Question

milestones, pp. 188-189

1. do all buddhists practice the same milestone rituals? explain

1. what do buddhist parents do with their children at the age of one month?

1. what is a

ovice\ and what do they do?

1. describe the first stage of becoming a buddhist monk.

1. what is the second and final stage of becoming a buddhist monk, and at what age may someone enter it?

why do buddhist monks shave their head?

Explanation:

These questions relate to Buddhist religious practices and traditions. The subfield of Religion (under Social Science) is the most appropriate as it deals with the study of religious beliefs, rituals, and practices.

For question 1: Different Buddhist traditions (e.g., Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana) have variations in milestone rituals due to cultural and regional influences. So not all Buddhists practice the same milestone rituals.

For question 2: Buddhist parents often perform a "one - month - old" ceremony (sometimes called a rice - feeding ceremony or a naming ceremony in some traditions). They may present the child to the Buddha, offer prayers, and sometimes have a ceremony where the child is introduced to Buddhist teachings or symbols in a simple way.

For question 3: A "novice" (in Buddhism, often called a "samanera" in Theravada) is a young person who has entered the Buddhist monastic order but has not yet taken full ordination. Novices follow a set of precepts (fewer than fully ordained monks/nuns), study Buddhist scriptures, engage in meditation, and perform monastic duties like helping with temple chores, learning from senior monastics.

For question 4: The first stage of becoming a Buddhist monk (for Theravada as an example) is becoming a novice (samanera). Typically, a child or young person (often around 7 - 20 years old, depending on the tradition) expresses the desire to enter the monastery. They go through a ceremony where they receive the novice precepts, have their head shaved (a symbol of renunciation), and start living in the monastery, learning Buddhist teachings, meditation, and monastic discipline.

For question 5: The second and final stage of becoming a Buddhist monk (in Theravada, "bhikkhu" ordination) is full ordination. In Theravada, one can enter this stage at the age of 20 (though there are some exceptions in different traditions). At this stage, the monk takes the full set of monastic precepts (usually 227 for Theravada monks) and is fully committed to the monastic life, engaging in more in - depth study, meditation, and teaching.

For the last question: Buddhist monks shave their heads as a symbol of renunciation. It represents letting go of worldly attachments (including attachment to one's appearance), and it also has practical aspects like simplicity in monastic life and following the example of the Buddha (who is said to have shaved his head when he renounced the world).

Answer:

1. No, different Buddhist traditions (e.g., Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana) have variations in milestone rituals due to cultural and regional influences.
2. Buddhist parents often perform a ceremony (e.g., a rice - feeding or naming ceremony), present the child to the Buddha, offer prayers, and introduce the child to Buddhist symbols/teachings.
3. A novice (e.g., "samanera" in Theravada) is a young person in the Buddhist monastic order (not fully ordained). Novices follow precepts, study scriptures, meditate, and perform monastic duties.
4. The first stage is becoming a novice (samanera). A young person (often 7 - 20 years old) enters the monastery, receives novice precepts, has the head shaved, and starts learning Buddhist teachings, meditation, and monastic discipline.
5. The second and final stage is full ordination (e.g., "bhikkhu" in Theravada). In Theravada, one may enter it at age 20 (with some tradition - specific exceptions).

Buddhist monks shave their heads as a symbol of renunciation (letting go of worldly attachments) and for practical simplicity in monastic life, following the Buddha's example.