Many people here in the "West" are only too happy to hear wonderful stories from the Orient and to believe. Then come all sorts of messages, wisdom, and even learn from another, unknown to us, parts of the world. Since I read books to me are in this genre already writings on Yoga, Sufism, shamanism, nature religions, cults, ghosts and demons of natives of distant lands and islands, not least of Vedic scriptures and Buddhism meet.
more or less freely and unencumbered suffer from the current problems in which these messages in their countries of origin, I have this with thousands of other "Westerners" in our relatively cozy, with plenty of material goods equipped world took note. In all that we were there for the last few decades would be to take too much, so I will confine myself to Buddhism.
is readily available in this country is a lama, a monk, a Zen master, a guru or whatever seems to be associated with the Buddhist traditions related to spontaneously bring a lot of attention, respect and devotion towards. Thus the members of someone I know, in the context of Tibetan Buddhism standing group in jest the concept of "Tibetans worship" was invented, because all visitors and members passed in awe when turned up a Tibetan, no matter if this is a Rinpoche, Lama, or even a simple Laie was.
The same phenomenon also affects the other traditions. In Zen I have seen only from a relative distance. Even with friends of the Theravada tradition rich robes like a robe or a gown, and Asian languages often sufficient to impress everyone. Even German and other European "masters" blind successfully with the claim appropriate "authorization" of mostly already deceased teachers and lineage holders get to have.
In Cologne, there was a great young Burma "monk" named Sopaka a long time, the Theravada impressed people from the area and even some Burmans. In Cologne, it was some time "Center" held for disposal. Roughly speaking, a Asian wraps himself in the relevant substance, which is rudimentary familiar with Buddhism, and an exotic foreign language, may influence in Germany and make sure in other European countries, a rapid rise.
What all these champions, role models, abbots, monks and so do not expect is that the first so start blinded studies isolated source to operate and become familiar with the Pali canon, and even study the Vinaya (the monastic rules). These "forbidden" studies show then, that not only the blending of gullible Europeans against the "rules" does, but also long and eagerly Customs has maintained from the Theravada countries, a far cry from the original meaning. Also, the rules often apply only areas where they are useful and in places where they require effort and honesty, they are overlooked easily.
The latter I will describe the example of the monk U Uttara. A few years ago I was introduced to these monks of Burmans. He spoke good English and gained wide recognition from those living in Germany Burmans. He was / is a founding member, and also named the first chairman of the newly founded association Buddha Sasana Ramsi.
This monk was looking after the founding association with space and room to build a temple, what was, after some time with donations of money and a lot of volunteer help, especially the Burmans succeeded. In the time of the construction of this temple was found that the monk U Uttara a tight ship and led the club ever gets to determine who represents the temple, and that club and heads. For me, as Europeans, nothing special, that a monk leads a club, although I am curious about the club's management a bit surprised. To make a long story, the monk accepted for years until May 2010 Donation of Burma and other temple visitors who used them for travel transactions and strange. He bullying everyone, including other monks, not him enough were shown and where there was a risk that they might have their own opinions. Ultimately, his club and temple leadership led to the Burmans quarreled and split into several camps, none of which was able to run the temple remains. The newly established temple was pointed out temporarily abandoned.
Here is the current home of the monk and one of his employees.
text on this site are, in contrast to the past, only to Burmesisch.
The photographs Burmans in the slide show below originate from earlier times and are linked to the home page. They will probably suggest that there is still a lively and gives the monk devoted community.
slideshow of photos from 2009
From the perspective of ancient Buddhist monastic rules as I understand it looks like this:
The monks are the Sangha and the laity take care of the housing and the material welfare of the monks. The monks may indeed express wishes, but did not intervene actively in the work of the laity. In other words, a monk can not and should not be a club board . A layman can not and must not interfere in Sangha affairs. If now to disregard the rules by example the monk to meet him brought respect to the expansion of its own abuses of power, then problems arise. Lay people can and can not really object to the monks, which is fine if the monks limit according to their training and their vow to focus on the spiritual. Unfortunately, contrary to lay their monks also do not break when they pretty much all the rules or the discretion to use pragmatic for their own political purposes.
like I also know from politics, in which certain "authorities" simply all the rules, more or less obvious, can break at will to enforce its goals of eliminating competitors and exercise power over others.
