Dinner with Famous Monk Sells for 10 Million Won

[icy]

Not a bad deal that comes in a twin package - a monk being sold at auction for 10 million won wtih a dinner and mentoring session.  Are Koreans suffering from lack of spirituality?


A dinner and mentoring session with Buddhist monk Ven. Haemin have sold at auction for 10 million won.

K Auction, an artworks auctioneer, said the sale started at 3 million won and ended at 10 million won (11.32 million won including commission), Wednesday.

The successful bidder and three others will attend the dinner and mentoring session.

The money, with the exception of meal costs, will be donated to WeStart to support children from low-income families.

The Harvard-educated monk became better known as a youth mentor after his "Things You Can Finally See When You Stop" became a bestseller in 2012.

Haemin Sunim has more than 1 million followers on Twitter, mostly young people. He also was the first Korean monk to teach in the United States, as a professor at Hampshire College in Massachusetts.

[email protected],




Buddhist monk Haemin gives a lecture at Seoul National University in June 2012. / Korea Times file

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2015/05/116_178494.html

[Dondrup Shugden]

Although it is very enterprising of Ven. Haemin, I was just wondering why should Buddhism be spread in such a fashion only to the elite who has money.

Would it be a better cause for the proceeds go to spreading the Dharma in 10 directions and beneficial to many more Koreans as from what is happening looks like Koreans are dying to gain some spirituality. Or is this bidding a process of the ego to be recognised?

Not my intention to question a venerable monk but just out of curiosity. No offence intended, but my point of view.

[Kim Hyun Jae]

Is Venerable Haemin the first Buddhist monk to raise funds through an auction? I find this an interesting way to raise fund in such manner. On the other hand, as Dondrup Shugden mentioned, were the invited guests or patrons in the auction amongst the rich of riches? If so, then this group is an elite wealthy group who may not have Buddhist background (my own assumption) but are keen to explore more with Venerable Haemin over 3 hours of private dinner with him.

There weren't much detail about the We Start project that the auctioned donations when I search online, so I was keen to know more, if anyone else knows more.
 

[Dondrup Shugden]

Thank you, Kim Hyun Jae for researching on We Start project.  Seems to be drawing a blank from my end too.

Interesting if someone can throw some light on this very interesting piece of article.

[lotus1]

It maybe the skillful mean for Venerable Haemin to spread the Dharma.
Anyway, as we do not know his motivation, and what are results he gained at the end of it, it is best we do not criticize him.

In this degenerated age, although it may not be what the normal people will do to action himself for the charity, if he manage to create some connections for the wealthy people to BuddhaDharma, it is still good for me.