Japan's monks turn to wife matchmaking parties

[Jessie Fong]

Buddhist monks in Japan have permission to marry and raise their own families. A lot of them have their own family-owned temples.  In order to ensure that the temples are left to their successors, many monks have resorted to looking for their life partners at match-making parties. This is one of the ways to raise interest in Buddhism.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/8850130/Japans-monks-turn-to-wife-matchmaking-parties.html

Buddhism, the nation's second major faith after Shinto, has suffered a steep decline in popularity in recent years, with many temples facing financial difficulties as a result.
A growing number of innovative projects have been developed by Buddhist temples in Japan in order to revive interest and income – from opening jazz lounges and beauty salons to catwalk shows and hip hop concerts.

[DS Star]

This practice may seem unusual to common Buddhists in other part of the world but in Japan it had been practice since 1872 when the Meiji government decreed that Buddhist monks and priests (but not nuns) should be free to marry if they chose to do so.

"Temple families" soon became commonplace and the administration of temples and monasteries became family businesses, handed down from fathers to sons.

However, this kind of practice is not new in Buddhists world. Among Tibetan Buddhism there were a time when monks were married too. Now Buddhist Lamas (teachers) for the same reason, i.e. to carry on the lineage, but they are not monks. They have to return their monks vows to do that. One of of the more popular teachers is Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche (February 28, 1939 – April 4, 1987).

He disrobed to marry English girl, Diana Pybus and had children with her, who are later recognised as Rinpoches. Before that he also had a child in India, this child is later known as Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, an incarnation of the famous "Mipham the Great".

Rinpoche,  the eleventh Trungpa tülku, was a Buddhist meditation master and holder of both the Kagyu and Nyingma lineages. He is a recognised "tertön", he was the supreme abbot of the Surmang monasteries;  founder of Vajradhatu and Naropa University and establishing the Shambhala Training method. He was the prominent master that brought Tibetan Buddhism to the West.

So for a high lama or highly attained teachers, the practice of getting married and having children is not a negative action. As a matter of fact, it is for the benefits of others, that is for the continuity of the lineage. In the case of Japan's Buddhist monks, we can say that it is what needed by their society.

[Big Uncle]

I kinda disagree with monks taking on wives. Then, why be a monk? Just be a lay vow-holder and spread the Dharma that way. It does not make sense at all. The crux of the Vinaya is the maintenance of chastity. There are of course powerful reasons for this that the Buddha had set forth. When the tradition of monks dies of, Buddhism will also die off from that country. I think that the Japanese 'monks' will continue to struggle to maintain relevance with Japanese society because they had already abandoned the Vinaya. They might as well be in lay clothes and spread the Dharma that way.

[cookie]

I have to agree with Big Uncle that if the monks want to keep their monk hood then they must uphold their vows and not get wives. If they want to have wives to "continue" the legacy in their temples then disrobe and run the temple as lay people. As lay persons they can also help to spread the Dharma . That way the Vinaya vows are kept pure and sacred. Dharma is then not tainted and misconstrued by others to be inconsistent.

[Freyr Aesiragnorak]

Agreed. If you are to be called a "monk" celibacy is implied. Lay men/women or priests, according to the specific tradition, should have families if they so choose. There is no need in trying to be a monk if you want to have relationships or a family.

I am in no way deriding others, but this is just my opinion. I know some people who have taken lay vows and are spreading the Buddhist teachings just fine and are benefiting people immensely. However I also know monks who do the same thing. You can do it either way, though the tradition of celibacy begun by the Buddha himself should be upheld. We may not realise it know, but if we were really to study and learn up the reasons why Buddha began the tradition would make sense for our spiritual path.

[OMB]

I totally agree with Big Uncle and Cookie.  Absolutely no way that one's practice of the ethical way of life can be pure against the Vinaya vows.

[RedLantern]

There must be a better word to apply to some male adherents of Buddhism than "monk".If there isn't,then perhaps we ought to make one because in English "monk" denotes a man living in a separated religious community and abiding by vows-especially of poverty,obedience,chastity,humility- in pursuit of spiritual purification through the self discipline of study , worship and service.

[Q]

If I'm not mistaken, previously, the monks in Tibet (not sure with school of Tibetan buddhism thought...) would also take a wife, however they will be observe celibacy once they have a son.

Frankly speaking, I'm in no position to agree or disagree with this issue. Buddhism is the only religion that have been evolving as people evolve. Perhaps this is something that will eventually come to past for all Buddhist schools in the future... who knows!

