Came across a statement from a christian's website in Singapore:
"今天教会å�‘展的情形未如ç�†æƒ³ï¼Œå¤§å�Šç”±æ–¼æ²¡æœ‰é•¿è¿œçš„å�‘展计划，以致日æ¸�è¡°å¾®ã€‚ç©¶å…¶åŽŸå› ï¼Œéƒ½æ˜¯æœªèƒ½å……åˆ†å�‘展教会ä¸æ¯�一ä½�信徒的潜力所致。æ¯�多忽略如何å�‘掘人æ‰�，善用人æ‰�，以å�Šç¹æŽªé’±è´¢ï¼Œå–„用钱财，而致教会ä¸�能兴旺，ç¦�音ä¸�èƒ½å¹¿ä¼ ï¼Œé‚£æ˜¯å�¯æƒœçš„事。...è¦�使教会兴旺，ç¦�éŸ³å¹¿ä¼ ï¼Œå¿…é¡»æ³¨é‡�如何ç¹æŽªé’±è´¢å�Šå–„用钱财。"
The recent issues of City Harvest Church and New Creation Church ( http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC100603-0000141/When-business-and-religion-mix-,,, ), made me raise this question:
Should religious organisations do businesses?
In my view, no.
IMO based on exploration of Buddhism, Buddha Sakyamuni has no money, only lived on simple one meal per day. His ç¦�音 has benefitted å¹¿ä¼ all walks of life. They never ç¹æŽªé’±è´¢, the donation is voluntarily from the kindness of people which has gone into good use for maintaining the expenses of monastry for the well beings of all. In Singapore, the government would never support monastry free of charge although the teachings of Buddhism is free of charge. There were many instances where additional 钱财 was used for the well beings of people and other religious institutions, aged, medical etc. It fosters a cohesive society. In fact, buddhism teachings is to bring out the intrinsic peace and love of both the physical body and mental of æ¯�一ä½�信徒的潜力 that beyond materials. Simply applying this impermanent body to achieve permanent grace, love and harmony from within. In this regards, it incurs very minimum expenses with maximum potential of bliss for the well beings of oneself and its surrounding environment.
Amitofo
John 2:13-16"The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. He told those who were selling the doves, "Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father's house a marketplace!"
From the above, we know Jesus is also against religious organisation doing business.
I'm not too sure of the answer, can more Buddhists share your views.
I'm not too sure of the answer but one thing that I'm sure of is never bring religion into a marketplace.
not really a religious organisations, but think some teaching can be apply.
if u KNOW how.
example 胡å°�æž— a Successful Entrepreneur who use 弟å�规 taught by Old Master Chin Kong to run his business. can search youtube for his successful account. He seldom "care" the company, he let it run by itself. sort of like 居寺林 which provide free food, but money still come in to pay the food. Old Master said it is the help of dharma protector/Buddha, bodhisattvas. what 胡å°�æž— care about most is the problem of the staffs. problems like health problem, money problem, family, children problem etc. he'll do his best to help. really 以德æœ�人. 《弟å�规》"凡是人,皆须爱,"。The staff repay him by working hard. in order to be in his company, one need to learn how to å�ƒäº� suffer losses ; be at a disadvantage. Sound odd but He believe that what is yours it's yours. what is not yours it's not yours.
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I think we have to separate different religions.
Christians may have their own view, Buddhist may have their own view, which may be different, but valid for their own reasons. I don't think we should impose the Buddhist POV on another religion.
Dawn posted a good quote on Jesus. I think Christians should take that into account also.
As for Buddhists, if you are talking about the monastic community, the original Buddha did not even approve monks of handling money, let alone running a business organisation.
This goes against the very spirit of Shramanas that the Buddha belonged to, which means a group of wandering monks concerned only with their inner cultivation and helping others (including lay men) in their cultivation, and collecting necessary alms and donations (including monasteries, etc) from devoted laities.
Of course, times have changed - Theravada continues to emphasize on not making business, even dharma books are usually (though not always) distributed for free.
But particularly in Vajrayana, they do sell their dharma books and items, which are a form of 'business'.
However... what the megachurches are doing now (investing donations in multiple other business chains) are unheard of in Buddhism so far as far as I know (I could be wrong). Buddhism may also not receive as much donations (because we don't have a tethering system), or have mega monasteries that have more than 30k followers.
something interesting to watch with an open mind
Originally posted by geis:something interesting to watch with an open mind
Nice video, thanks.
of course...and Islamic Banking is the "in" trend now .....
BUT this has to be strictly followed according to its principles....the reason why so many charitable or religious orgs failed is because there was no strict observance...leading to creative allowances of the mind to defray
i m a free thinker....and in terms the highest religious compliance and least likely to end up like meng yi and city harv. is the Islamic business laws....
the big difference here is strict compliance and loose compliance......
i propose the Principles Compliance Rating (PCR) in accordance to that religious or charitable organizations' principles/ objectives to be established so that like minded members could check on its transparency which the elected-Chairperson (not necessary the founder) could best helm the organization's finances and management. The founder (if not elected the Chairperson's role could lead the Advisory Council).
Such rating must be submitted as part of its AGM to the authorities.
No.. because it loses its meaning...
won't if 'know' how. learn in Avatamsaka Sutra that Worldly dharma is also the All non-dual Dharma. see how the 53 bodhisattvas apply Dharma in all walks of career. Dharma in the world doesn't leave non disrupt the worldly dharma.
佛法在世间,�离世间法,��世间法,佛法就在世间。
楞严ç–�钞云。如谷ä¸æ— å£°ã€‚æ— å£°å�³æ— å“�。法界ä¸çš†æ— 声。一切声皆是妄心。妄心ä¸�åŠ¨æ—¶ã€‚çš†æ— å¦„æƒ³ã€‚ä»¥æœ‰å·®åˆ«å¿ƒï¼Œæ‰§å�—å�³æœ‰å£°ï¼Œå››å¤§å¦‚枯木，å�³æœ¬æ— 声。皆缘执故。诸大è�©è�¨ã€‚ä¸�以音声å�¬æ³•ã€‚æ˜¯çŸ¥å£°å°˜æœ¬æ— ã€‚çš†å› æ‰§æœ‰ã€‚æƒ…æ¶ˆæ‰§ä¸§ã€‚ä¸‡æ³•æœ¬è™šã€‚æœ‰æ— æ—¢è™šã€‚ç”Ÿç�何有。则知我性与如æ�¥æ€§æ— 异。一切世间法å�³æ˜¯ä½›æ³•ã€‚
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I am for religious organisation should be allowed to run businesses
The main thing is Religious Clergyman are NOT ALLOWED to take any amount of Profit for His/Her own consumPtion and the Profits of the businesses is mainly to set uP charity funds , educational facilities , healthcare facilities for the followers .
Though there are organisation who extend this facilities to non-followers ,but governance will be strict when comes to made a loss in the business .So how is religious organisation going to make ub for the loss ?
I believe in Strong Governance in PrinciPles of Institute of Public Characters .