Iwould like to make a shaolin temple in california

[doc]

Do you guys have any idea what the costs are to do something like this? Just getting monks over was a ****ing nightmare, one which I have not yet had the time to finish writing about.

Keep in mind one thing. Things cost money. Usually, far more than you expect them to. And, they take three times longer to do than you initially plan.

Oh, and the bull**** always comes out of nowhere, lol.

[xing_jian108]

He did say he will be getting A LOT of money. And he said Gong Fu masters. Not only monks. So it may not be too far fetched to at least open a Buddhist/ Gong Fu temple. It might be difficult to get a monk over there anytime soon. But Gong Fu and Chan masters willing to serve in a temple are all over the earth. And a temple would naturally draw people interested in Buddhism and Gong Fu anyhow. It can grow.

A mi tuo Fo
-Xing Jian

[dogchow108]

i dunno, this whole thing just dosent sound right to me.

did you mention to anyone here that you're building this thing out of money you got from your mom dying?

i think that if a person wants to open a shaolin temple, it should be because he WANTS to and is willing to work for it, not just because he suddenly has the financial capacities to do it.

have you ever even been to china?

did you know any buddhist monks before you amassed this wealth?

do you practice shaolin kung fu, or have you made any hard effort at acquiring a means of doing so prior to amassing this wealth?

really, if i thought this idea wasnt too...well...spontaneous, i would wish you well but actually it kind of disturbs me. not that my opinion should matter, i know that you're going to try despite what people tell you, but it is my opinion for what it counts.

[xing_jian108]

Dogchow, I think you shouldn't think of it like that. I think he wants to do it for a good reason. He asked for masters because maybe he isn't one and understands the importance of real teachers teaching. Also that money was gained from a bad thing. But he is taking that and trying to do something very good for everyone with it. What would he do with so much money otherwise? Spend it on himself to selfishly fulfill his desires and totally ignore what help he could give to many people in that area with this money he has gotten? I think it is a very great thing to take all that money coming from a bad happening and turning it around to benefit many people over there. It is going to be a temple. A religious, Buddhist, temple. Which is great for many people who have nowhere to go to study besides the library. They can come there and learn from a Chan master and then that is helping many people wake up to themselves and get on their path to enlightenment which they most likely couldn't do if they had nothing to awaken them. And adding to that it is a great place to study Gong Fu in a temple. And that is also a practice very good for people following their Chan path. All in all, it is a great thing. He isn't doing it for himself. Doing something for himself would be spending it on himself. He is spending it to help many people in the world. He won't be a master at the temple. So he doesn't wish to get fame or whatever out of it. He just thought the best thing he could do with this money is to open a temple where many people can come to find help in their own lives. I think it's a great thing. I would do the same if I had that money. Though it came from a bad happening. It will turn out to be a wonderful gift for that side of the world.

A mi tuo Fo
-Xing Jian

[dogchow108]

Xing Jian- in hebrew we have an expression "Ya-fei nefesh". "ya-fei" is the plural adjective for pretty. "nefesh" means soul. its actually a slang for people who think everyone does everything out of good will.

for example, if you thought that we went into iraq to help a nation of rabbid anti-semites break free of a regime that has made them swim in their own **** for 30 years (despite that thought being appealing- unless you're jewish of course) they you are a yafeh-nefesh.

if you think that a politician does something for the good of anyone but their careers, you are a yafeh-nefesh.

this guy's mom died, his family sued ford motors, and before he even had a clue how much money he was going to get from it, he started posting about building, very specifically, a SHAOLIN TEMPLE. NOT a religious buddhist library, but a shaolin temple. he did NOT mention building just some buddhist, or even just some chan buddhist temple and then think of bringing masters there.

again,

has he ever even been to china?

did he know any buddhist monks before he amassed this wealth?

does he practice shaolin kung fu, or has he made any hard effort at acquiring a means of doing so prior to amassing this wealth?