Unfortunately, as the rules of temples and monks/nuns keep shrinking in Japan... it is very bad indeed. It just goes to say that the people in this region, although are Buddhists, they are not practicing and are degenerating the fastest. With the arrivals of buddhist bars etc... it is not the temple or the monks that are at fault, but it is the environment that forces these ordained holy monks to take an extra step to reach out to the people of that area.

I would have preferred if they not marry and perhaps adopt children and raise the children as their own to succeed the temples (after all, I'm sure Japan have orphans right?). Some people may argue that the kids may not want to succeed the temple if they are adopted, but then again, in this day and age, we ourselves can't guarantee that our own children will succeed our business etc...

[diablo1974]

There's no way i am agreeing on this. If monks and nuns wanted to get marry, please disrobe and return your vows. Prior to this, please do not use dharma as a convenience to do things against the vinaya. For long term, if many were to follow, it will become a trend and fashion, then what happen to the vinaya codes which is consider one of the pillars of buddhism.

[brian]

This practice may seem unusual to common Buddhists in other part of the world but in Japan it had been practice since 1872 when the Meiji government decreed that Buddhist monks and priests (but not nuns) should be free to marry if they chose to do so.

"Temple families" soon became commonplace and the administration of temples and monasteries became family businesses, handed down from fathers to sons.

However, this kind of practice is not new in Buddhists world. Among Tibetan Buddhism there were a time when monks were married too. Now Buddhist Lamas (teachers) for the same reason, i.e. to carry on the lineage, but they are not monks. They have to return their monks vows to do that. One of of the more popular teachers is Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche (February 28, 1939 – April 4, 1987).

He disrobed to marry English girl, Diana Pybus and had children with her, who are later recognised as Rinpoches. Before that he also had a child in India, this child is later known as Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, an incarnation of the famous "Mipham the Great".

Rinpoche,  the eleventh Trungpa tülku, was a Buddhist meditation master and holder of both the Kagyu and Nyingma lineages. He is a recognised "tertön", he was the supreme abbot of the Surmang monasteries;  founder of Vajradhatu and Naropa University and establishing the Shambhala Training method. He was the prominent master that brought Tibetan Buddhism to the West.

So for a high lama or highly attained teachers, the practice of getting married and having children is not a negative action. As a matter of fact, it is for the benefits of others, that is for the continuity of the lineage. In the case of Japan's Buddhist monks, we can say that it is what needed by their society.

Thank you for this info, although still baffled by the policy but cannot agree more on the tradition succeeding side.

[Kim Hyun Jae]

I guess I can see why monks or nuns need to be single versus being married.

If sangha members are single, they can and will focus on the required monastic rules, regulations, practice and do retreats and dharma to further their practice.

If sangha members were once monk but disrobe for certain reasons, and have children - they usually would have to return to mundane lives of paying bills, dealings with daily worries, taxes, housings, employment etc.

However, after saying that, those who disrobed may follow certain instructions from their teacher to do so to continue the lineage and in order for little Rinpoche's to arise from parents who were monks or nuns before.

In the case of the decline practice of Buddhism in Japan, I guess the sangha members there need to make ends meet by going into samsaric business to capture the customers attention and impart dharma into them via these methods. It may be named "skillful" means as well.
 

[rossoneri]

I guess there're reasons for monks or nuns to be single, it requires a lot of hard work and discipline to be able for one to focus on Dharma and to do that, the best is not require the sangha members to deal with worldly things or samsaric activities let alone getting married and have children. Unless you are a highly attained masters and have reasons to be married and have children, if not, i disagree sangha members to be involved in this samsaric activity to further deteriorate into the world of samsara.

[bambi]

I find it weird for monks to be married but I understand that there are highly attained monks who does it for a higher reason. As for these monks in Japan, to marry for such reasons is just wrong. Why cant lay persons be the ones doing it instead? Maybe they can try consolidating some of the temples instead so that the funds can be centralised and then reopen more temples when it is stable.

[dondrup]

Has Buddhism in Japan degenerated so much so that marriage is permissible for monks? It is ethically wrong according to the monk vows. These Japanese monks should return their vows and robes and become lay practitioners instead. Wouldn't it be more appropriate to let the lay practitioners manage the temples instead of the married monks? This phenomenon in Japan confuses the general public about the boundaries of monkhood. 

[Manisha Kudo]

A decree given by a King to allow the monks to marry 300 hundred years ago does not override the Vinaya rule of chastity. Why the King allowed such a practice, I have no clue. But maybe they shouldn't be referred to as a "monk" but perhaps a Buddhist temple priest. Just like a Hindu priest is allowed to marry but some Yogic practitioners hold the vows of celibacy. The roles are set apart quite clearly. It is important so as not the confuse the lay persons.