Merle,
Don't be so harsh on yourself. I think you're right to be somewhat skeptical
about teachers who receive an income, or make a living, out of the Dharma. Joe
is also correct that so often we listen to our discriminating mind and hence
create points of view that are just not true reflections of reality. But there
has to be a balance. I don't know Subhana, but if it's true she is a practicing
doctor, then my feeling would be she shouldn't be charging money for teaching
the Dharma. Where, for example, would she know that trip overseas was paid from
- her doctor's salary or from a talk on the Lotus Sutra? (I'm not necessarily
impugning Subhana as I know nothing of her circumstances. But I think my
concerns still stand).
I also think it's wrong if a person makes a living teaching the Dharma, but
could be earning a living in other ways. Let's not forget that Buddha forbade
his monks from even * handling* money! In the Vipassana tradition of S.N.Goenka
(the one I follow), all retreats are free of charge, and all teachers are
volunteers. Simply put, no one should receive financial compensation for
teaching the Dharma, at least not beyond reimbursement for travelling expenses
etc. sometimes 'wage' can conveniently be interpreted as 'Dana'.
Mike
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