-
I know nothing. -
I can relate, some people at work really do push me to the limits.
Bells and bows,
Chishou
Sat
Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkAsk not what the Sangha can do for you, but what you can do for your Sangha. -
Well, he should not have lost his temper ideally, but he is human. That is probably why he became a Buddhist.
I also see his point about people who come to temples as tourist attractions, and expect a hotel.
Mt. Koya is the home of Shingon Buddhism, the esoteric (very much like Tibetan Buddhism in its practices, although they are only cousins) of Buddhism that came about 500 years before Zen to Japan. It is a beautiful place, but also a great tourist destination for that reason. Another monk on that same mountain recently sued for being overworked, primarily because his duties consisted of taking care of the tourists.
Look, monks are not Buddha statues ... they are human beings who sometimes loose it. Me too and anyone under the right pressure. That is why we practice.
Gassho, Jundo
SatTodayLAHALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLEComment
-
Hi Jundo
I’ve never thought about this but reading the article you posted I was surprised to read that the monks are referred to as employees and the temples employers. Is that true is reality or are they using that employee/employer relationship as an example to illustrate their point?
They are asking for monetary compensation for working overtime but I was under the impression that joining a monestary was voluntary.
Just curious
Tairin
Sat todayLast edited by Tairin; 07-28-2018, 12:13 PM.泰林 - Tai Rin - Peaceful WoodsComment
-
As Jundo said, he's human just like all of us. I have said those words under my breathe many times when I'm at work, or dealing with my (sometimes selfish) kids. It's life, and why we all practice. =)
Gassho,
Joyo
sat today/lahComment
-
I have to say that made me giggle. There is a reason the Four Seasons Maui doesn’t employ Buddhist Monastics to serve their guests (I can’t swear that’s true but going out on a limb to assume it)
Could it be that the temple management is trying to have its cake and eat it too? That’s what you will get if you want income from tourists. The tourist industry and Buddhist practice are very different beasts! If they want to be a Monastery I would think they need to be very clear to visitors what is expected. If they want to be a tourist guest house then they need to deal with what comes along with that, namely, tourists.
Gassho
Jakuden
SatToday/LAH
Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkComment
-
This made my day. Thanks for sharing. :-D
Teachings within teachings; while the monk continues to practice, the tourists get a lesson in reconciling expectation with reality.
Everybody wins!
Gassho,
Hoko
SatToday/LAH法 Dharma
口 MouthComment
-
Did everyone who read the Guardian article send a contribution as requested. There's a precept involved that is easily overlooked when surfing the web.
Sat/Lah
(I'm greatful for the reminder to LAH)
Kyousui - strong waters 強 水Comment
-
Well, I think that the point here is that these monks have been so involved in the hotel and service side for these guests, that they have crossed over to being more hotel staff than monks. It does happen when some sites become tourist meccas.
A similar situation actually happened in the US, when Baker Roshi of the San Francisco Zen Center started the famous "Greens" restaurant in SF (fantastic restaurant, by the way, although no longer owned by SFZC), but the monks and other Sangha members who were the waiters and cooks never got to sleep, let alone practice Zazen! From reviews of the book "Shoes Outside the Door" ...
It is a fine line where the "practice and training" turns into just work and overwork. We must be careful.But all of this created great problems for the center. Financing such an extensive center meant that money was a constant problem. There is no history in the West of lay support for Buddhism. So business becomes an important part of the practice. Zen students become business men and women and workers. Zen slaves. Greens restaurant could be profitable because the Zen students who worked there were paid a pittance. And were told it was “work practice” and wanted it to believe it was “work practice”. Washing dishes, sweeping the floor, serving as waiters, chopping vegetables, working long, long hours. So long that zazen becomes difficult. ... They’re told it’s a Zen tradition, samu. Zen monasteries always had “work practice”, strived to be self-sufficient. So Zen Center students received monthly stipends (not wages) of $75 to $300 (in 1979) ... Zen students staffed these businesses and referred to themselves as “Zen slaves.” They received extremely modest stipends, had no time to meditate, and supported the three practice centers with the profits from their businesses. None of them had health insurance, and none could afford to live anywhere but in Zen Center-subsidized housing.
Gassho, J
STLahLast edited by Jundo; 07-29-2018, 12:20 AM.ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLEComment
-
This discussion very much reminds me of Matthew Polly's book, American Shaolin. In it he describes how the Shaolin Temple is basically a money making tourist destination and the monks have been transformed into "performance monks" who admittedly do not even practice Buddhism anymore. This and some of the scandals of the recent abbot embroiled in have caused a great deal of criticism.
Gassho
Ishin
Sat Today/lahGrateful for your practiceComment
-
We have to be careful here of the Precept on Not Criticizing the faults of other Buddhists ...
However, I feel that there is also a fine line here. When the criticism is meant as constructive, and may be a legitimate discussion of a problem or failing in the wider Sangha, I believe that positive discussion is possible. So, We can talk about these things openly.
Yes, there have been criticisms of the use of certain temples and sites for commercial purposes, such as Shao-lin.
Money, Lust and Kung Fu: Shaolin’s ‘C.E.O. Monk’ Is Under Fire
More here ...
Gassho, JOver the past week, much of the nation has been transfixed by salacious allegations that the famed abbot, Shi Yongxin, known as China’s C.E.O. Monk for transforming Shaolin into a global commercial empire, is a swindler and serial philanderer who secretly fathered children with two of his lovers, vows of celibacy notwithstanding.
