Do good things for the world!

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JerryWestern12
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Do good things for the world!

Post by JerryWestern12 »

Hi all! I'm an aspiring digital designer and I want to promote Buddhism to earn my living. Are there any ways to do this for the benefit, and not to the detriment of culture? I would be extremely grateful for any advice!
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DNS
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Re: Do good things for the world!

Post by DNS »

JerryWestern12 wrote: Thu Oct 13, 2022 10:14 pm Hi all! I'm an aspiring digital designer and I want to promote Buddhism to earn my living. Are there any ways to do this for the benefit, and not to the detriment of culture? I would be extremely grateful for any advice!
Welcome to DW!

You want to do it with the idea of it being your career and earning income? There are exceptions, but in general, religious institutions and non-profits pay very little, if at all to all the people running those places. They rely on volunteers for many of their tasks and they are unpaid.

For example, the admins and moderators of this site and the affiliated websites to this are all unpaid volunteers. And the websites do not produce any income as there are no subscription fees nor any advertising.

There are some large organizations that do hire once in a while, but those are probably hard to find.
Jack19990101
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Re: Do good things for the world!

Post by Jack19990101 »

If you do intend to seek Dhamma as refuge, keep it holy within you.

Don't let money entangled with the refuge. It is detrimental to the Path if you establish & associate money stress with Buddha's image & its peripherals.

This disconnection would keep Buddha Dhamma as an peaceful inner shelter when stress is down upon you.
SarathW
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Re: Do good things for the world!

Post by SarathW »

JerryWestern12 wrote: Thu Oct 13, 2022 10:14 pm Hi all! I'm an aspiring digital designer and I want to promote Buddhism to earn my living. Are there any ways to do this for the benefit, and not to the detriment of culture? I would be extremely grateful for any advice!
Perhaps you should consider Youtube or similar to monetize your videos.
So you can build a follower base and some may pay you via Patereon.
Some Dhamma teachers ask for donations.
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
TRobinson465
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Re: Do good things for the world!

Post by TRobinson465 »

JerryWestern12 wrote: Thu Oct 13, 2022 10:14 pm Hi all! I'm an aspiring digital designer and I want to promote Buddhism to earn my living. Are there any ways to do this for the benefit, and not to the detriment of culture? I would be extremely grateful for any advice!
Your question is a bit vague. But if you want to promote Buddhism in a beneficial way, with whatever medium you plan on doing it on, you should focus your work on positive representation of Buddhism, the promotion of Buddhist practices like generosity, precepts and meditation, and do your due diligence so that any Buddhist teachings you promote are promoted accurately and with good intentions. If you run into cases where there is some conflict in interpretation you can take an objective approach and just say something like "Mahayana Buddhists believe this, but Theravada Buddhists believe that, Classical Theravada Buddhists believe this, but some modern Western Theravadins believe that" etc. Rather than preaching a position and saying these or those people are wrong, which may just breed discord.
"Do not have blind faith, but also no blind criticism" - the 14th Dalai Lama

"The Blessed One has set in motion the unexcelled Wheel of Dhamma that cannot be stopped by brahmins, devas, Maras, Brahmas or anyone in the cosmos." -Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta
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JamesTheGiant
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Re: Do good things for the world!

Post by JamesTheGiant »

JerryWestern12 wrote: Thu Oct 13, 2022 10:14 pm Hi all! I'm an aspiring digital designer and I want to promote Buddhism to earn my living. Are there any ways to do this for the benefit, and not to the detriment of culture? I would be extremely grateful for any advice!
Most of the design work is done free by Buddhist volunteers who are also digital designers.
So that would be difficult for you to make a living from.

Sorry I don't think there's much money in Buddhism for an individual, although I guess well known meditation teachers like Kornfeld and Salzberg and that lot do make a good income from teaching and writing and therapy.
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Johann
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Re: Do good things for the world!

Post by Johann »

JerryWestern12 wrote: Thu Oct 13, 2022 10:14 pm Hi all! I'm an aspiring digital designer and I want to promote Buddhism to earn my living. Are there any ways to do this for the benefit, and not to the detriment of culture? I would be extremely grateful for any advice!
Good householder,

Going after one's living and doing merits are for people not yet living from alms good perceived as two things, good householder.
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammā-sambuddhassa

One should not make an effort everywhere,
should not be another's hireling,
should not live dependent on another,
should not go about
as a trader in the Dhamma.
Although the whole heritage is nearly sold off and less found not just make a living on it, itjs good not to join.

Nothing wrong it one would approach good householder, saying: "Make a pleasing place for those Venerables", giving a loan for it.
Nothing wrong, but huge merits, when good householder thinks: "Why not sharing my skills for those worthy of gifts."

If wishing to promote the Noble Ways then there is no other then act noble by oneself, following the Noble Ones in their ways.

Even "slaves" of the religion, those working for an earning in monasteries, are always under suspection, don't have an easy, not to speak of most monastery and Dhamma trader, who do not much for glory in this world and on the other path.

But again, it's surely not a wrong to approach for example householder and tell them, that if they like to progress something for the Sangha, one would be glad to be able to do such job rather then entertainment or even porn-pages.
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Johann
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Re: Do good things for the world!

Post by Johann »

As it came to mind: Short time ago the founding developer of Q2A joyfully gave personally a blessing that the Buddhaparisa may make use of it for good and Dhammas prosperty.

As there is actually nearly no such sphere given, where good Venerables (but also their faithful following) could be addressed in remorseless surrounding: maybe finding some devoted who would desire to give such possibility for meeting the monks in the Internet realm, outside of TOS and trade.

Inviting Venerables to teach and explain there then, to make use and guide there. Commercial spheres like s-exchange or quora... are inaccessible for those serious with proper conduct and sphere in Dhamma.

Another "Sangha-messenger", delta-chat. Usefull if the app would be connected with a given email server for the Buddhaparisa.

But sure that are just inspirations where there is surely as much need in internet as for cement worker and worker with moral out on field.

The fact that most don't see wrong when it comes to internet (sadly formost even monks), by common usuals, doesn't mean that there isn't huge place for high merits and tonnes of work. Even non-commercial social gathering places are very very rare, not even found on national community levels. Sure, hard to find those trusting beyond ease and consume, willing to give "Dhamma a home", better " Sangha place to dwell, approach".

Maybe good to remind that many, even popular open-source or even GNU Dhamma lifelihood and robinhood undertakings, aren't at all for good, but simply pulling the heritage out.

The fact that there is certain less moral and work for independence in regard of matters on internet and Buddhist makes it surely difficult to do a different.
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