And, Mike, let's not mix metaphors and Metamucil. Those teachers who are not supported by the Monastic infrastructure, who are independent, free, and house-holders, OF COURSE need support from students, or else from their own independent means. One or the other, or both.
Even if they DON'T need this support, they charge something anyway, because they KNOW it is ***GOOD PSYCHOLOGY***. Get sumpthin' for nuthin', and that's just how you'll value it (you Cheapskates... whoever you are). I charge $45 US for my 6 weeks series in "Buddhist Yoga for Meditators". Yet, I am Rich. Even the students can see unabashedly that I drive a pretty high-class 30-year-old 12-speed bicycle, with 18,000 miles on it. I've never practiced anywhere and paid NOTHING to support the Sangha, or Center. Why would I? If you do -- not YOU!, Mike -- you are a fool. Who'll pay for the Sandals? Ask Edgar. --Joe --- In [email protected], "mike" wrote: > > Merle, > > Don't be so harsh on yourself. I think you're right to be somewhat skeptical > about teachers who receive an income, or make a living, out of the Dharma. > Joe is also correct that so often we listen to our discriminating mind and > hence create points of view that are just not true reflections of reality. > But there has to be a balance. I don't know Subhana, but if it's true she is > a practicing doctor, then my feeling would be she shouldn't be charging money > for teaching the Dharma. Where, for example, would she know that trip > overseas was paid from - her doctor's salary or from a talk on the Lotus > Sutra? (I'm not necessarily impugning Subhana as I know nothing of her > circumstances. But I think my concerns still stand). > > I also think it's wrong if a person makes a living teaching the Dharma, but > could be earning a living in other ways. Let's not forget that Buddha forbade > his monks from even * handling* money! In the Vipassana tradition of > S.N.Goenka (the one I follow), all retreats are free of charge, and all > teachers are volunteers. Simply put, no one should receive financial > compensation for teaching the Dharma, at least not beyond reimbursement for > travelling expenses etc. sometimes 'wage' can conveniently be interpreted as > 'Dana'. ------------------------------------ Current Book Discussion: any Zen book that you recently have read or are reading! Talk about it today!Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
