I often see people calling most venerable monks from the past by name and it is disrespectful. If they could call living venerables by respectful tittles why not the most venerable monks from the past; using tero (thero) will not be that difficult. However, it may be a regular practice in scholary articles to use only the name. But in a forum like this the tradition can possibly be changed(?). (Here I was to point the community not the forum itself, never wanted to ask about changing the rules and regulations)
I would suggest to read about them to get some saddha over those the most senior bhikkus.
I am going to mention only few bhikkus from the past.
Some people (even monastics) call Sariputta Tero and Moggallana Tero by name. They are called mother and father in the sÄsana.
SÄriputta is just like the mother who gives birth.
SeyyathÄpi, bhikkhave, janetÄ, evaáč sÄriputto;
while MoggallÄna is like the one who raises the child.
seyyathÄpi jÄtassa ÄpÄdetÄ, evaáč moggallÄno.
(Saccavibhaáč ga Sutta MN 141).
I saw some people call Mahakassapa Tero by name. He is the moon in this sÄsana patipadÄ.
Kassapa approaches families like the moon:
Kassapo, bhikkhave, candĆ«pamo kulÄni upasaáč kamati (CandĆ«pamÄ Sutta SN 16.3).
Then one of the most famous writers in the buddhist history, Buddhagosha Tero. People call him only by name. This is because of the scholary articles. I think we should reconsider this!
The Buddha adviced Ananda Tero how bhikkus should call eachother in pirinbbana mancaka.
YathÄ kho panÄnanda, etarahi bhikkhĆ« aññamaññaáč ÄvusovÄdena samudÄcaranti, na kho mamaccayena evaáč samudÄcaritabbaáč. Theratarena, Änanda, bhikkhunÄ navakataro bhikkhu nÄmena vÄ gottena vÄ ÄvusovÄdena vÄ samudÄcaritabbo. Navakatarena bhikkhunÄ therataro bhikkhu âBhanteâti vÄ âÄyasmÄâti vÄ samudÄcaritabbo
(TathÄgatapacchimavÄcÄ)After my passing, mendicants ought not address each other as âreverendâ, as they do today. A more senior mendicant ought to address a more junior mendicant by name or clan, or by saying âreverendâ. A more junior mendicant ought to address a more senior mendicant using âsirâ or âvenerableâ. (The Buddhaâs Last Words DN16)
The question is about paying respect to the teachers from the past.
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