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Re: 100kg Thai gold for Shrine

Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 4:06 pm
by mahat
We are being way too judgmental. The King of Thailand is the richest monarch on earth (that's what I read).

He has donated millions to other charitable causes and this is just one of his many gifts.

The greater beauty of the monument will lure more tourists which will help the local population who are really, really poor.

There is so much opportunity to make merit in that area by helping the locals who are in extreme poverty. You would think all the Buddhists there would help them. But alas no. We like to criticize others, but when it's our turn we fail.

Let us keep our eye on ourselves and what we do and not do. :namaste:

Re: 100kg Thai gold for Shrine

Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 5:52 pm
by mahat
I found this wonderful link to a school in Bodha Gaya funded by donations from Buddhists around the world. The school apparently started in a monastery and now is a full fledged school and of course teaches children no matter what their religion and has teachers from every religion, wonderful viewing:

http://www.youtube.com/embed/TJ2zDmHemMA

Here's another school in the same area funded through charity:

http://www.bodhitreeeducationalfoundation.org

Yes, $15 million would have gone a long way to funding more schools…but that just lets other Buddhists have a chance. :twothumbsup:

Re: 100kg Thai gold for Shrine

Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 8:39 pm
by lyndon taylor
Well I guess $5 million in gold seems like a lot to us mere mortals, but to a hollywood celebrity its just a cheap vacation house, maybe we could convince Richard Gere to sell one of his houses and give to the poor of Bodhagaya.........

Re: 100kg Thai gold for Shrine

Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 9:07 pm
by cooran
To the poor people of Bihar it would have made life-changing difference.

Karuna,
Chris

Re: 100kg Thai gold for Shrine

Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 9:21 pm
by lyndon taylor
You have to ask yourself, if the Buddha were alive today would he vote for the gold dome?? and I think from what we know of his opinions on such in scripture, the answer would have to be a resounding NO!!

Re: 100kg Thai gold for Shrine

Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 9:45 pm
by Bhikkhu Pesala
lyndon taylor wrote:You have to ask yourself, if the Buddha were alive today would he vote for the gold dome?? and I think from what we know of his opinions on such in scripture, the answer would have to be a resounding NO!!
The Buddha doesn't get to vote on this. If people want to donate gold to him he will refuse it, but if they want to donate it to a pagoda it is not his business.

When Visākhā donated the Migāramātupāsāda it cost 90 million, and the site on which it was built cost the same.

The Buddha accepted the monastery, together with its lavish furnishings.

Re: 100kg Thai gold for Shrine

Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 9:53 pm
by DNS
mahat wrote: The greater beauty of the monument will lure more tourists which will help the local population who are really, really poor.
This is true. I have seen this here in the U.S. Shambhala Mountain was somewhat known as a Vajrayana retreat center in the Colorado Rockies. After they built the 108 foot stupa, people flocked and it is one of the most famous retreat centers in the U.S. I have seen tour buses come and they receive donations from tourists going on tours of the place.

The same is true for HSI-LAI in Los Angeles. Groups of people, even non-Buddhists come to see the huge facility.

As the saying goes, "give a man a fish, feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, feed him for life." That would be great if the generosity the Thai people are doing ends up in greater tourism and business for the people in Bihar.

Re: 100kg Thai gold for Shrine

Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 9:54 pm
by Hickersonia
lyndon taylor wrote:You have to ask yourself, if the Buddha were alive today would he vote for the gold dome?? and I think from what we know of his opinions on such in scripture, the answer would have to be a resounding NO!!
I'm honestly not entirely sure we can know for certain that the Buddha would say much about it at all... that would be a bit like telling people what to do do with money, which if I'm remembering the Vinaya rules right, is not allowed.

I agree with you for the most part, but it is also none my business to tell people what to do with their money. :anjali:

Re: 100kg Thai gold for Shrine

Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 9:55 pm
by DNS
lyndon taylor wrote:You have to ask yourself, if the Buddha were alive today would he vote for the gold dome??
Why would anyone vote on what someone else can do with their generosity? Choose your own place for your own generosity and let others do what they want with their generosity seems pretty common sense to me.

Re: 100kg Thai gold for Shrine

Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 10:00 pm
by lyndon taylor
I don't know that I would want to be quoted saying my opinion or vote on a matter is more important than the buddha's. Seems in the scriptures I remember the Buddha teaching he did not want to be honoured by stupas or statues. Are we to argue that honouring the buddha is more important than following the directions he gave??

Re: 100kg Thai gold for Shrine

Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 10:03 pm
by DNS
lyndon taylor wrote:Seems in the scriptures I remember the Buddha teaching he did not want to be honoured by stupas or statues. Are we to argue that honouring the buddha is more important than following the directions he gave??
Reference?

Re: 100kg Thai gold for Shrine

Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 10:10 pm
by DNS
lyndon taylor wrote:Seems in the scriptures I remember the Buddha teaching he did not want to be honoured by stupas or statues. Are we to argue that honouring the buddha is more important than following the directions he gave??
I'll save you the trouble of looking for the reference. There is none. The Buddha never forbade statues or stupas. The first representations of the Buddha-Dhamma were footprints or the Dhamma Wheel, but not due to any rule.

Re: 100kg Thai gold for Shrine

Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 10:14 pm
by daverupa
David N. Snyder wrote:
lyndon taylor wrote:Seems in the scriptures I remember the Buddha teaching he did not want to be honoured by stupas or statues. Are we to argue that honouring the buddha is more important than following the directions he gave??
Reference?
Aww, you know there isn't one...

A specific reference from the Mahaparinibbana Sutta is that layfolk would deal with all of that funereal stuff & that monks weren't to bother themselves over such things. There weren't any stupas back then like nowadays - they were probably more akin to earthen mounds. Stone chaityas and stupas probably arose later due to Dharmaguptaka influence, and then only in the northwest, at first.

Re: 100kg Thai gold for Shrine

Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 10:32 pm
by lyndon taylor
http://www.osho.com/library/online-libr ... 2-822.aspx

I don't know how reliable this source is, but it definetely isn't the first time I've read in the literature that the Buddha did not want to be honoured by statues or temples.

Re: 100kg Thai gold for Shrine

Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 11:10 pm
by DNS
lyndon taylor wrote:http://www.osho.com/library/online-libr ... 2-822.aspx

I don't know how reliable this source is, but it definetely isn't the first time I've read in the literature that the Buddha did not want to be honoured by statues or temples.
Osho; definitely not a reliable source. That is the Rajneesh cult. It was/is a common misconception about the Buddha. There is no source for that any where in the Tipitaka.