Good evening everyone.
I am a newcomer to buddhism, although i have been reflecting on and practicing many concepts very much ressembling to buddhism for a decade.
I understand that monks and nuns need to make a living, however it seems to be a tendency to ask for money during teachings. As someone who grown up around christians, i am used to giving money on a volunteer basis but i might just be totally wrong about this. Of course there are always expenses and it is normal that we participate. I am however very sceptical when people ask for too much money, especially when they are supposed to teach us.
In my life, i have encountered greed many times, and i have been acting with greed in my mind on several occasions. It took me a few years to understand it was wrong and i don't consider myself so greedy anymore.
Retreats are also extremely expensive in some monasteries. I am however far from a saint and still an outsider to buddhism in general, so my words might be missplaced.
It is my belief that money is indeed the root of all evil as some christians like to say. It tooks me years to realize it. So what do you think about paying for teachings, retreats, etc? Is this common practice in buddhism?
