The act of gambling as a hobby or a fun pastime activity is not really a new invention. It has been around for centuries, perhaps even millenniums, as people from all over the world were always interested in winning some money on the side if they can while having fun in the process. From primitive card and dice games to the complex betting and gambling strategies of today, these popular games changed over the years and adapted with the widespread of technology, mixing of cultures and traditions, and new types of games appearing.
Throughout all of this time however, there were always two confronting sides. One was all for gambling and this group was made of people who either provide gambling services to others or those who enjoy gambling. The other side was a more reserved and traditional kind made up of those who believe it is not a healthy way to spend time, money, and effort. This is more than natural as there are usually two sides and two types of people, one for and the other against. But with something that was so controversial, troublesome, and hard to regulate as gambling, things were a bit different.
When gambling is the matter at hand, things are so serious that the religions of the world have their views on it as well as guidelines for the believers. Most of them either condemned it during their long histories or considered it as a sin. Nowadays, gambling is a lucrative industry that is worth billions of dollars and that much cannot be disputed. However, dominant religions like Buddhism still have something to say about it, and if you are interested in what that may be you have come to the right place. Keep reading to find out and make sure to check out https://22bet.com/line/ for more information about gambling.
About Buddhism
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The religion known today as Buddhism is an Indian religion that dates back to the 6th century BC. This makes it one of the oldest religions in the world. What is more, it is the fourth largest religion right now with more than 520 million followers. That is over 7% of the global population, and the followers are known as Buddhists. It is a famous religion and even those who do not follow it generally know a lot about it thanks to its interesting history, culture, tradition, and practices.
The original practitioner of this belief was the legendary Siddhartha Gautama, also known as the Buddha. It is believed that he was born in either 563 BCE or 480 BCE, and died in either 483 BCE or 300 BCE. Buddha was many things including a philosopher, a meditator, a spiritual teacher, a religious leader, and a mendicant. He lived in what is today Nepal and India and is now considered to be the Enlightened One, the founder of Buddhism.
This religion is based on the four Noble Truths that are the pillars of its belief system. They include suffering, cause of suffering, cessation of suffering, and the Noble Eightfold Path. This path is comprised of eight points, including the right view, right thinking, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. At the first glance, these eight points make perfect sense for what would be considered a good and honest life, but it is hard to achieve this throughout one’s years on this planet. Despite looking to harsh, this religion is actually one of the most flexible and accepting religions nowadays, which is important for our topic.
What about Gambling?
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So what does the Buddha tell the followers of his belief system and are they allowed to wager money on their favorite games and activities? As you might expect, the answer is not that straightforward and cannot be answered with a simple “should you or should you not.” This being said, you will be happy to know that Siddhartha Gautama founded his great religion during the time in which all sorts of gambling were socially accepted in the Nepal of the time. The then-kingdom had numerous subjects who would practice gambling throughout their daily lives and it was more than okay.
The collection of sacred Buddhist scriptures and texts known as the Tripitaka gives us a lot of insight into the general understanding of gambling and its acceptance. These sacred documents clearly state what is acceptable and what may not be so we do not really have to dig deep in order to find out. In comparison to other great religions of the world that usually condemn the whole activity and deem it a sin, this is a lot more favorable for the Buddhist followers who happen to be gambling enthusiasts.
The texts say that the religion recognizes three distinct classes or types of gambling, mainly recreational, habitual, and addictive. Again, this makes perfect sense and it enough to let us know the standpoint from which they evaluated this issue. Of course, recreational gambling is perfectly acceptable and fine under the philosophy of the Buddhist religion. This was the way most people gambled back in the day when Gautama came up with the first concept of his religion. For example, betting as a hobby with friends or at work is harmless if it’s just for fun. If you’re a football fan, you could run a local football office pool using printable football squares from Doc’s. This is a wonderful option if you want to include everyone, even people who don’t know anything about football. Since it all comes down to the luck of the draw, all players have the same opportunity to win. Habitual gambling is also somewhat acceptable and not really a sin. However, addictive gambling is condemned, just like everywhere else, and it should be.
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Gautama says it best in one passage where he mentions the six dangers of gambling addiction. He claims that in winning, the person begets hatred while in losing they mourn the loss of wealth. Next, he states that their word not accepted in court and that they are even avoided by their friends and officials. Lastly, the addicted individual is not suitable for marriage because gamblers cannot properly support and help their partners and families.
A single thing Buddhism does not support when gambling is concerned is doing with to raise money for any sort of religious organization or cause. This is different from such religions like Judaism and Christianity for example, who have been known to use betting and gambling methods, especially lottery and bingo, as well as other means to finance causes related to local churches and various efforts in the communities overlooked and supported.
