Can Buddhist monks date women?

Question:

Is this not allowed in Buddhist monks? Are they all celibate?

(I ask because I overheard someone say she dated a monk once who lived in a temple in Japan.. how is this possible?)

Answer:

Traditional Buddhist monks (and nuns) follow the Vinaya, a set of precepts developed by the Buddha that govern monastic life. Among the precepts are rules that forbid monks (and nuns) have any sexual contact or romantic relationship with other people.

However . . . in Japan, for various cultural reasons, the Buddhist clergy decided not to follow the Vinaya. Rather, Japanese "monks" take 16 precepts and thus are permitted to date, get married, and have sexual relations.

From the perspective of the broader Buddhist world, Japanese "monks" are not monks at all . . . more like priests.