta. Aṅ. (5): dasakanipātā Dutiyanalakapānasuttaṃ.
2. Reciting for keep tipitaka going on of the tipitaka-memorizer, such as in 1st saṅgāyanā.
3. Reciting in thai tradition, which follow to the virtual chapter of the path of purification.

The reason that why paṭisambhidāmagga-pāli by sāriputta is the best dhamma explanation

This topic should not strict in english version only, because the best buddhist book maybe didn't write in english.

I recommend paṭisambhidāmagga-pāli by sāriputta.

Content:

Clearly explanation of every important dhamma, which often appear in sutta, such as ñāṇa, dhammacakkappavattanasutta, vipassanā, pariññā, samatha, sīla, etc.

Reasons:

Sāriputta is in the middle of budhha, upāli, ānanda, atthakathā, buddhagosa, thai monks, and myanmar monks. So, if you can understand his concept, you can understand the whole theravāda canons.

The referene for above reason:

1. Sāriputta is tipitaka-memorizer who born in the same time with the buddha.
2. Sāriputta was announced by the buddha as the best teacher in Ekanipātā, Ekapuggalapāli:

   Bhikkhus, I do not know of any other person who could follow up the teaching proclaimed by the Thus Gone One other than Sāriputta.

   Bhikkhus, Sāriputta follows up the teaching proclaimed by me.

3. In the introduction of dīganikāya's atthakathā wrote that sāriputtas' students were co-designers of tipitaka's structure.
4. In Sutta. Ma. Mū. Mahāgosiṅgasālasuttaṃ, every leaders of 1st saṅgāyanā's members such as, kassapa, ānanda (sutta-memorizer), anuruddha, upāli (vinaya-memorizer), and their students (memorizer of abhidhamma and athhakathā), often go to listen sāriputta's dhamma explanation.
5. Budhhagosa used paṭisambhidāmagga as the main reference when he authored the path of purification, visuddhimagga.
6. The tipitaka-strict monks in Thailand and Myanmar are using visuddhimagga as the main reference to access tipitaka.

Buddha changed hindu's god-worship-habit to be right causes&effects-worship-habit instead

Old fashion hindu, brahma, was begun before buddhism, so people in buddha time usually worshiped to their god, before they change to be the buddha-follower.

Buddha just change them from god-believer/random-result/suffering-still-remain to cause&effect-professor/best-advantage/suffering-perfectly-vanishing.

So, if they normally worship god with incense, candles, flower, etc, buddha just change them to worship the cause&effect-professor, buddha&dhamma&saṅgha, instead.

Because idol and statue are what the follower try to imitate to do and to be the same. If they were still paying the worship to god, they will be god-believer, but if they change their habit to pay their worship to buddha/dhamma/saṅgha, they will be cause&effect-professor instead.

Example, can you change the homeless habit immediately? If you can't, how can you use their daily habit to change themselves?

This is the reason why the buddha is the best teacher, anuttaro purisadhammasārathi&bhagavā, because he can change the illogical homeless/illogical king/illogical people to be the perfect cause&effect-professors.

Another, Worshiping, offering, giving gift, donating, making statue, naming the road as the people name, and investing are just an exchange. We are acting like that because we expecting some effects.

So, the buddha just let them do the right exchange by leting them change their common action, god-worshiping, to the new right habit, cause&effect-worshiping, such as in Sutta. Ma. U. mahācattārīsakasutta, that the buddha taught the listener to worship to right reason, right relation of causes&effects, instead of god:

sāsavā puññabhāgiyā upadhivepakkā

• [saṅkhāra, kamma-bhava] right view depending on kilesa-vaṭṭa-paṭiccasamuppāda [kāma-āsava (kāma-upādāna), diṭṭhi-āsava (diṭṭhi-upādāna, sīlabata-upādāna), bhava-āsava (attavāda-upādāna), avijjā-āsava],
• right view that is kammavaṭṭa-paṭiccasamuppāda,
• right view that give vipākavaṭṭa-paṭiccasamuppāda.
  
  

1. atthi dinnaṃ [sukata­dukka­ṭā­naṃ kammānaṃ phalaṃ vipāko],

There is given-gift-action['s fruit and result of good and bad given-gift-actions].

2. atthi yiṭṭhaṃ [sukata­dukka­ṭā­naṃ kammānaṃ phalaṃ vipāko] ,

There is worshiped-action['s fruit and result of good and bad worshiped-actions].

3. atthi hutaṃ [sukata­dukka­ṭā­naṃ kammānaṃ phalaṃ vipāko],

There is given-oblation-action['s fruit and result of good and bad given-oblation-actions].

4. atthi sukata­dukka­ṭā­naṃ kammānaṃ phalaṃ vipāko,

There is fruit and result of good and bad actions.

5. atthi ayaṃ loko [sukata­dukka­ṭaṃ kammaṃ],

There is this-aggregate (=cause) [loka sutta].

6. atthi paro loko [phalaṃ vipāko],

There is another-aggregate (=effect).

7. atthi mātā [imā lokā sukata­dukka­ṭā kammāikā],

There are benefactor mother (=cause).

8. atthi pitā [imā lokā sukata­dukka­ṭā kammāikā],

There are benefactor father (=cause).

9. atthi [imā lokā sukata­dukka­ṭā] sattā opapātikā,

There are benefactor deva (such as died mother, died father).

10. atthi loke samaṇabrāhmaṇā sammaggatā sammāpaṭipannā ye imañca lokaṃ parañca lokaṃ sayaṃ abhiññā sacchikatvā pavedenti.

There are teachers who have done right path then have clearly viewed this-aggregate (=cause) and another-aggregate (=effect) by themselves.