[Buddha-l] Re: Buddhism and dana, church and charity

[Michael LaTorra]

Hi Sally,
Here in southern New Mexico, USA, our Zen Center of Las Cruces / Daibutsuji 
Zen Temple, is quite small but we do some charity work. First I'll expalin 
something about us, then tell you about our charitable work.

Our organization consists of 3 physical locations: 2 private residences in the 
mountains (about 40 miles from Las Cruces) where sesshins and/or Sunday 
morning meditation services are held, and 1 "downtown" location in a rented 
apartment where Monday night services are held, as are some sesshins and other 
events. We have 5 priests altogether, including our founding roshi who is now 
retired and his ordained wife, also retired. So in effect we have only 3, 
including myself.

Weekly attendance at our services (exlcuding priests) ranges from 3 to 7 
people -- and it's not always the same people. Our receipt of dana is, on 
average over the course of a year, approximately equal to our expenses; and 
that's only because our landlady is renting us the apartment we use as the Zen 
Center for about 1/8th of its true market value.

In terms of charity, we have taught meditation and donated books for the 
local "youth correctional facility" (jail for teenaged offenders), given cash 
to indigents (we are in a very poor neighborhood), and participated in "Walk 
for the Cure" events to raise money for cancer research. One of our mountain 
priests, who is a Vietnam veteran and a psychologist, has hosted dinners in 
his home for troubled veterans in the area. (Quite a few veterans who are 
afflicted with post-traumatic stress syndrome have settled in mountain cabins 
and live like hermits.)

So although we are small, we do a fair amount of charitable work for the 
community, I believe.

Regards,

Michael LaTorra

mlatorra at nmsu.edu

Department of English
New Mexico State University
MSC 3E
PO Box 30001
Las Cruces, NM 88003



Quoting Sally McAra <s.mcara at auckland.ac.nz>:

> Benito Carral wrote:
> 
> >On Tuesday, March 8, 2005, Richard P. Hayes wrote:
> >
> >  
> >
> >>Are  American  Buddhists pretty much indistinguishable from American
> >>Protestants?  
> >>    
> >>
> >
> >Maybe I should start saying that Buddhism in
> >Spain  in a disaster (although I have seen similar approaches in other
> >countries  too).  
> >
> >  
> >
> Hi there,
> I'm in New Zealand doing a PhD (I'm an occasional reader of Buddha-L 
> postings... - check the link after my signature to see what I do). I 
> might also call myself a Buddhist, except that I think about the 
> different ways the word can be (mis) interpreted and hesitate.
> 
> Re the discussion of church and charity - I am also interested in the 
> idea of "Protestant Buddhism" as it has been developed to think about 
> how "converts" (I'm using this term very crudely to distinguish from an 
> equally crude and problematic "immigrant" Buddhism) practice Buddhism, 
> influenced by their own cultural backgrounds.
>  I don't quite know what Benito means by Buddhism being a "disaster" in 
> Spain ...do you mean it is more "navel-gazing" than compassion in action?
> 
> By the by, I'm just wondering what people on the list think as to how 
> much difference it makes if a convert Buddhist has atheist or Catholic 
> or Protestant or Jewish (or various other options) origins, and if so if 
> this would influence the kind of Buddhism they are attracted to 
> (Tibetan, Zen, innovative vs traditionalist etc)?
> 
> By my own observation that seems to be less relevant than other things 
> such as being fairly well-off, middle-class or "elite", educated, 
> liberal progressive background. I think many Buddhists (like Evelyn) do 
> give quite generously of time and money to charitable organisations, 
> without being *seen* to do so because they don't do so via their 
> Buddhist organization (if u see what I mean). Certainly I do that 
> myself, choosing to give time and money to Amnesty International and 
> some local environmental organizations (promoting bicycling as 
> sustainable transport, see www.can.org.nz).
> 
> Is there any point in trying to persuade my local Buddhist centre to do 
> those things.. I can see they are busy trying to run meditation & Dharma 
> classes etc; also for all I know the individuals who go there give way 
> more than I do, but they do so privately... But what do you think - 
> should Buddhists try to get their *organizations* doing such things??? 
> The trouble is, most Buddhist organizations themselves have been set up 
> to teach certain kinds of practices (meditation and Dharma study) not 
> charitable work. Does this mean such organizations are set up to be 
> selfish and should reinvent themselves? Or is it best to keep things as 
> they are, with individuals keeping "church and charity" separate?
> 
> Cheers
> Sally
> 
> -- 
> Sally McAra
> PhD candidate
> Department of Anthropology 
> The University of Auckland
> Private Bag 92019
> Auckland 1001
> New Zealand
> http://www.arts.auckland.ac.nz/ant/Student%
20Details/StudentPages/SallyMcara.htm
> 
> 
> 
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