Certainly bad karma by monks

vinlyn

http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/11/11655944-hell-raising-holy-men-secret-video-shows-buddhist-monks-gambling-drinking?lite

patbb

yeah it's about time they start to become aware of this, hopefully change will come!

The Korean zen Buddhist structure is absurd in S-Korea.
(perhaps not all of them but certainly the majority)

Basically Buddhism is a family business there.

A family own a Buddhist temple which makes lots of money, so the head monk, which is the owner of the temple, drive around in Mercedes and fancy stuff.
Then when they have kids, they pass the temple (family business) to their kid, which become the head monk.

There is not much spiritual development going on in those temples, just a place for people to come and worship their god, begging him to give them wealth and whatever material stuff they desire.


Friends of mine have been telling me about witnessing fights between rivals temples (actual fist fights).
Pretty much like motorcycle gangs fight for territory in other part of the world.


Shameful really, there might be real zen Buddhism still alive today in s-Korea, but this stuff should not be considered Buddhism, just organized religious business...

vinlyn

^^ Do you think this is a factor in the huge number of Christians in South Korea, or has this been happening since that trend?

Bekenze

^^ Do you think this is a factor in the huge number of Christians in South Korea, or has this been happening since that trend?

Ah, those rotten Christians ruin everything, don't they?

:rolleyes:

I_AM_THAT

I think we have seen over time that taking a spiritual vow is never easy; for any religion. As it takes self control to maintain a high level of practice... a favorite quote my teacher would always use - "Diligence Potter".

person

Things like this make me think that westerners that come to Buddhism are generally more serious about Buddhism than those in traditionally Buddhist cultures. Of course there are also those monks who are serious about practice that we don't hear from. But don't ever let an Asian Buddhist put you down for not being a serious Buddhist for trying to practice while living a lay life.

vinlyn

Things like this make me think that westerners that come to Buddhism are generally more serious about Buddhism than those in traditionally Buddhist cultures. Of course there are also those monks who are serious about practice that we don't hear from. But don't ever let an Asian Buddhist put you down for not being a serious Buddhist for trying to practice while living a lay life.

Hmmmmmmmmm...My guess is that Western Buddhists, because mostly they have come to it totally by choice, are more "serious" than Asian Buddhists who are mostly born into it. But my guess is that if you could measure "seriousness" about religion in Asia versus the West, not looking at any particular religion, the percentages might very well be very similar.

Dakini

Things like this make me think that westerners that come to Buddhism are generally more serious about Buddhism than those in traditionally Buddhist cultures. Of course there are also those monks who are serious about practice that we don't hear from. But don't ever let an Asian Buddhist put you down for not being a serious Buddhist for trying to practice while living a lay life.

The abbot of Hemis monastery, who was young and new to his post in the 80's when Andrew Harvey wrote about him in "Journey to Ladakh", said upfront that the Westerners he met while getting a secular education in India were much more serious and knowledgeable about Buddhism than any lay Buddhist he'd ever known in India, or many monks.

Zen is a family business in some monasteries in Japan, too. For that matter, the tulku system of Tibetan Buddhism tends to keep wealth in the family, passing monasteries from uncle to nephew in some cases. The current Kalu Rinpoche is a grand-nephew of the old Kalu Rinpoche. Married lamas have their son, or oldest son, declared a tulku, and pass the monastery on to him, so there's father-to-son inheritance, too.

Bekenze

Ah, those rotten Christians ruin everything, don't they?

:rolleyes:

That was a joke by the way. I don't want to ruffle anyone's feathers.

Cinorjer

Yes, when a temple culture reaches the stage where basically being a monk is just a career choice and it's all about finances and politics, then the dharma is not being taught. The three legs of Buddhism are the Buddha, the dharma, and the sangha. When it becomes all about the sangha, you've knocked two of the legs out from under us.