Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Buddhism and R-Rated Movies

I don't let my daughters watch R-Rated movies.  Their ages are 3, 6, and 8.  Truthfully, I'm not even sure they're aware of R-Rated movies yet.

When I was a kid, there was a time I wasn't allowed to watch R-Rated movies either.  I don't ever remember there being a hard and fast rule.  But it was understood that there were some things I wasn't supposed to see.

One evening, I was home alone.  I turned on the TV, and Arachnophobia was on.  (I just went back and rewatched the trailer.  ...I was freaked out by a John Goodman/ Jeff Daniels movie?)

I shouldn't have watched that.  Did I run up to my room and pull the covers over my head?  Maybe...  Did I think that maybe there were spiders under the blanket and jump back out of the bed?  ...Maybe...

Why wasn't I allowed to watch R-Rated movies as a kid?  Why don't I show my daughters R-Rated movies?  And what does this have to do with Buddhism?

If you were in class today, you should be able to answer all of that.  If you weren't you could at least discuss the first two questions.

If you're struggling, think about what Siddhartha Guatama saw on his walk.  Think about the way he was raised.  Those hints should move you along.

You could earn a little extra credit if you read and discussed the blog with an adult.  If you've done this, write a couple sentence about your discussion.  Am I right to keep my kids from seeing R-Rated movies?  What about Siddharta's parents?  At what point should they grow up?  Is that a choice I have any control over?  Do you feel like you've grown up?  What does this have to do with suffering?

Once you write out your thoughts, have the adult you've read and discussed the blog with sign the paper.  Turn it in tomorrow.  (Double check, make sure your name is on it.)

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