I write with great regret about issues such as this. Often we hear about bogus monks etc....now commercialisation of Buddha Dharma is very common.
A case in hand is Bright Hill Monastery, which for the past many decades have been leading a good example in spreading the Dharma in Singapore.
It is most disturbing that in recent years they have increased sponsorships amounts (almost double-fold) in their events and restricting participation. Unless one forks up more cash out front, it has become near impossible for people who wish to learn Buddhism and hear the dharma without relating to monetary sponsorship.
Recently, even to learn the Heart Sutra and Buddhist teachings, the temple charges a fee for all who wants to hear the dharma.
I can agree if skill courses that the temple organises such as vegetarian cooking , flower arrangements , taichi, yoga ...all these activities related to well being and skills can be charged to cover costs.
However, charging fees for the learning of Buddha Dharma and participation in puja have restricted these activities to the rich and wealthy.
What has become of a leading Asia monastery, behaving like a multinational profiteering organisation, where marshalls for events are outsourced to contractors, paying them salaries etc.
On the issue of human resource, the temple has more than 200 salaried staff, whereas the temple is only active on certain days for special events.
I am deeply concerned over this recent commercialisation, and worry that other leading temples may follow suit.
Could Buddhist Channel TV, have a discussion and thoughts on these developments?
I find it degrading where one needs to pay a fee to listen to recordings of sutra recitation and attend Dharma classes.
I wonder what Kong Meng San Monastery has to say regarding this matter. They are one of the most financially well off temple in Singapore.
Why is there a need to pay a fee to listen to Dharma lectures? It is certainly not that they cannot afford to sponsor the cost of course materials or some nominal fees to the volunteer lecturers. I believe this practice of charging participants for attending dharma classes have being going on for years now.
This is the trend, Brighthill temple is not the only dharma people doing so. Although it probably spawn it because I noticed that quite a few groups have cut their teeth volunteering there with the Mani retreat etc.
I believe Kong Meng San Monastery do not charge a fee on other Buddhist groups using their facilities. If it is these groups using Bright Hill premises that are levying a charge to cover their cost for conducting activities there; then it would be best that Bright Hill Temple comes out to clarify the whole issue instead of allowing this kind of misunderstanding to develop giving a bad impression for the temple and Buddhism as a whole.
We need more information. For one thing, were the fees required because there were now course materials provided?
From what i know, it could be due to electricity billl? General maintenace etc... unless we got the breakdown of the cost
More to commercialization of Buddhism in Singapore
The Buddhist Channel, Singapore, March 17, 2014
We are also regular readers ot Buddhist Channel, and we read with full agreement about "Commercialization of Buddhism in Singapore" written by one of your reader.
Reading the response from KONG MENG SAN MONASTERY, I quote the paragraph as follows :
“All prayers at all halls, except the Inner Shrine (which are NOT FREE) of The Grand Puja that Blesses All Beings conducted annually by the monastery are also open to public to participate freely."
Based on their reply, it is admitted that these Dharma based activities are not free.
Few years ago, many of my friends and myself were turned away at the temple when we attempted to attend this Puja. We were told that we needed to pay to enter the shrines. Paid members get special passes, by class categories before admission.
Why the exhorbitant charges to enter the Inner Shrine if one wants to earnestly join the Puja? What is this rationale?
Did Amitahba and Other Buddhas of the past, Boddhisattvas, charge a fee to listen to the DharmaorattendmorningPuja's?
If someone do not have money, can she join in the Puja? Or will she be turned away? Clearly the temple do not know much about a Jataka story where a devotee cut her hair so that she could buy oil to light a lamp. It was her oil lamp that burnt the brightest.
Practice from the heart that costs nothing. Taking advantage of wealthy Singaporeans, I suppose, is the only rationale for such charges.
And why the need to define "Inner Shrine"? I do no know much about Mahayana Buddhism, but can any reader enlightment us, on these charges for Pujas? May be the Abbot have a clear answer for these?
How much are being charged to enter the Inner Shrines? We hear that its from as low as $ 1,000 per person, up to as much as hundreds of thousands. And what about the status of category for Dharma chanting listed by color codes? Are they indicator of how much a person has paid?
So if my family of 8 (wife, 2 kids and my 2 parents ) were to join the such pujas at $1000 per person, I would have to fork out $ 8000 minimum to join such puja. If this is not commercialisation, then may we ask what is?
Did Buddha teaches based on "Class of Category" in offering of Pujas? Buddha taught us give give up everything, be selfless. How ironic.
Also with the increased entry fees to join PUJAs, there are limits to entry pass was reduced by half to such prayer events ?
Can the KONG MEN SANG Monastery show a record history of how fees are charged by number of times over the past years and also restricting devotees allocation to puja?
In addition, the monastery also produces various quality Dharma publications that are distributed freely to members of the public to read and learn more about the Dharma. Many of these, we understand, are often paid via donations of devotees, inviting devotees.
It is also open secret the monks in monastery in ther annual alms day are given the best as offering, for examples robes costing more that $ 120 and give Tee shirts costing like $ 20 or more each, totalling each few hundreds.
