Religious freedom, Dalai Lama & Dorje Shugden - Page 3 - Political Forum

anya · 05-03-2008, 05:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gs001

Come on, Chinese central government earmarks big budget to repair the tamples.
and monks also get subsidies from central government.
(I guess Dalai clique told you quite a different story, right?

No, 'Dalai clique' told me nothing. I was watching a program on Tibet here and heard from the monks themselves about the destruction and theft done to their temples in the cultural revolution and the work they have done, and I think still are doing to repair it. If I made a wrong assumption, it is my own mistake.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gs001

so having a trip
to Tibet is necessary for you to get the truth.)

What did you not know before, that there were monks, that your government gave them subsides or that they donated them to the temples?

Quote:

Originally Posted by gs001

donating money to tamples is their own business, but it is unfair to use the
subsidies which come from tax payers to do this.
your churchs also cheat your money, wake up guys.
all religions base on cheat.

Buddhist monks have aways lived on donations. I would have thought giving the money to the temples only shows they have no interest in it. In the program I saw one young monk was not at all interested in giving his money to the temple and was keeping it to himself. This greatly annoyed the older monk who was his teacher, but he was still able to keep his money.

Edit: I would imagine the temples use this money for things like celebrations and visits to other temples and things like that. Possibly also other upkeep of their texts and things.

gs001 · 05-03-2008, 08:10 AM

Thank you for mentioning "cultural revolution", that was a national tragedy of China.
innumerable temples were destroyed all over China, not only in Tibet. but the cultural revolution had already ended for several decades, have you ever heard?

Quote:

Originally Posted by anya

Buddhist monks have aways lived on donations. I would have thought giving the money to the temples only shows they have no interest in it. In the program I saw one young monk was not at all interested in giving his money to the temple and was keeping it to himself. This greatly annoyed the older monk who was his teacher, but he was still able to keep his money.

Edit: I would imagine the temples use this money for things like celebrations and visits to other temples and things like that. Possibly also other upkeep of their texts and things.

the behavior of today's monks are quite different, small amount of
money will not satisfy them, they want more, look these

GoChina! · 05-03-2008, 09:23 AM

i have not been to Tibet but i am guessing this trend is possible: as the economy develops fast, people there become more secularized.

anya · 05-03-2008, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gs001

Thank you for mentioning "cultural revolution", that was a national tragedy of China.
innumerable temples were destroyed all over China, not only in Tibet. but the cultural revolution had already ended for several decades, have you ever heard?

Yes, my memory had the cultural revolution as the 1960's. I have just checked and it says it was 1966-1976.

However the extent of the damage done to Tibet's Monasteries was so severe and the recovery work frequently so delicate, with so few monks, that I am unsure whether the film said work had been finished or not.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gs001

today's monks are quite different, small amount of
money will not satisfy them, they want more, look these

First you are complaining that they give their money to the Temples. Then you are complaining they use it

gs001 · 05-03-2008, 10:41 AM

use it for what?
for their luxury lives?
poor donors, loathsome monks.
that is religion.

anya · 05-03-2008, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gs001

use it for what?
for their luxury lives?
poor donors, loathsome monks.
that is religion.

You sure have a lot of respect for people you insist must be your citizens!

smallpox · 05-03-2008, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smallpox

Maybe it's all this censorship in China that makes you believe having a religion impoverishes people, but nothing is further from the truth. Jews are extremely orthodox to their religious believes and they are overtly rich. Luther's social ideologies are often credited for the habits of the hard working English men and women that began capitalism, and he was a religious leader.
It's more like the opposite. When people are poor they have more faith into their religion, because they have little else, they need something to believe in. Let them. I was a lot more religious when I was homeless then I am now.
This is all a case of mis-guided causation.

Wow, this guy really hit the nail on the head.

smallpox · 05-03-2008, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gs001

use it for what?
for their luxury lives?
poor donors, loathsome monks.
that is religion.

The exchange of money for services is a common practice anywhere, but only when monks do it is it loathsome?

Plus, in Vietnam, food is most often donated to monks.

anya · 05-03-2008, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smallpox

Plus, in Vietnam, food is most often donated to monks.

Buddhist monks have a long tradition of living on donations. I imagine that is why they are being provided for by the Chinese Government.

mikado · 05-03-2008, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anya

Buddhist monks have a long tradition of living on donations. I imagine that is why they are being provided for by the Chinese Government.

Buddhist temples are good for drawing tourists into Tibet, so that extent funding Buddhist temples is a bit like us funding the Queen.