Here is an article I wrote on
Why Halloween is Bad According To Classical Theravada.
I wonder if this was convincing for any of our members?
I wonder if there are any disputes of what was written?
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You make some good points, but i think some of them are exaggerated.
I 100% agree do NOT ever dress up like a monk if you are not one. But i dont think its fair to compare someone who dresses as a monk as a halloween costume and one who pretends to be a monk to get alms food from the lay following. The intent is just radically different, albeit unwholesome either way.
Acting is bad yes, and the entertainment industry is generally not a right livelihood. But theres a difference between someone who legit acts like a pirate who steals for a living and someone who just dresses in an innocent pirate costume to go to a party. Again, i think the point is right, but its not fair to compare those two intentions.
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You have to read carefully. I say that in next life, one can end up that way. Then the “real” bad kamma can happen.
I also mention that it inspires real people to imitate real things that were “acted” out in films as a role model.
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I see. and your right, its not harmless. but the chances are pretty negligible for someone who dresses up in a simple dog costume and acts normally as opposed to someone who legit plays the part and acts like a real dog like in the sutta mentioned. But yes, you are right, it is a generally unwholesome holiday since some people will indeed act the part and run that risk. and the emphasis on dressing up and playing “demonic” parts like vampires or evil clowns amps that overall unwholesomeness up quite a bit.
The Buddha said not to look lightly on any type of deed.
I try to have my advice to be the safest and most strict, like a doctor or lawyer would tell his clients.
For a car raffle:
If you buy many tickets, you have a chance of getting the car.
If you buy one ticket you have a very small chance of getting the car.
If you buy no tickets, you have absolutely no chance of getting the car.
When one speaks publicly or in a website, the teachings are there for many people. It is like many raffle tickets. One has to be careful. While one reader might have a rare chance, when that multiplies by many thousand, then a problem could occur for one person. At that point, I have a problem for giving such advice.
For that reason, the advice to stay clear from any wrong deed is safest.
Furthermore, this whole article was inspired because of the recent Halloween deaths in Seoul. There are three things that can increase the chances for future life.
- Heaviness
- Frequency
- Proximity to death moment.
So I feel really bad for these people who died and how they died. I don’t know the details but I saw the headline which is enough. The next life for them is unknown, but probably not so good. Karma is not fair.
Dressing up as a monk is very dangerous and should not even be contemplated let alone done for a few hours. Speaking of which, I saw a person on Facebook that I met in Hawai’i dressed as a pregnant catholic nun. It seems that they sell costumes for this. It seems harmless to them, but I sorry to say it is not harmless and quite bad actually.
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Correct. Even a trifling bad deed matters. And if we are to pursue parami diligently, even the most trifling deed is something we should be aware of. So yeah. You’re right in that sense. Like if something typically heals in 3 weeks the doctor will say avoid strenuous activity for 4 weeks.
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Hmm… What about those wearing robes, go for “candies” and honor from house to house, and love to do so by scaring “children”? …trick (agree) or (I) treat…
Good to always reflect the purpose of one’s lend flag of the Arahats, otherwise hell-o-ween.
But always good to remember the law of “trick or treat”, skillfull or downwardly.
Also good to remember that certain all common joy and entertainment isn’t skilful at all and what ever increases or relays on increasing aversion, greed, delusion, and also fear, as funny and demo-crazy it might delight, leads one downwardly.
Even if in robes, around with intention to make others to honor and respect, one might still celebrate just hell-o-ween, goes after trick-or-treat.
Right? “trick-or-treat”
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Yes bhante, I have heard a monk preaching that one should not ommit daily Buddha-Vandana since it daily increases the number/ frequency of a faithful and easy to remind wholesome kamma.
Yes. Even the laughter is well analysed into six types in the Atthakatha that only the first three types are shared by both kusala and akusala cittas I think. Last three are done always with an akusala citta.
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Simple and powerful teaching, Bhante. Thank you for the article.
I have seen people openly express their wish on online social platform such as reddit - want to be treated like a dog or acting like one. This reminds me of the sutta reference you posted in the OP. And there is a prevalent view on internet says “all dogs go to heaven” (maybe due to the popular culture, the movie). And this is certainly a wrong view.
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I posted that post on Theravada and Buddhism reddit, and then I remembered why I stopped.
I took care of dogs on a 6 million dollar estate. They got grass fed hamburger in the morning and organic dry food at night.
The owner said he wanted to be a dog. He does not know the real dog life most dogs live.
I told my Kaua’i Thai lady Dayakas about these dogs. I told them they give good dana, but if they don’t follow sila, they could be dogs in wealthy houses. First generation Thai ladies know what dog life means. They were scared… at least for the moment I told them. 
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