The accusations — new tidbits have appeared almost daily in the Chinese news media — are mostly based on documents released by a self-described former monk at the temple who says the abbot owns a small fleet of fancy cars, has embezzled millions of dollars from a temple-run corporation and has funneled some of the cash to a mistress now living in Australia.
Beyond the obvious legal repercussions, the abbot’s apparent lust for women, money and bling runs counter to the virtues of chastity and austere living that he has long sought to personify as one of the most prominent figures in Chinese Buddhism. To his growing legion of critics, the scandal has heightened public cynicism about a society in which greed and crass materialism often seem to trump morality, especially among those in positions of power.
SatTodayLAHALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLEComment
-
We occasionally had guests stay over at soin. I cant picture anyone losing their cool enough to be angry in the presence of guests. Poor guy must have been under a lot of stress.
Gassho
Rosui
stLast edited by Rosui; 07-29-2018, 05:23 AM.Comment
-
I so agree, and my discussion/ concern is more the broader issue of historical Buddhist sites being transformed into profit centers. I will say in some countries, specifically China this problem is not isolated to Buddhist sites. My Kung Fu style goes back 5 generations to Kui Mi village in China, North of Hong Kong. Several years ago, some enthusiasts decided they were going to restore the original training hall; which they did with their own resources. As soon as they finished, some Chinese official appeared charging admittance to the building.We have to be careful here of the Precept on Not Criticizing the faults of other Buddhists ...
However, I feel that there is also a fine line here. When the criticism is meant as constructive, and may be a legitimate discussion of a problem or failing in the wider Sangha, I believe that positive discussion is possible. So, We can talk about these things openly.
Yes, there have been criticisms of the use of certain temples and sites for commercial purposes, such as Shao-lin.
Money, Lust and Kung Fu: Shaolin’s ‘C.E.O. Monk’ Is Under Fire
More here ...
Gassho, J
SatTodayLAH
Gassho
Ishin
Sat today/lahGrateful for your practiceComment
-
Wow I never realized this kind of thing was going on, and even happened here in the U.S. Another grey zone, as so many things pertaining to religious institutions. And yes another example of how the precepts need to be practiced carefully and skillfully at all times—this could be viewed as stealing from others under the pretense of teaching.
Gassho
Jakuden
SatToday/LAH
Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkComment
-
One day you wake up, you realize "oh what the heck is going on here?". I feel these monks are being criticized by our standards of what they should be, as being a Buddhist monastic is seen a "glamorous". Even I have limits, I try to look deeply into the causes of anger. I was reading about the symptoms of 'overstress' where it becomes difficult to focus as we multi-task. Our culture is "on-the-go", I regularily see job descriptions in my job search that emphasize the importance of multi-tasking. A low-stress tolerance comes from trying to balance too much. Anxiety is felt by people who feel like they are overwhelmed, restless, hyperactive, or need to make excuses to avoid a person or situation. My problem is when I'm required to split my attention, but there is something causing overwhelm, that has to do with a sensory or attentional issue.
As a former "kitchen slave", I lost motivation to eat a single meal, even as it was prepared for fear of falling behind on the massive workload. There were not enough slices of me to go around! The result was feeling as if I had lost it, idolizing and thinking about worst case scenarios! Some people are talented multi-taskers, while it's difficult for me to concentrate on more than one thing at once. I don't like to feel underprepared, interrupted in my personal space, put into a surprise situation, or like I've been underestimated. People who lose their patience with me, I find the most difficult to forgive. What is made difficult in my practice of Zen is to forgive the others who have done me wrong, even letting go of my regrets.
I enjoy making lists, so long as I follow patterns and routines that are manageable, they can be measured in the time it takes and the quality it produces. This is how I wrote the 'technical' section of my resume after being a dishwasher:
TECHNICAL
• Create efficient systems or procedures to enhance productivity to accomplish priorities.
• Solve problems through logic, catching errors, and provide in-depth analysis.
• Trustworthy to work independently through setting high standards of professionalism.
I am careful to avoid situations, where I may put myself in danger of being misunderstood, because of my learning disability. I avoid job ads that warn me about loud noises, artificial lights, and regular interuptions. Since my job as a job seeker is to sell myself well, I feel like it's important to test my imposter syndrome. I like the image of the Sean who is handy at everything, I don't like being around people who supervise me and tell me what to do. As I've practiced zazen, I've become closer to myself than I've ever been. It's true I don't always love myself, because there is times where I feel like I don't hold up to standards. I find it difficult to pay attention to a conversation, even when someone is talking to me, likewise reading a book at night.
Our brains have developed to pay selective attention to one thing in the midst of many things that can be attended to. If I'm working in the dishpit, I hear someone call my name over the intercom to come upstairs to take care of the hot table, I will tune into the sound of the voice. The echoes of their voice will resonate in my mind, all while I'm supposed to be listening to another person. This is known as the "cocktail effect", where a person reorients themselves to the sound of anothers voice during a party, possibly a tired girlfriend who's had enough, while you are having a good time talking to Jack, your friend you haven't seen since high school.
I feel for the perople who worked in Greens restaurant, they worked very hard. I have even treated my work as a kitchen assistant as samu, with the mindset that I'm cultivating mindfulness and wisdom from taking pleasure in simple things. There comes a time when nourishing that mindset gets difficult, the line cooks need a break from being in the heat, and the servers got off from studying for exams. Indeed, I have lived like them under simple circumstances where I've cared for people with addictions, mental disorders, and illness. Even when I have to carry the weight of being the one who is responsible for making the show go on, there needs to be a sangha, people who motivate and encourage you to practice."May I be a flashlight to all beings living in life's dreary and despicable basement" - Sean C.T.Comment
Comment