Is it right, according to the Vinaya, to charge for Dhamma classes? (I'm not talking about donations, but a fixed amount per class one has to pay)
Upvote:0
Just considering the general point about charging or not charging for classes. In my centre there is a general principle that all payment is donation or dana. So we are often invited to put something in the dana bowl if we want to. This seems very fair as bills have to be paid if the Buddhist centre is to continue.
Alongside this is the notion of a suggested donation so for a class a donation might be £6/£3 for waged/unwaged but this is only a suggestion. This works very well for me. Firstly it's a genuine offer - it is dana so if you can't pay (or won't) then that is fine. No-one will question that or think any less of the person. But also a lot of people (myself included) want to know what a fair donation is and pay that. I want to be told what to donate. I find it unsettling to be told to pay whatever I feel. I want some guidance.
From a very pragmatic point of view, if it is a genuine donation then there are tax rebates that can be claimed. That is not a major consideration - the principle remains that everyone should be able to access the dharma. But it is another angle to it I think.
But generally I just wanted to put this model forward as (our) way of combining dana and universal access to the Dharma with the realities of running a Buddhist centre.
Upvote:2
Vinaya only applied to Monks. If it is lay teachers charges may be a possibility but as per my opinion highly not recommended. As for monks I don't think they should do this at all. The trustees (Dayaka Sabawa) may do it but again highly unadvisable as per my opinion.
But having said this, I do not like the idea of any charge. Buddhism was taught free of charge and has maintained this tradition through out most of history.
Also Buddha put much effort to become a Buddha and tough if for free. It is morally wrong to charge for teaching something the Buddha put so much efforts into when we are just teaching what he prescribed.
If you look at https://www.dhamma.org/ you will see a lot of centers all run solely by donation through out the world. So the donation model does work.
More post
- 📝 Which sutta is this excerpt about Buddha's death from?
- 📝 What is "Patigha", and how does it differ from "Dosa"?
- 📝 Should my happiness be dependent on the suffering of others?
- 📝 How is the Tibetan Kangyur actually laid out?
- 📝 Good source of Buddha stories and what they mean
- 📝 Itipiso Chanting
- 📝 The Animal Plane & Evolution?
- 📝 In Buddhas Time Did Kings give Freedom to His Sex Wives(Anttappura Wives)?
- 📝 Is Practicing Tantric/Wrathful Meditation Dangerous Without a Guru?
- 📝 Is it possible to become a buddhist without a formal teacher?
- 📝 Panic arising in meditation
- 📝 Why can't existence be mostly good?
- 📝 Offering water to a buddha statue?
- 📝 How does the Buddha attain nirvana?
- 📝 Continuity With Meditation Practice
- 📝 How to suppress the 5 hindrance to achieve the first jhana?
- 📝 How to cultivate the perception of 'Anatta'?
- 📝 To debate or not to debate? and When to debate? and How to debate?
- 📝 Stabilizing the counterpart sign
- 📝 Is it true that everything is unconditionally changeable?
- 📝 Which commitment should I make?
- 📝 What Gautam Buddha said about "self", in Chapter Three of the Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra?
- 📝 Do the Abhidharma texts exist online in original format?
- 📝 Is goodwill necessary in order to make progress on the Path?
- 📝 Being mindful sitting/working on a computer
- 📝 Can a person live by the Dhamma and have another religion as well?
- 📝 What are the best question-and-answer sequences on Buddhism?
- 📝 How much is the minimal time for practicing Vipassana in daily life for achieving better mindfulness?
- 📝 Emotional Eating
- 📝 Evidence of Pali Canon's Origin
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 Is it right, according to the Vinaya, to charge for Dhamma classes? (I'm not talking about donations, but a fixed amount per class one has to pay)
- 📝 Why is contributing to the market demand for meat not wrong?
- 📝 Was meditation not practiced for most of the history of Buddhism?
- 📝 If a Buddhist believes lay life is not ideal for the practice, why does he or she continue?
- 📝 How to find the right Dhamma teacher
- 📝 Does any sutta talk about the right conditions for teaching the Dhamma?
- 📝 Not seeing the wood, for the trees
- 📝 What is the right time for seclusion?
- 📝 If I am not the skandhas, then what entity/group of entities am I being responsible for by being a good person?
- 📝 If I download illegal material for my education and if the material is not in my reach in my country, is it still bad karma?
- 📝 How do I practice the Dhamma in an environment where it's not supported?
- 📝 In the Tirokudda Kanda food and drink are given for dead relatives. Is this a superstitious scripture most likely not uttered by Buddha?
- 📝 What is the term for not believing in cause and effect after death?
- 📝 Want a simple explanation that sense restraint is an important aspect of ethical conduct, for a loved one who is not into Dhamma
- 📝 Reference request for "the Buddha takes the Dhamma as his superior"
- 📝 Is sky burial ritual inhumane and if not what is the reason for doing it?
- 📝 The method in the Noble Eightfold Path in right speech for persuasion and influence
- 📝 Does Vinaya allow monks to do priestly rituals for the laity?
- 📝 References for not receiving alms in exchange for Dhamma teaching
- 📝 Does the Vinaya forbid drinking while giving or listening to dhamma talks?
- 📝 According to the Dhamma monks have no rights?
- 📝 Doing a wrong thing for the right reasons?
- 📝 Does the Buddha have any practices for groups and societies that would lead society to less suffering, prosperity, not decay?
- 📝 Where is the Buddha quoted as saying do not believe anything I say until you can prove it by yourself?
- 📝 How not to kill the mouse in my house?
- 📝 Is Nirvana the goal for all Buddhist?
- 📝 How are 'conceit' and 'identity-view' not the same?
- 📝 Isnt the desire for giving up the desires, a desire?
- 📝 How do I slow down and start living according to my values? How do I change the direction of my life?
- 📝 What is the purpose of not eating after noon?