Why are such necesscities becoming a branded items an issue in alms giving? Giving the novice monks the bests in brands, branded bands, branded clothing, and branded food stuff?
Are we leading them in the wrong directions or worldly materialisation and greeds?
Didn't Buddha teach us to dress in robes, made from dye of tree barks, and accept non-monetary alms?
Even engaging services of private companies for traffic directions of festivals? Certainly this can do good with volunteers right?
Other Singapore Buddhists organisations garner 2,000 to 100,000 participants open fully to public at Singapore Expo, without a single cent to participate too. Bring your heart and mind is all it takes.
We may laugh at Christians churches scamming and skimming from their church members, but unfortunately so is Buddhism in Singapore.
My wife is a christian, and always I have tried to invite her to Buddhist temples and often we debate over such commercialisation of both Churches and Temples. She said at least the bible indicate 10% of tithes are to be given back to Church.
Monkey see monkey do. No wonder many temples are equating money with faith.
Aloysius Teng & Family
Phobe Fong & Family
Ananda Naritha & Family
Di Vissantha & Family
Parritha & Family
All dharma groups charge, let them all charge. These groups and even Kong Meng San can charge - let the "market" decide. It is just people continue to want to pay, and these groups have capitalise on this human nature. If the aim of these people who organises dharma event is to make money - for whatever reasons - then it is up to them. Let karma prevail. If the dharma dies in their hands, let it be. I have decided not to be a monkey anymore. Just hear what is free, and give from one's heart.
Originally posted by Aik TC:
More to commercialization of Buddhism in Singapore
The Buddhist Channel, Singapore, March 17, 2014
We are also regular readers ot Buddhist Channel, and we read with full agreement about "Commercialization of Buddhism in Singapore" written by one of your reader.
Reading the response from KONG MENG SAN MONASTERY, I quote the paragraph as follows :
“All prayers at all halls, except the Inner Shrine (which are NOT FREE) of The Grand Puja that Blesses All Beings conducted annually by the monastery are also open to public to participate freely."
Based on their reply, it is admitted that these Dharma based activities are not free.
Few years ago, many of my friends and myself were turned away at the temple when we attempted to attend this Puja. We were told that we needed to pay to enter the shrines. Paid members get special passes, by class categories before admission.Why the exhorbitant charges to enter the Inner Shrine if one wants to earnestly join the Puja? What is this rationale?
Did Amitahba and Other Buddhas of the past, Boddhisattvas, charge a fee to listen to the DharmaorattendmorningPuja's?
If someone do not have money, can she join in the Puja? Or will she be turned away? Clearly the temple do not know much about a Jataka story where a devotee cut her hair so that she could buy oil to light a lamp. It was her oil lamp that burnt the brightest.Practice from the heart that costs nothing. Taking advantage of wealthy Singaporeans, I suppose, is the only rationale for such charges.
And why the need to define "Inner Shrine"? I do no know much about Mahayana Buddhism, but can any reader enlightment us, on these charges for Pujas? May be the Abbot have a clear answer for these?
How much are being charged to enter the Inner Shrines? We hear that its from as low as $ 1,000 per person, up to as much as hundreds of thousands. And what about the status of category for Dharma chanting listed by color codes? Are they indicator of how much a person has paid?
So if my family of 8 (wife, 2 kids and my 2 parents ) were to join the such pujas at $1000 per person, I would have to fork out $ 8000 minimum to join such puja. If this is not commercialisation, then may we ask what is?
Did Buddha teaches based on "Class of Category" in offering of Pujas? Buddha taught us give give up everything, be selfless. How ironic.Also with the increased entry fees to join PUJAs, there are limits to entry pass was reduced by half to such prayer events ?
Can the KONG MEN SANG Monastery show a record history of how fees are charged by number of times over the past years and also restricting devotees allocation to puja?
In addition, the monastery also produces various quality Dharma publications that are distributed freely to members of the public to read and learn more about the Dharma. Many of these, we understand, are often paid via donations of devotees, inviting devotees.
It is also open secret the monks in monastery in ther annual alms day are given the best as offering, for examples robes costing more that $ 120 and give Tee shirts costing like $ 20 or more each, totalling each few hundreds.
Why are such necesscities becoming a branded items an issue in alms giving? Giving the novice monks the bests in brands, branded bands, branded clothing, and branded food stuff?
Are we leading them in the wrong directions or worldly materialisation and greeds?Didn't Buddha teach us to dress in robes, made from dye of tree barks, and accept non-monetary alms?
Even engaging services of private companies for traffic directions of festivals? Certainly this can do good with volunteers right?
Other Singapore Buddhists organisations garner 2,000 to 100,000 participants open fully to public at Singapore Expo, without a single cent to participate too. Bring your heart and mind is all it takes.
We may laugh at Christians churches scamming and skimming from their church members, but unfortunately so is Buddhism in Singapore.My wife is a christian, and always I have tried to invite her to Buddhist temples and often we debate over such commercialisation of both Churches and Temples. She said at least the bible indicate 10% of tithes are to be given back to Church.
Monkey see monkey do. No wonder many temples are equating money with faith.
