[Buddha-l] Making a living

[Wong Weng Fai]

On Wed, 13 Feb 2008, Franz Metcalf wrote:
> I agree with you, Weng Fai, if you mean that the means here is art or 
> preaching and the end is getting on with real life. But I hope you don't mean 
> that if the end is spreading the dharma, and the practice of that provides 
> support for real life, that too is not genuine. That is too high a standard 
> as someone, somewhere, must foot the bill for the real life of those 
> spreading the dharma.

Life is rarely black-and-white. I guess even genuinity is a gradation. 
Worse, it is constantly varying. At times, for example, I find myself 
more genuine and at times, not.

I am certainly not adverse to the idea of making a living by propagating 
the Dharma. In fact I think it IS a right livelihood (being a harpoon 
gunner on the Japanese whaling fleet is *NOT*) - provided it is not taken 
to the extremes, such as the filthy rich TV evangelists in America with 
their lavish lifestyle.

Having said that, there are certainly, as you admitted, potential 
conflicts of interest. I guess the way out is to set one's motivation 
straight and act in moderation.

What irks me are those who are do the above and then expect to be 
treated with the same veneration as members of the Bhikkhu and Bhikkhuni 
Sangha. In the wider sense, we are all members of the Buddhist Sangha but 
(called me a fundamentalist if you like) to me the ideal and commitment of 
the Bhikkhu and Bhikkhuni Sangha (though sadly often not met in reality) 
goes beyond the material value of Dharma propagation. So a renowned lay 
preacher (or professor of Buddhism) is different from a monk sweeping the 
floor in a mountain monastery. I treat them both with respect but of 
different kinds. Even though the latter may be far less knowledgeable (or 
even practiced) than the former, while I would warmly shake the hand of 
the former, I would bow my head to the latter.

Weng-Fai