I'm looking up temple management for my graduation thesis

I am a third-year student at the Faculty of Business Administration and am currently working on my graduation thesis on temple management. However, I got bogged down in research.

Originally, we should have interviewed a local temple, but unfortunately it hasn't been done yet. So I'm really hesitating, so I'm going to ask you a question here.

The reason I thought about doing research on temple management was that, firstly, I liked temples, and secondly, I was interested in management that was wrapped in a veil called religion and the actual situation was not well known.

As I looked it up, I learned that there are tourist temples, Shinja-ji Temple and Danka-ji Temple.

・What should a monk at a tourist temple be careful about when managing it? Advantages, disadvantages, etc. of tourist temples. Also, if it used to be Danka-ji Temple, please tell me the changes due to making it a tourist temple.

・What do the monks at Danka-ji Temple keep in mind when managing? Advantages and disadvantages of Danka-ji Temple, etc. It was still a tourist temple again, or are you planning to change it to a tourist temple in the future?

・Please tell me what books, papers, etc. you should keep in mind when researching temple management in the future, and if there are any recommended books or papers.

Furthermore, we will give due consideration to personal information, etc. that are not related to research without disclosing it.
In the midst of your busy schedule, this is an impolite question, but I would appreciate it if you could answer it.

4 Zen Responses

First, use your feet to search!

I read your question.

A graduation thesis is really difficult, isn't it? I remember when I was a student too.

Now, I may say something a little harsh, but I think it will be meaningful for the questioner's life in the future, so I'll mention it.

First, the internet and email are generally simple methods. After all, there is a huge difference compared to making direct contact with your face and bowing your head firmly in front of you to ask.
For example, if you make a big mistake with your business partner at work, if you send them an apology by email, they will surely be furious. If you don't go out directly with your own feet and bow your head firmly, you won't be able to convey your feelings.

Also, the story of managing a temple is not much different from actually revealing the circumstances of a temple.
Also, the internet is something that can be seen by an unspecified number of people, in other words, people all over the world. For someone who has never met (in this case, the questioner) in such a place, “reveal the temple's treason” is a really disrespectful story.

I'm still in the 3rd grade, so there's probably plenty of time left.
First, it makes sense to use your feet and time to go directly to various temples, then bow your head and ask. And that's the minimum courtesy.
It's a convenient tool called the internet, but if you indulge in it and make a mistake in how to use it, you'll be in a lot of pain.

The questioner is still young, so you can make up for it even if you make various mistakes.
I would like you to refer even a little bit to my story this time, and I would like you to learn various things in the future.

Do you know “Future Chief Priest School”?

This is a nationwide study session for interdenominational monks.
The goal is for each person to spend 1 year preparing a temple business plan.
Just for your reference.

http://www.oteranomirai.or.jp/juku/regular_course/

Lawyer Nakabou Kouhei said, “Pastors, doctors, and lawyers must not turn human misfortunes into money.” There is such a thing.
I think this applies to me too.
Temple management is important for missionary work, but it is not the goal we are aiming for.
This is because the goal is to properly proselytize Buddhism and pass it on to future generations.
I hope you know about this too.
Good luck with your graduation thesis.

I don't think it will be a paper if you don't narrow down more topics

It is vaguely called “temple management,” but there are various aspects to “temple” in one word.
There are temples as places of proselytism and indoctrination, and there are also temples as religious corporations as stipulated by law. Also, I can't clearly see from the sentence in the question whether “management” is economical or whether it is more due to religious activities.
It is said that there is a distinction between tourist temples, believers, and dankaji, and this can also be seen as a difference between the partner receiving the offering as operating funds for the temple, and not so, it can also be viewed from the perspective of a difference in how they relate to the target of the mission. However, there are many cases where this kind of classification called a temple is convenient from time to time, and temples are multifaceted, as they are both believers temples and tourist temples. Therefore, its management is also multifaceted.
I don't think it will become a paper if you don't narrow down the subject further.

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