How to become a temple entryman

They say they want to be a temple entryman,
Every temple probably has a fixed trader, so
It would be difficult to get in as a newcomer.
Since there are many temples that are very particular about it,
Ichigadera liked it and introduced it from there...
You probably won't be able to count on it.

No matter what kind of trader it is, no matter what industry it targets,
After all, I think there's only one way to do business.

I often go there over and over and over again and have them remember their faces.
No matter if you have a fixed business partner,
Even if there were no orders at that time,
They continue to visit, saying, “I came close, so I stopped by for a bit.”

We have no choice but to keep doing this honestly.
My heart will break if I keep getting rejected,
If that is commonplace, I have no choice but to open up and do my best.

I also used to do business when I was a salaryman,
I really didn't like the dive business.

Now it's on the sales side,
I don't feel that disgusting being able to come to business over and over again.
Conversely, to the point where I felt sorry for their hard work,
I begin to think that if I need something, I'll ask for it there.

The temple certainly has a high threshold and is probably difficult,
I don't think it's impectable.
Please do business with a straight forward approach.

In this day and age, there are very few surface decoration companies in rural areas. The main hall of our temple was partially destroyed by the previous earthquake, and the back of the storehouse was completely destroyed. Well, even if I want to fix the wall of the main hall, there's no one to mess with the earthen wall. Also, there are no people who knit twists with bamboo. I searched all over Ibaraki prefecture, and finally there was one person. As is the case with the exterior, if you have techniques such as the Jigoku Gumi (shoji), etc., you can get in as much as you want. Recent temples have also become reinforced concrete, but there are still many wooden temples. Why don't you arrange a temple once and then open it for business? I also met enthusiastic sales people, was amazed by their high level of technology, and asked for them.

Nice to meet you.
Previously, when I jumped into a watch store in the city to ask that the image I received on the Shikoku pilgrimage (a copy of the principal image the size of a business card) be displayed, I was flatly refused at the storefront saying “it takes too much time and effort.” There were 3, including the parishioners... I was traumatized for a while after that, probably because I couldn't make the order or that I couldn't get dressed. For me, I feel that watch stores have a higher threshold.

> Due to lack of knowledge, it wasn't easy to get the chief priest to listen to the story.
If knowledge is knowledge of expressions, then I think Kotaro definitely has it more than us monks.

Instead of saying “let's become an importer,” if you make an effort to finish the job you've received more perfectly and sincerely, you may naturally be able to obtain customers (customers) through word of mouth. Temples will eventually be included among them. I don't think it's necessary to make the binding yourself, such as “the temple's...” (sorry if there are circumstances where you have to make the binding).

Even if you become an entry/exit agent at Happy Temple in the future, please don't do business that you are not allowed to do at first glance (^^;)

“At temples, various traders try to take money at a high price”
“Traders that try to take high prices will not be used”
“If you cut corners, you'll be able to see through properly”
I think it would be nice if you could just keep this in mind.

I used to work with funeral directors, and they were companies that took a few percent of the money from donations. It was a major company that also did commercials on TV, but they quickly broke off the relationship. Nowadays, things like Aeon and cheap temporary monk businesses are rampant, but I'm against it. This is because an era will come when the survival of temples themselves will become difficult all over the country.

An offering is “money paid to maintain a temple” and “religious activity operation expenses” that can be stored in a temple by the client.
I couldn't help but think that “there is no shred of religion” in the sense of the lack of dignity of funeral directors who work on money called “donations” in the form of referral fees, which is also an expression of the religious spirit given by those donors. Temples cost various expenses due to annual insurance etc. for buildings.
Therefore, if possible, I would like to partner with a trader who knows even a little more about religion, humanity, and the logic of the world than the main money clerical traders that try to raise money.

I'm not saying this to you, but I'm saying “please forgive me” up to that point.
That's all for the complaints.
The monk industry has events several times a year at Motoyama and Oji Temple where many monks gather.
Please visit such events (Kaisan Kaisan Ki, Daiwon-ki, Gokaicho), etc.
There are probably traders that are already in such places, but of course, if they do a cheap and “good job,” it will come in handy.
Other people have already answered, but since other people will be able to see it, I answered it as an additional note.

Kotaro-sama

This is Kawaguchi Hidetoshi. This is my humble answer to the question.

Temples are different from ordinary corporations and private stores, so I know that even if they do business, a little bit of knowledge is necessary.

Among the many things, I think what is particularly important is the feeling of gratitude for “being involved with the Buddha.”

Since ancient times, temples (shrines, preachers) and groups of monks (sangas) have been formed by devotees.

For example, in the time of Shakyamuni, Gion Seisha and Chikurin Seisha were famous, and land and buildings were built with donations from believers, and Shakyamuni and his disciples were able to perform sermons, ascetic practices, and missionary activities with support from countless believers.

In particular, I think it can be said that believers were actively engaged in offering gifts from the viewpoint of being able to accumulate good deeds, in other words, to accumulate merits by being taught precious Buddhism and being involved with the Buddha.

Even now, temples have gatherings of parishioners and believers, which can be called “lectures,” or “service groups,” and there are many places that help with memorial services and events, clean buildings and grounds, prune trees, and perform various maintenance, etc.

Among them, for example, if there is a tatami shop among the parishioners and believers, they replace tatami mats, if there is an electronics shop, they change light bulbs, and I think that is the case even now, if there is a watch shop, they replace sliding doors and shoji. Of course, you will pay for materials, but it is common in such cases that labor and labor costs are due to service.

They probably often became temple entrants due to their livelihoods among such old-fashioned parishioners and believers, but recently, there are changes in the times, such as a decrease in the number of parishioners and believers, or changes in the times, such as substitutions or going out of business, etc., and I also think the current situation is that they are forced to rely on general traders.

Now, as I have mentioned above, I know that the results will be slightly different if you do business with that feeling, starting with the gratitude and gratitude of being involved in the Buddha's affairs, starting with the fact that you can first do business with that feeling.

I wish you all the best.

Kawaguchi Hidetoshi Gassho