The heir's trouble. How to be a monk

　My parents' house is a temple.

I have doubts about the state of my father, who is the chief priest, and I'm worried about my future.

Currently, I think people's interest in temples is fading little by little. Meanwhile, my parents' house is still supported by many parishioners, and it is built as a temple. However, I don't think my father understands how thankful it is.

I don't know the specific income (it may be misleading to call money received by monks as income), but they have transferred many luxury cars, bought lots of entertainment items, and binge drank and ate... There was no specific statement, but “being a monk is also an occupation. I think the root of the feeling that “you can use the income you earn without permission” is at the root.

A lot of construction was also carried out to manage the temple, and while a beautiful hall was built, there were times when many large trees were cut down, which were wonderful as a landscape.

I feel very ashamed, sad, and sorry to all the members of the parishioners. The number of days my mother tears over my father's “roughness” has increased. However, I also had the support of my father, and since I went on to a university in another prefecture that is not a Buddhist subject, it only becomes painful when I think that what I am doing is essentially the same as my father.

I don't think I want to be a monk like my father. However, it's a job where you face someone's death every day, and I think my father is struggling and thinking about managing it as a temple. It can also be very stressful. I also feel like I understand how my father feels when driving luxury cars around. Once again, I feel the difficulty of how temples and monks work today. “It's been too painful for me to take over.” “I want to live freely.” “I wanted to be born into a normal family.” It makes me think of it as a federation.

He has a troublesome personality, and his father is just one part of his worries. However, the time when people are forced to choose whether or not to follow the temple path is approaching, and I posted it because I wanted to listen to the words of people living as “monks.”

How do you deal with money as a monk? In the modern age where interest in temples is waning, how should we be as monks and temples in the future? Also, if there is someone who took over the parents' house after worrying, I'm sorry that the discussion leading up to that decision is vague as a consultation, but I would be grateful if you could give me any comments.

6 Zen Responses

On the other hand, teacher

You're very, very worried, aren't you?
I think it's wonderful that you are facing this way right now. I respect you. But sometimes there's nothing you can do about it. That's probably the case now.

Right now, while I work for a general company, I also have a temple as a family in my own way.

The circumstances are also different, and I don't know if it would be helpful.
What is no different from and is that I'm thinking about the future of temples more than anyone else.
There's no doubt about that.

I haven't written anything specific, but it would be nice if there were opinions from various people.

How about touching on the appeal of Buddhism itself

Hello.

It conveys his strict attitude towards the chief priest who is the father, and his anguish about succession.
It's probably not exactly the same situation, but as one of those troubled people at the time, I read your question with a slight sense of nostalgia.

There are many places that sympathize with your awareness of the problem.
Certainly, “luxury cars” aren't good.
The daily sustenance of monks is made up of offerings and offerings from parishioners, and this should be as ornate as possible and not surplus. The same goes for “lots of entertainment” and “binge drinking.”

However, on the other hand, you have your father's strict eyes as a monk, and at the same time, you are also thinking about that difficult position. There also seems to be a viewpoint that “it's a job where you face someone's death every day” and “there's also a lot of stress.” That's right. There is no basic day off for 365 days, phone calls are handled 24 hours a day, and it's hard to lose your mind that you are required to maintain your dignity as a monk on a daily basis.

However, that doesn't mean I can ride a “luxury car.”
However, this is also a matter of degree. As I heard from a chief priest, there was a case where a car that had been ridden for over 10 years was replaced with a new regular car, and the surrounding parishioners told them that it was a “luxury car,” and if they had that kind of money, they should use it to repair the main hall. I'm sorry about this.

In other words, since I don't ride in a “luxury car,” this is not the case when it comes to whether people around me recognize me as a proper monk. If so, speaking of what is the core of what is required as a monk and as a successor, it all comes down to one point: whether or not you can become a monk who has invested both body and mind in Buddhism.

If you say “it's not a Buddhist subject” or “you are going to college,” I think you haven't learned basic Buddhist skills. First, let's learn about Buddhism itself. I don't know your denomination, but I recommend that you buy your own books and take a basic course in some form.

The greater the backlash from “I don't want to be a monk like my father,” the more I am crushed by the pressure that I have to be ideal. Why don't you take a break from thinking about monks and temples in the midst of backlash and conflict, and come into contact with the appeal of Buddhism itself?

