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Job opportunity - become a fake monk!
DairyLama
Veteran Veteran
http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=60,12354,0,0,1,0#.Vcrmf_lVikp
New York, USA -- They’re holy terrors. Bands of beggars dressed like Buddhist monks have invaded the High Line and other city parks, demanding upwards of $40 from tourists — and officials are fed up.
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That means we'll get them in London soon. Hip trends tend to be copied here, after a while. USA leads the way!
Good plan! Thanks for the tip.
Do you feel it is best to rent a costume or make ones own? As I am not much of a drinker I feel I could spend my ill gotten gains on burning incence at the nearest cosplay temple? However that might not be entering into the spirit of things ...
Free enterprise is certainly alive and well in NY ...
It reminds me of a busker 'playing' trance type keyboards under Blackfriars bridge. Even elementary keyboards have quite complex rhythms built in. The busker was doing nothing more than twiddling nobs a little and ocasionally pressing a few keys to give an impression of musical ability ...
Not so very different from many pop idols ...
'Land of the free and home of the brave.....'
What is in the drinking water in NY? That takes big brass ones and a touch of lunacy.
There is a real Thai temple within 1/2 mile of my house, complete with a full complement of orange robed monks with begging bowls and such. They found early on who and where their supporters were and they don't demand. Fake monks would soon find themselves in quite untenable positions...
It could be worse. 'Genuine' monks dressing up as beggars and offering pro active dharma. Holy rinpoches having gin for breakfast and being taken seriously. Crazy Trungpa was for real right?
Many of us claim everyone is a Buddha but clearly 'some animals are more Buddha than others'
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/all+animals+are+equal,+but+some+animals+are+more+equal+than+others
Would it be more acceptable if they believed the baubles they were selling were blessed items? What if they were giving out copies of the Lotus Sutra or 'how to meditate' instruction leaflets? Is the intention to not decieve but being a hypocrite or misleading others through ignorance preferable? Where does responsibility/accountability/karma come in?
Just asking ...
It is very common in my original country where people dressed in monks' robes (sometimes nuns) are asking for donations openly in restaurants. Money problems push people to cross the boundries. Sadly, it is not an individual's efforts to lessen these.
To quote W C Fields...There's a sucker born every minute.
At least they're not handing out pamphlets that tell everyone they're all going to hell unless they believe in a zombie named Jesus who turns into hundreds of thousands of crackers and sips of wine around the world every Sunday
.....He does....?
^^^ You is too wikid!
[however ... so true]
Must be kind to Christians ... I thought the aghori sadhus were strange ...
Many of us have been brought up in this strange Christian belief structure with many evangelists. I am just glad most of us have alternatives to selling false hope or dharma.
Maybe these beggars are genuine fraudsters ... Are the dharma police required? Send in the wrathful Vajrayana, Zen Masters with sticks etc ...
This would be far more effective way to reap some cash from the masses...
Okay I'll relent.. only to the 1.3 billion Catholics and anyone else who wants to believe in Transubstantiation
Yeah...they been around awhile...Times Square has fake superman...Mickey...hulk...anything or anyone you can dream up to take a pic with....all just a hustle. Tourists fall for it. New Yorkers aren't fallin' for it.
yep... we've got them here as well.