Recite sutras at funerals, etc., and receive offerings

Good evening.

Donations are not a fee of any kind; originally, donations are made in order to get rid of one's own greed. An offering can be said to be your own ascetic act.

In other words, offerings are not meant as “sutras.”

Furthermore, the full amount of the offering goes into the temple's account, and most of it goes to the temple's maintenance, etc. Monks are asked to split part of that in the form of salary. (There is an image that monks are rich, but I'll add that many temples live last-minute lives (there is also data that 40% of monks have an annual income of 3 million yen or less)) In response to that, they also pay income tax properly, and they also pay residence tax, etc.

I read it. I also understand what you're saying.
What are you chanting sutras for? It can also be said that they do it to get money. I think there were a lot of monks like that, and I think that's still the case today.
I don't look back at all when I work. I am simply praying the sutras to the Buddha, Kannon Bosatsu, Seishi Bosatsu, and those who have passed away, and I will simply ask the Buddha to properly guide that person, and ask the Buddha to always be kind to Nembutsu.
Also, I ask that all the people who attended firmly face the Buddha and close people who have passed away, and make the memorial service with all their heart.
Nothing more, nothing less than that, it's just a matter of praying for Nembutsu to ask that those who have just died will be reincarnated under the Buddha and be at peace from the bottom of their hearts.
I believe that those thoughts will always reach the Buddha, and that those who have passed away will definitely accept the Buddha's guidance. The thoughts and nembutsu that close people sincerely remember will similarly always reach the Buddha.
I think the important thing is that.

After death, we can't take anything with us; we have to leave behind all of our money, possessions, precious family, and our own bodies.
If so, money is nothing but a tool in this world. It's just a tool to get what you need to live.

Since we are human beings, we may need money due to greed, desire for money, desire for power, and desire for honor, but in reality, it's not that important.

Living is important, so it's just what you need for that.

People just get swayed by money and become captivated by it, so I really want to be careful!

I sincerely pray to the Buddha that your future life will not be bound by selfishness or obsession as much as possible, and that you will live a healthy life from the bottom of your heart.

It is true that there is a teaching in the oldest sutras that “you must not receive compensation.” However, on the other hand, the teaching to give alms to monks has also been repeated over and over again, and it has been explained over and over again. Most people who like to spread this kind of story are dishonest people who patchwork the Buddha's teachings in a way that is convenient for them. Also, please note that if you trace the source of information, you will often end up with an emerging religion. In order for an emerging religion that started in the 20th century to gain followers, it was necessary to break the parishioners system.

The rest is the question of whether each temple is an offering, or a one-on-one relationship between the temple and the parishioners. Damn it, I think people who can only see monks for money are people of that level, so I've stopped being in a decent relationship. Of course, that doesn't mean they don't cut corners on memorial services, funerals, and puja, and we also determine whether they are people who will explain and listen.

Also, there are more than a few cases in the world where people request a fixed price from a general meeting of a temple (like a management committee on the side of the believers). This kind of need is potentially growing quite a bit.
However, in Japan today, the stereotype that “I feel that talking about money is fishy” and “I don't want to do anything I'm not satisfied with,” is ingrained in today's Japan. If we do not work steadily out of this vicious cycle and explain one by one, we will be left with nothing but a future where no one benefits. I think Kimko will also put aside the funeral, and if you ask questions about what alms are, I think the motivation of the answering monks will also increase.

A funeral is not a ceremony where people perform nembutsu. I recite sutras, but I don't mainly recite sutras. This area is a place where it is difficult to feel refreshed if you don't learn from the prerequisites in an accumulative manner.
There are 360 degrees of opinions about interpretations of topics such as the afterlife, after death, and reincarnation, and so many different opinions across denominations and each monk.

The purpose of Buddhism is to attain peace of mind. Enlightenment is a means that is infinitely close to an end. On top of that, the four major themes are life, old age, illness, and death. A funeral is one of the biggest milestones in life, where life, old age, illness, and death come together. Regardless of the general public, I honestly don't think religious people or religious scholars who seriously say “monks should do funerals” have no sense as religious people.

Actually, if you understand it correctly step by step, you will see the 2,500-year history of Buddhism in a different way...

Monks read sutras at funerals to explain Buddhism to bereaved families and those attending.
It explains how to respond to the death of a close person.
This is also an offering.
They are called law-enforcement and fearlessness.

Also, when believers give money to the principal image or monk, it is an offering, called wealth.
Financial aid is not limited to this case, but also includes offering money, goods, etc. to people in need. For example, fundraising, donations, or volunteering also contributed labor.
If you want to receive the reward of this donation yourself, it will be your own joy, and if you hope that the deceased will receive it, it will be the joy of the deceased.
If you turn to everyone, it will be everyone's joy.

I don't know the story where the Buddha didn't receive an offering, but the Gaki Jikyo also describes how he received it. Also, in the Hakku Sutra, there is a saying that generosity is a stain on those who give blessings, and that people do alms according to what they believe in according to their purity and joy, so I think the offering itself was recommended.

However, in the Gaki Jikyo, there is a story that if you don't give an offering to someone (monk) suitable to receive an offering, you can't get that reward.
Therefore, I would like to work hard so that we monks are suitable monks to receive alms, so that we can become monks to the extent that you want to give alms.

appending
It also depends on the denomination, but the sutras read in the Jodo sect are written about how to accept death. That's why I recite sutras at funerals. It's just Chinese, so you don't understand the meaning even if you listen to it. Therefore, I will explain the contents of the sutras during the memorial service. Sometimes sutras are read in easy-to-understand Japanese, meaning a written sentence.

Also, it is often said that Buddha doesn't write about what happened after death, but that's not the case. For example, the Dharma Sutra left by Buddha in oral tradition says, “Those who make bad things feel sad here, they grieve smartly, and they both grieve together. Seeing his dirty behavior, he is sad, and he is worried. Those who make good things rejoice here, rejoice smartly, and rejoice together even though they are both. He enjoys watching his pure behavior, and he is delighted.” There is such a thing. “Here” is interpreted as the present world, and “kashiko” is interpreted as the next life. It may be convenient for leading the Buddha's people, but I think it's okay to follow the Buddha honestly if it's convenient for him.