I didn't like Buddhism, but I fell in love with it.
If you have that kind of motivation, your career path will naturally be decided.

It's freedom

I was born in a temple, but there was a time when I still didn't want to take over. In my case, I went to ascetic practice because I had nothing else to do.
There was also the pressure of being called an afterthought.

To be honest, I felt the meaning of becoming a monk because I really knew that I would be saved by seriously facing Buddhism. I had a lot of trouble, and I wanted to be saved from there, and I learned the fact that I could be saved. That was after I finished my training.

Honestly, you are free to take over a temple without succession. because it's your life.

One thing I thought was “a personality that is easy to worry about,” and if that's the case, I think I can be saved if I seriously aim to become a boy.

Once saved, I want to tell others how to go. That's a natural progression.
Modern parishioners only have contracts, and there are also people who have little faith. I feel that this is because the Buddhist Church up until now has run away from nurturing people in a proper way.

Right now is the time for the Buddhist Church to take it seriously. Do you want to train and be saved yourself as a guide for others? Do you want to investigate yourself? If it's not there, I think it will still be out of place.

The management part changes depending on the chief priest. If you were to take over, it would be good if you changed at that time. Your father and you are different people, and you should become the monk you want to be.
Of course it doesn't have to be. That's because living the Buddha's way means you don't have a home or a monk.

While consulting with your own personality

And sama

https://hasunoha.jp/questions/53558

We have also answered here, so please check it out.

However, when the above questions and answers were picked up on Facebook (it is Hasunoha's mission to spread them on SNS to discuss questions and answers, use them as references, etc.), they were too sweet, and there was a storm of criticism...

Of course, what is required comes down to “ambition,” such as the origin and nurturing of bodhicitta and altruism, but suddenly I also think that is difficult.

As you go along, you won't flow low, you won't be wrapped up in long things, and you'll be able to overcome yourself.

There are quite a few people who are mentally ill. There are also suicides due to being too sick. No matter where in the world, reform requires that much determination, or something, there is natural insensitivity.

While consulting with your own personality.

Kawaguchi Hidetoshi Gassho

I came from home and became the successor of a relative's temple.

Me too
Feelings close to you
I was in love with the former chief priest of Jotsuji Temple.

At that time
Participate in the following interdenominational training
I learned to think positively.

http://mirai-j.net/next

A monk with similar feelings
I think a lot of people will participate.
Why don't you join us too?

Because there are many roads

I read it.
I understand that you are bothered like that, and although there are parts that I wouldn't be able to understand in detail without you, I somehow understand how you feel.

If you don't like it, you might not need to get involved in temples or ascetic practices for a while; for now, you can just practice ascetic practices and get a monk's qualification and do what you want, and I think it's okay to study what you want to study.

It may be extreme, but it's also okay to run away from a temple or Buddhism.

Incidentally, I also left a general university and went to ascetic training to get a qualification for the time being, and after that I ran away from temples and Buddhism altogether. After that, I hardly came back to my parents' house, much less help.

I worked as an office worker until I was 40 so I wouldn't get involved in temples; to be clear, I hated temples.

My father, who was the chief priest, suddenly passed away when I was 40, so I went back to the temple in a hurry, and for now I had to be the chief priest of the temple. I couldn't afford to kick my mother and family out of the temple, so I had no choice but to become the chief priest.

And maybe after 3 years... I began to understand the gratitude of the temples, the parishioners, and the people around me, and I wonder if little by little I began to see my role and the meaning and purpose of life after 5 years... In other words, I began to notice that I was facing suffering.

So I don't think I'm too dumb, and I think it's okay to live while doing a lot of things. Sometimes you can throw everything away and run away, and even so, you can restart because you still want to come back to learning Buddhism, or if you want to be useful to others.

Someone said it, but monks are a way of life, so it's okay for each person to have their own way of life and ambition. There are various denominations of Buddhism for one of them, right? In order to climb a mountain, there are steep and steep mountain trails on your own, there are also roads where everyone can climb slowly and in a friendly manner, and there are also roads where you can easily climb to the top of the mountain by getting on a helicopter. As it is, it is also each Buddhist sect, and it is also a way of life.

Rather than getting too bogged down, I wonder if I should first look at various worlds, try various experiences, and then try it after all...? But I think it's fine.

Please make effective use of this place again. I'm waiting for you.

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