Aloysius Teng & Family
Phobe Fong & Family
Ananda Naritha & Family
Di Vissantha & Family
Parritha & Family
I think the puja in question is the "Grand Prayer that Blesses and Benefits all Sentient Beings", or "水陆法会“ in Chinese (literally means Puja of Land and Water). Its tradition dates back to Liang dynasty, when it was commissioned by Emperor Liang"
See
http://media.kmspks.org/uncategorized/water-and-land-great-festival
and in Chinese
http://baike.baidu.com/view/49829.htm
The puja is a very large scale one. The whole ceremony lasts 7 days and 7 nights of chanting of various important texts, and is divided into 7 altars or shrines. There is an inner shrine and 6 outer shrines, and they require 59 Bhikkus to lead the chanting in all 7 shrines. Other helpers are needed to help out with reception, cooking, admin, etc, and close to 100 people in total are required to organize such a large scale puja. Furthermore for the puja, for all 7 shrines, there needs to be many offerings such as oil lamps, flowers, fruits, vegetarian food, etc, and need to be replenished everyday for 7 days.
The cost of organizing such a grand puja is huge, considering the costs of tentage, the large amount of offerings required, and the amount of manpower involved. Typically (and historically), the cost of all 7 shrines are borne by a few sponsors from the laity for benefit of everyone who wishes to participate in the puja.
The reason why the inner shrine is restricted to few people is to minimize interruptions from having too many people moving in and out of the shrine, as the chief master presiding over it has to perform complex visualizations during the puja and requires full concentration. That is why only few people are allowed in the inner platform, and for expediency reasons only sponsors are allowed.
The outer shrines do not have such a restriction and people are free to attend them to dedicate merits to the deceased or to their families and friends. The outer shrines are free because of the donations of the sponsors. There is no difference in merits accrued from the outer or inner shrines.
Of course, one way to avoid misunderstanding is to disallow anyone into the inner shrine other than the presiding monks. But that also defeats the purpose, as most people (sad to say) would not want to sponsor the puja if there is no such privilege. So out of expedient means, and to be able organize the puja to benefit all sentient beings whether they have the means to sponsor or not, the tradition is to allow just the few sponsors into the inner shrine. This achieves two goals: to minimize the disruptions in the inner shrine as explained earlier, and to be able to conduct such a large scale puja to benefit all sentient beings.
Btw, I am not affiliated to KMSPKS, but just wanted to provide some background information so that everyone can understand the context better.
I agree they charge on certain things but don't support commercializing. I used to go to a tibetan buddhist temple in lavender. After I realise they lack integrity and into commercialization I stop going.
Originally posted by wl_t:I think the puja in question is the "Grand Prayer that Blesses and Benefits all Sentient Beings", or "水陆法会“ in Chinese (literally means Puja of Land and Water). Its tradition dates back to Liang dynasty, when it was commissioned by Emperor Liang"
See
http://media.kmspks.org/uncategorized/water-and-land-great-festival
and in Chinese
http://baike.baidu.com/view/49829.htm
The puja is a very large scale one. The whole ceremony lasts 7 days and 7 nights of chanting of various important texts, and is divided into 7 altars or shrines. There is an inner shrine and 6 outer shrines, and they require 59 Bhikkus to lead the chanting in all 7 shrines. Other helpers are needed to help out with reception, cooking, admin, etc, and close to 100 people in total are required to organize such a large scale puja. Furthermore for the puja, for all 7 shrines, there needs to be many offerings such as oil lamps, flowers, fruits, vegetarian food, etc, and need to be replenished everyday for 7 days.
The cost of organizing such a grand puja is huge, considering the costs of tentage, the large amount of offerings required, and the amount of manpower involved. Typically (and historically), the cost of all 7 shrines are borne by a few sponsors from the laity for benefit of everyone who wishes to participate in the puja.
The reason why the inner shrine is restricted to few people is to minimize interruptions from having too many people moving in and out of the shrine, as the chief master presiding over it has to perform complex visualizations during the puja and requires full concentration. That is why only few people are allowed in the inner platform, and for expediency reasons only sponsors are allowed.
The outer shrines do not have such a restriction and people are free to attend them to dedicate merits to the deceased or to their families and friends. The outer shrines are free because of the donations of the sponsors. There is no difference in merits accrued from the outer or inner shrines.
Of course, one way to avoid misunderstanding is to disallow anyone into the inner shrine other than the presiding monks. But that also defeats the purpose, as most people (sad to say) would not want to sponsor the puja if there is no such privilege. So out of expedient means, and to be able organize the puja to benefit all sentient beings whether they have the means to sponsor or not, the tradition is to allow just the few sponsors into the inner shrine. This achieves two goals: to minimize the disruptions in the inner shrine as explained earlier, and to be able to conduct such a large scale puja to benefit all sentient beings.
Btw, I am not affiliated to KMSPKS, but just wanted to provide some background information so that everyone can understand the context better.
Thanks for the info. and links. Hopefully it will help to clarify why certain religious activity needs restriction to be put in place on devotees attending the event at KMSPKS monastery.