Doing dharma work full time

[Positive Change]

Dharma and work when put together people focus on the money aspect... Yes, it is no doubt that many assume that Dharma work does not pay well... It need not be that way... Dharma careers in spreading the teachings of Buddha does not have to be "a loss business"

In today's modern age and time, we can make Dharma work not a losing "business". Work hard, be creative, generate funds to sustain the works, which can include your own wages. This does not mean however, you are greedy and be unreasonable!

Just my thoughts...plus, when one chooses Dharma as a career it should never be about the money... It is about benefitting others..

EXACTLY! Who is to say Dharma work cannot be an enterprising money making secular business that benefits others... In this day and age anything is possible through hard work and perseverance.

Especially when we take the actual pursuance of money as the object of happiness, and with the grace of our Great Protector Dorje Shugden, our business will flourish in order for us to use the money to benefit others. He is after all our Dharma protector and will undoubtedly remove all obstacles if our motivation is right...

[Gypsy]

I've come across this topic with a friend who was also confused, whether to give up his high pay job in "samsara" or to work for Dharma full time. He is very talented, he manages people well and very organized, a social butterfly who has lots of network. People think such a "useful" resource is gone to waste if he really gives up his current job and pursue his spiritual path.

After a few months of volunteering in that particular organization which he think he can actually find his true self, although with pay cut, he still go for it. Friends and families were so shocked of his dramatic choice but he didn't care. He thinks that working for Dharma and serve his guru is what he wants to pursue ultimately and only Dharma can lead him to betterment in life, not only current life but also future life. Now, i find him a happier boy, less attachment (he used to be serious party animal) and complaints, very compassionate to the people around him now.

So, Klein, just go all the way for Dharma, u wouldn't regret. It's the best gift ever u can give to yourself and indirectly it also benefit your family and people around you. JUST DO IT!

[Poonlarp]

Yes, I agree with WoselTenzin regarding: Whether we will be OK when we are old is not dependent on how much money we earn or have now.  Even if we make or have a lot of money now, all can be lost any time. 

However, let's face the truth, we need money to sustain everyday life if the organization didn't take care your accommodation and food. I think you need to plan well when you are working for Dharma full time. What I mean here is not to be sneaky, have money mind, but to understand that money is not the only we pursue in our life, and it's spiritual growth that's beneficial to our future lifes.

For example of a well plan is to have little saving for safety, if there's anything happen to ourself or others, we still have something to help us instead of staying helpless and waiting for others to give us support. 

Sorry I might not be right but just try to be practical so the Dharma journey can be more smooth and secure.

[Ensapa]

Personally, the fulfillment from Dharma work cannot compare with anything the material world has to offer. If you actually miss this chance, you will regret it when you dont get it anymore. Friends and money can never replace the happiness and satisfaction that you  get from serving your teacher and sangha. Your Dharma colleagues give you more warmth and support and love than any of your samsaric colleagues ever can give. After a while you will find no meaning in your life, especially if you have experienced the care and kindess of a dharma community....

[valeriecheung]

I rejoiced for people whom doing dharma work !

Some said to do dharma work NEED merit is true, if you don't have enough merit won't connect with dharma or your guru again. Need merit not to runaway when heard about dharma.

Some said to do dharma work is to GAIN merit which you need is true, if bad karma will rebirth in 3 lower realms then sure need to gain as much to less suffering by purification.

The fact is no matter is you need merit or to gain merit during dharma work, is the best choice ever especially at the same time you got the pay cheque to purify bad karma. How wonderful is this ! Get paid from sangha fund to practise dharma at the end you benefit from this and your work is to benefit others.

[Midakpa]

First, ask yourself why you want to do Dharma work full-time? If the answer is to benefit others, it is the correct answer because the motivation is pure. You have, perhaps, developed aspiring bodhicitta. At least the altruistic intention must be there. Outside Dharma, whatever good actions we perform do not create much merits because we don't have bodhicitta. In Dharma, the conditions are there for our good karma to ripen and we collect merits. What is money and savings for old-age compared to the merits accumulated doing Dharma work?  When you go full-time, you must not have negative thoughts and doubts about old-age. The Buddhas and holy beings have collected so much merits for future generations of sangha. Those who give up their self-cherishing for others will be taken care of. The Buddha promised and the Buddha does not lie.

