on MONEYQ. However, many religious groups today do have greatfinancial power. Many religious leaders are super wealthy. WhatYour opinion is on this?
M.It depends on whether he does what Shakyamuni Buddha wanted todo. For example, gives the correct teachings to his disciplesand leads them to free themselves from the cycle of life and death.It is whether or not he does this that is important, not whetheror not he is wealthy. Maybe God wants him to have that money,or maybe his disciples make a lot of donations. If he uses thatmoney to give lectures, wouldn't that be nice?
It was different with Shakyamuni Buddha. Hewas a prince. Without advertisement, people respected Him. Unliketoday, He did not need a lot of money to give lectures. Furthermore,it is relatively easy to help the Indian to excel. If I were togo to India, to give lectures right now, I would be immediatelycrowded by tens of millions of people.
As far as I am concerned, God has given melots of talents. I can paint pictures, design dresses, and lanterns.I use what I earn to help the poor. Therefore, to have money isnot a bad thing. It all depends on hour you make use of the moneyyou have. What do you think?
..... Q. Hi. I see so much destruction going on around me,environmental destruction.
M.True.
Q. Cruelty. Cruelty to animals.
M.It's true.
Q. I just wonder how You perceive this and what Youcan recommend to people who are trying to release themselves fromthis world in the spiritual fashion, to help them cope with theirsurroundings and cope with all the devastation that is going onaround them. And do You think that going beyond this world isenough for us to recognize what we are leaving behind, or do Youfeel we in this plane have a duty to try to alleviate the suffering?And will it do any good?
M.It will. It will. At least for us, for our conscience so thatwe feel we are doing something and we have tried our best to relievethe suffering of our fellow beings. I do all the same. Whateveryou ask, I am doing. I did, I do, and I will. I have told youalready, our finances are distributed to different organizations,sometimes, or different countries, when there are in disasters.And I would not like to boast much about it, but since you ask...And for example, we gave one million dollars US to Philippineslast year for their release of their... relief of their Mt. Pinatubo.And we helped the flood victims in Vietnam, and the flood victimsin China etc. And we are trying to help the Vietnamese refugeesnow to release...to.... to help with the U.N.'s burden, you understand,provided the U.N. wants us to help. But we are trying. Yes, understandnow? We help them with financial support, and also we could relocatethem if the U.N. lets it happen - with the blessing of the U.N.Understand? Yes, so we do all these things that you have requestedand also because, since we are here, you understand, we mightjust as well clean our environment as much as possible. Therefore,we help with the suffering and we help with the moral standardof the world. Yeah? Both spiritually and physically. Yes. Becausesome people don't want to take spirituality from me. They onlywant to take physical help. So we help them physically. And that'swhat we do, that's why I have to earn money. That's why I don'twant to live on people's donations. Understand? All my monks andmy disciples have to work, just like you do. And then, apart fromthat, we help spiritually also, understand, and help with thesuffering of the world, help to relieve the suffering of the world.We have to do this. Doesn't mean we sit in samadhi all day longand enjoy ourselves. That's a very selfish Buddha (enlightenedbeing). We don't want to have him here. (laughter)
