Originally posted by sgboy2004:
shan't they be practising or reviewing the scriptures than laughing
away heartily in the shopping centres?
Don't think that monks must stay in monastery all day! Buddha
did not stay in his monastery all day, he and his monks go to all
kinds of places to preach the dharma. In his 49 years, Buddha has
walked throughout India, northern India to Pakistan area to
Southern India/Sri Lanka, etc. My master also walked throughout
Taiwan for several years preaching the dharma. Once when I was in Hua-Lian, an elderly
Buddhist asked me, "Master! A monk should reside in the temple to
meditate, pray and chant sutras, but when you travel about what are
you cultivating? I replied, "Thats right! I am cultivating.
Sakyamuni Buddha teaches us to cultivate our conduct (xiu1 xing3).
He does not encourage us to cultivate sitting down (xiu1 zuo4)! In
the past few years I had been practising sitting meditation, now I
wish to travel about. While walking and also amidst all my other
activities, I do not commit evil deeds, I chant the names of the
Buddhas, I praise and commend others, I tell people about the
Dharma, I avoid the places of vice, this is the way I
cultivate."
Sometimes a monk/nun needs to get something important to be done,
may not be what we think they are doing. But I agree with you,
being a renuncant doesn't mean he is a perfect person. But he has
to hold 200+ precepts (training rules) by the Buddha that shld be
strict enough to make them observe their conduct.
not judgemental lor, just saw with mi own eyes... big merc
benz... well, go see for yourself lor... and since now
investigation is done on charitable organisations, hope not we see
a temple be involved in the scam...
Rest be assured that Ren Ci Hospital is definitely not involved
in any scams.
"The $15K monthly salary is
accorded to the highest paid executive of Ren Ci Hospital &
Medicare Centre. This executive is responsible for the medical,
administrative and day to day operations of the hospital.
Our CEO/ Chairman, Venerable Shi Ming Yi donates his salary back to
the organisation and our related centres for the elderly and
children when he was receiving a salary. However at the
moment, Venerable Shi is entirely a volunteer and thus is not
receiving any salary.
But Venerable Shi does not expect everyone to share his spirit of
philanthropy, as this is his personal belief. He also adds that he
does not expect everybody to be doing the same as they have family
commitments.
Having said all that, though a monk receives lodging and food from
a temple, a monk still has to communicate with the 'outside' world.
He still has to pay for expenses when he takes the bus and when he
orders from a hawker. So yes, whilst you are correct in saying that
as a religious figure, one should not be receiving any money, we
have also to look at the practicalities of the 21st century.
Please email me again if I can answer any further queries.
Best regards,
Alison Hack
Corporate Affairs & Resource Development
Ren Ci Hospital & Medicare Centre
http://forums.hardwarezone.com/showthread.php?t=1071692&page=1&pp=15
Ven. Shi Ming Yi is also an abbot of Foo Hai Ch'an Monastery and
Secretary General of the Singapore Buddhist Federation. On top of
that, he is the CEO of the charitable Ren Ci Hospital. I believe
his intergrity can be trusted.
If memory serves, he was a multi millionaire CEO of a company prior
to his renounciation. Surely, there must be good intent in his
renounciation, otherwise why would he renounce his comfortable
life?