[biggyboy]

I truly admire people who are prepared to give up high level good paying job to go into dharma full time.  I have friends who do that. Some of them are bit apprehensive at first not knowing what would happen when they take that pay cut and how they will cope. Miraculously they all survive; somehow they have whatever is needed at the right time.  Almost all will say that they are happier doing dharma service than in their last high paying job. How is that so?

I believe when one is willing to give up attachments and pursue a life of dharma service in benefitting others, the merits accumulated would surely see them through. Also I believe in time of need, Lord Buddha and Protector would not abandon anyone.

[ratanasutra]

Doing Dharma work full time with right attitude, we are creating a best insurance in the world for our old age and future life. We should not worry about what is going to happen with us in the future any more instead we should looking forwards for things that we can do for other. When we do more things for other, we will think lessen about ourself and gradually ourself become not matter any more. How we can develop this, everything still the same just change the focus, instead focus on me me me, we should focus out about other then we will feel the real happiness which will cultivate us to do more.

What is the best insurance in the world we have? If we do Dharma work with right attitudes,  speech and actions, so everyday we are collecting the merit so that we will not fall into the bad situation, terrible illness, horrible process of aging and the frightening moment of death. Even if it does happen, with the trained mind we will be able to accept and know to deal with it. If we can do it, even though the suffer is there but we don't feel that much suffer any more.

Why we never hear the case of monk or nun tell us that they are not sure and worry about their future? Come on.. obviously i think because of their mind already set to be detach and renounce since the day they ordained. May be we should set our mind to be renounce and detach etc and at a same time set the goal that we want to achieve when we make decision to do Dharma work full time.

 

[Ensapa]

As serious Buddhist practitioners, I do feel and think that doing dharma work fulltime is the best thing we can do to repay our Guru's kindness and the protector's kindness. The main reason why we do pray to our protector, or any Dharma protector at all is not for temporal gains but actually for conducive conditions for our Dharma practice. What could be more beneficial to us than serving the Lama and the Dharma directly?  Else, why would we adhere to our teachers and pray to the protector?

By working fulltime in Dharma, and assuming that we have a good and high paying job before we decide to do Dharma work fulltime, we are actually practicing renunciation in action as we leave our daily work jobs for something higher, something with a bigger goal, that is to attain liberation or to benefit others, depending on what the original motivation was, and to help support a cause that would lead more people into happy states and to lead people to liberation from their sufferings, both temporal and ultimate. That would be my motivation to work in Dharma fulltime.

With that said, sometimes i do lose track of my motivations. Although my motivation when I do not forget is to serve others and to benefit them in a better, more permanent and lasting way as compared to the other available methods in samsara, i often ignore the pleas and requests for help from my own Dharma colleagues and if they cannot finish their work, their own timelines suffer so if I refuse to help them because i am too afraid that it will also affect my personal work, is that not selfishness at play? Which is why I always try to help my Dharma colleagues whenever they need help no matter how busy I am because it will contradict directly the Dharma if i focus on myself and ignore their requests and thats kinda like the conclusion i come through.

In the end, I guess, motivation and mentality is very important. We can be in Dharma but the Dharma will not be in us if we are hard and resistant and bitter and unwilling to let go of old ideas of how office life is supposed to be and apply those principles in Dharma. It wont work because Dharma and samsara do not mix. If we do Dharma work but we backstab others and think of only how to gain fame and recognition, then we are not doing Dharma at all. We are just doing normal work. This is a thing to consider and contemplate on

[Dondrup Shugden]

It is interesting that I come across this posting as only last evening I was given a teaching by my Guru.  In which it was mentioned that there are many levels of materialism.

Some of us are still at the level of gaining wealth in the materialistic world and some of us have passed that need and attachment and reaching for the next level of what is next.

It is at the level of what is next that makes spirituality more powerful.  It is at this level that self and welfare of self is laid aside for the welfare of others.

So doing Dharma full time and not having a retirement benefit is alright because Dharma takes you beyond the current precious human life.

[pinecone]

Mahayana Buddhism generally uses the word dharma to refer to both the teachings of the Buddha and the realization of enlightenment. To speak of someone’s understanding of dharma is not to comment on how well that person can recite Buddhist doctrines but on his state of realization. If one particular person has committed dharma work full time he would have due consideration, deep thought before making the decision and proceed with such move and also not to act in the heat of the moment. Doing dharma with a positive mind , good motivation , harmoniously and selflessly will eventually bear good fruit at the end of the day.