Give us your guidelines Venerable Kwang Sheng

Aik TC SG

Give us your guidelines Venerable Kwang Sheng

Puja form a very important practice especially to the Buddhists and more so to the Mahayanists. Be it for the accumulation of merits for a better future life or for the purposes of blessing in this life. However, nowhere will you find in either the suttas or sutras where material offering or donation which form part of the act of Puja are quantified and in turn lead to a greater accumulate of merits or blessings for the person performing such acts.

In the Kong Meng San Monastery case, one wonder whether the Inner Shrines classification is an act by the management as a reward to those who can afford to donate more to the temple funds and also to encourage others to donate more to the temple’s coffer? But if a laity is prepared to pay the asking price for a so called ‘front row seat’ out of pure generosity and not for any ulterior motive, perceived gain or status in mind, than it may be acceptable.

Unfortunately such acts of reward to laity by the temple are unnecessary and also unfair to those who do not have the means to do so. It also eventually gives rise to commercialization of religious activities which is not healthy and not what religion and religious practices are all about.

The Venerable Sik Kwang Sheng Abbot of Kong Meng San Monastery and also the President of the Singapore Buddhist Federation (SBF) should at the very least, come out to clarify this matter to prevent further misunderstanding on the whole issue. After all, his word would carried some weight to Buddhists in Singapore and provide some guidelines to organizations that are affiliated with the SBF.

Candima SG

I don't think we should pick on Kong Meng San. Many dharma groups runs dharma events of visiting foreign lamas at hotels, casinos, offer different types of sitting or arrangements to meet with the lamas (especially high lamas) for support. There are some who is a "inner circle" type by which a small group benefit themselves at the expense of others. Which type is less bad? Sure it stings, but It is our karma to be at such times to be with such others and to be affected.

Either way, the dharma may not survive - because of the behaviours of many people. After the dharma is extinct, it will appear again.

Aik TC SG

The above write-up is not about picking on Kong Meng San Monastery for a practice that is prevalent in other dharma group organizing religious activities as well. What is happening is that such practice is causing discontent within the general laity as a whole. It is starting to cause some to come out in the open voicing their disapproval. The discontent may be more serious as there may be a silent majority against such practice which could drive many away from the religion. The Abbot of Kong Meng San Monastery, who is also the president of SBF together with the resources within his sphere of influence, should come out with some guidelines to minimize such discontent. It will certainly do the religion much good as a whole.

Whether we are living in the period of the Dharma-ending age or not, does not mean we should not try to correct what we see as an unhealthy practice in the religion and letting the rot progress until it is too late to put it right again.

Candima SG

I am in agreement with you that the prevalent methods of almost all the dharma groups is an unhealthy practice oiled by the ringing of the till. I am responding because I am concerned that it shouldn't interfere with one's own practice. It is a kind of supply and demand. The whole world may burn and yet each can be protected by one's practice. I don't know legally what is there that the abbot of Kong Meng San can do. He may walk ahead but are there others walking behind him. The shame is on those individuals who capitalised on the ignorance and greed for merit and easy gains to sell dharma. I also don't know why the dharma groups need so much money - are there sanghas to feed, to clothe, to house? The millions that some sangha groups are gathering can be staggering, but it is not enough. Nobody ever asked for an audit, or is it a bottomless pit of wanting more zeros in the bank accounts. I have said before, for those who are milking the laity and blocking others from benefiting from dharma - they will have to live with their karma. Maybe they know there is no karma.

Aik TC SG

It is not so much a legal matter. But the abbot can certainly lead by example. So called Inner shrines classification can be abolished and places for puja activities can be allocated on a first come first served basis. Maybe with some places reserved for the old and/or handicapped people.

They have being very successful over the years in their organization of the annual ‘three step one bow’ ritual on the eve and on Vesak day itself with the practice of issuing free tickets for the event. It is certainly a fairer system.

Karma in Buddhism is about one’s Intention, there certainly is karma. It is vipaka the ripening or maturation of one’s karma that people may not be bothered with or take lightly to.

wl_t SG

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.

Aik TC SG

See

http://media.kmspks.org/uncategorized/water-and-land-great-festival

and in Chinese

http://baike.baidu.com/view/49829.htm

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 event needs restriction to be put in place on devotees attending the event at KMSPKS monastery.