Dhamma propagation in the engaged era: an economic perspective

Author: Ven. Dr. Thich Quang Thanh
Lecturer, Vietnam Buddhist University

Normally, most modern religious preachers, Buddhism in particular and other religions in general, always have to face with multi problems, challenges and hindrances in his practices and preaching activities, if he only depends on the support from Buddhists from all over the world, but not on his own capacities to do business. To solve that problem, doing business will be the most profitable and active road to not only provide financial support, so a Buddhist preacher can easily complete his engagements in life through these two means: social activities and preaching mission; but also to create favorable materialistic conditions for the Buddhist preacher to maintain his religious life for a long and solid time.

The theme: "Dhamma Propagation in the Engaged Age: An Economic Perspective" will open up a new route for us to share our thoughts and opinions before getting into doing business; and the answer to the problems which we are facing can only be solved by us doing business.

In the era of advanced sciences now, people become more busy, tired and live under a lot of pressure when they come to face with challenges, difficulties and competition in life; and to move along with the flow of modern social life in order to satisfy their needs in life. Due to that very fact, people's perceptions and morality degrade more and more before the attacking waves of the complex materialistic civilization. Therefore, a Buddhist preacher in the modern time has to know what to do to help and to have compassion for human beings, so that they will have a better life materialistically and spiritually? Of course, he has to engage in social life to realize the tasks of "taking away sufferings and offering happiness" for everybody, according to the motto 'propagating the true Dhamma, profiting human beings", based on the theory of "in accordance with causal conditions without being changed one's Buddha nature". But that is only a theory in life; in reality, the difficulties and hindrances for a Buddhist preacher to participate in social activities are the lack of fund resources. This is an important and urgent matter which determines whether Buddhist social activities of the propagating faculty, in particular, and the Buddhist Sangha, in general, will be successful or failure. To solve that problem, preachers, like us, have to know how to raise fund so that we will have enough to maintain and to develop the preaching missions to bring happiness to people. The theme: "The Dhamma Preaching in Engaged Age: An Economic Perspective" will open up a new route for us to share our thoughts and opinions before getting into doing business; and the answer to the problems which we are facing can only be solved by us doing business.

Of course, we know that most religious preachers, Buddhism in particular, and other religions in general, have to depend on the dana from kind-hearted devotees to survive in life. There are four main materialistic offerings: clothing, foods, beddings and medicines. As a result, they (the preachers) always face much hardship in life for their practices and preaching, unless they receive enough help from the Buddhist devotees. This is a bare fact which no one can deny. To further prove my points, I would like to examine these two matters in details:

1. Practicing Matter

If a Buddhist wants to practice to develop his mind with a hungry stomach and a feeble body then how can his practice get him to anywhere? To nowhere, of course, because even the Buddha had tried the ascetic method himself such as: grinding his teeth, pressing his tongue on the palate, restraining the unwholesome thoughts with wholesome ones, etc.; or controlling breathing through his nose, mouth and ears, etc.; practicing nude, eating only once a week, no bathing, no sitting but standing, or leaning against the wall, or sitting on his feet's heels; living in the forest during the day, at night living outside in the cold winter; or living outside, under the sun during the day, at night living in the thick forest in the hot summer weather, etc. . . But, the result was his body and mind got weaken and painful, and the Buddha himself declared that:

...even by this procedure, by this course, by this mortification, did not reach states of further-men or the excellent knowledge and insight befitting the Aryans. What was the cause of this? It was that by these there is no reaching the Aryan intuitive wisdom which, when reached, is Aryan, leading onwards, and which leads onwards the doer of it to the complete destruction of anguish.

Indeed, with a lifeless body which reflected only his exhaustion, that could not be a skilful means to reach the liberated mind, thus the Buddha had given up on the ascetic practices and returned to a more balanced one. That was the practice of the Middle Path, a method which stayed away from the two extremes: the ascetic life and the self-indulgent one, and thanks to that path, he had attained the Enlightenment.

2. Preaching Matter

As we all know, the materialistic conditions always play a key role in deciding whether a Dhamma preacher would be successful in all of his activities such as: practicing and serving the Sangha; taking charge of free distribution of Dhamma books to the remote areas; organizing Dhamma talks in the cities and remote areas; organizing the yearly summarized meeting, or other inter-relationship activities such as: organizing festivals, conferences, forums, discussion groups, summer camp, etc.; propagating the Dhamma through humanitarian social activities like: helping poor families, agent orange or HIV patients, relief aids for the flood and natural disasters victims etc.. . . All of the activities mentioned above, a preacher in the modern time has to encompass, so if he does not have enough financial support, how could he accomplish his mission as a Dhamma preacher? Or does he have to depend on the help and supports from

Buddhist devotees, benefactors, or organized groups? That problem is constantly in the mind of the preacher in the modern time.

Therefore, we can strongly affirm that: a preacher in the modern time always has to face with multi problems, challenges and hindrances in his practices and preaching activities, if he only depends on the support from Buddhists from all over the world, but not on his own capacities to do business. To solve that problem, doing business will be the most profitable and active road to not only provide financial support, so a Buddhist preacher can easily complete his engagements in life through these two means: social activities and preaching mission; but also to create favorable materialistic conditions for the Buddhist preacher to maintain his religious life for a long and solid time. Realizing that the Buddhist preacher in the modern time does not completely have to depend on the support and Dana from the Buddhist devotees; on the contrary, he should consciously cut down on his dependency on the materialistic help from the Buddhists or any organized groups, and he himself should participate in the economic business based on the spirit of "depending but not changing" through many different means such as: writing; teaching; cultivating vegetables and fruits; farming rice fields; producing tofus, soybean milk, etc.; producing vegetarian foods; incenses; publishing Buddhist books; producing and distributing Dhamma talks recording on CD-VCD-DVD formats,... or even opening painting shops, vegetarian restaurants, and other Buddhist artifacts, travel company or job placement company; or whatever business types as long as they are in accordance with the Buddhist teachings. . .

However, we have to realize that doing business is a double-edged knife which can easily cut through our own personalities and perceptions as well as others, if we are not being aware enough, uncontrollable and too greedy before the sweet but toxic drugs of worldly sensual pleasures while we are doing business for profits. Because according to the businessman's principle "business is a battle field"; it's an indispensable principle of almost all businessmen who are obliged to obey it. Hence, almost all business companies while doing business, they have to use their sharp mind to calculate, to compete, to use tricks and to plan wickedly to defeat their weaker counterparts, in order to survive and to develop their own business in the society. Thus, what can a Buddhist preacher do to avoid getting into those unlawful but unavoidable tactics when he's in business like others? I would like to leave the answer to those who have always concerned and worried about the real challenges for a Buddhist preacher in the modern time.
We hope to receive suggestions and opinions from all concerned readers and other respected Buddhist masters!

References

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Ambedkar, B.R., The Buddha and His Dhamma, Nagpur - India: Buddha Bhoomi Publication, 1997.

Nanamoli, The Life of the Buddha, Kandy - Sri-Lanka: Buddhist Publication Society, 1998.

Schumann, H.W. (Auth); & Phuorng Lan (djch), Due Phat Lich Su, TPHCM: Vien Nghien Cuu Phat Hoc Viet Nam, 1997.

Ven. Narada, The Buddha and His Teachings, Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society, 1997.

Wickremesinghe, K.D.P., The Biography of the Buddha, Colombo: Priyanka Lakshman Wickremesinghe, 2002.