I started teaching yang short form once here in oklahoma. i didnt want to charge anything but the lady who owned the place asked that i start taking money from people. when my friends asked me why i didnt want to charge, i had the exact response as you, XJ- "i just wanted to help people".

my friends kind of held in a laugh and told me that if i really wanted to help people i wouldnt be teaching this in the snobby town i live in and agree to take money, and that my purpose would have been better served teaching in the poorer parts of the metro where if you're not gonna charge someone you might as well not charge someone who cant pay to begin with.

you getting where im going with the yafeh-nefesh thing?

you want to help people with large amounts of your money? theres people in the world who live SO bad you just cant imagine it. Go help fight AIDS in Africa.

again, i might be wrong about all this- ****, i wish i was. if he up and said "hey, im building a shaolin temple in CA cuz that would be sweet!" i'd applaud him for it. but the way this guy just jumped around with this idea just speaks suspiciously to me.

but hey what do i know, im sure it will turn out to be a wonderful gift for that side of the State.

[xing_jian108]

He brough this up on another site and he did mention it would be a Chan Buddhist temple and also have Shao Lin Gong Fu there. Which pretty much would be like a Shao Lin temple. And he did make it known that he wasn't going to be a teacher there. He was looking for teachers or anyone interested in helping him. He knew he needed real teachers. He practiced Shao Lin Gong Fu but said he wasn't at a level to be a master, he'd rather have Gong Fu masters or a monk from Shao Lin teaching there and also teaching Chan Buddhism. It's pretty much like his not involved in the whole thing except providing the place. And it would all come out of his pocket. No one would have to pay. It's free. Anyway, what he chooses to do with the money is his choice. I'm not in that position. No one else is. So I think it doesn't matter what we think. It's his choice after all. If he would most like to help that side of the world in this way, (making Chan and Gong Fu available there) then go for it.

A mi tuo Fo
-Xing Jian

[dogchow108]

A mi tuo Fo
-Xing Jian [/B][/QUOTE]

No, XJ, look at the title of this thread.

and it is not from his own pocket, it is from Ford Motors' pocket

its not from his hard work it is from his reaping a large sum of money through a lawsuit prior to which i doubt he intended on working at this goal.

and again, in case you missed it last time, i'm sure that that part of that state would benefit from it.

[xing_jian108]

Maybe he didn't think about that goal. But once he knew he was getting that kind of money, what would you decide to do with it? That's probably what he was thinking when he found out. What can I do good with this? Ford Motors should have made a better car. Now they are losing money for it and he is gaining. But he doesn't want to take that money and just run around buying things to make himself happy. He thought about it. And with all the good intentions he thought, I could make a Shao Lin temple! So, that's what he will do. I see nothing wrong in his deciding that after he found out he will get the money. How would it be possible without money? He's no monk. He needs teachers. That takes money to bring the teachers. And then what about building the whole place? So why would he think of it before he got the money? After he knew he was getting it, he was just thinking what good he could do with it. I see nothing wrong with that.

A mi tuo Fo
-Xing Jian

[dogchow108]

look, weve chased our tails here for the last 4 posts each. from my view of things, it appears that you are completely oblivious of what i am trying to say so i will try to help by kind of outlining a couple of my theses on this matter. keep in mind, they are not facts but simply how i see it.

1- the person was not actively in pursuit of doin such a thing

2-someone in his family is tragically killed. his mother. i cannot imagine what that feels like and please forgive me if i seem insensitive.

3-pursuant to his mother's death, the guy gets a heap well over $30million (im sure the guy is really depressed)

4-pursuant to recieving this blood money (because that is what i think this sort of legal fiasco is) the idea pops up
4a- the idea was to build a SHAOLIN TEMPLE in CA
4b- nowhere in the name of the threads he's started or in his un-modified-by-others(i think the word "others" here is important) is there any mention of wanting to build a temple of "Kinda shaolin nature"
4c- see 4a

5- instead of doing this somewhere that would really be for the good of people, he builds the place in CA, USA.

6- of the many monks who teach today, how many of them had a temple built to serve as a school here?

bottom line- this guy was not going to work for this. but millions and millions of dollars and very little time later- a result of his mother dying and him being paid for it handsomely- the guy decides hes gonna cowboy it up and lasso him a shaolin temple in one of the most reputably snobby and selfish places in the US. the only thing i find more laughable is the fact that its supposedly done for the good of people. in my opinion this guy has a lot of growing up to do before he tries to do this.

you keep asking me what i suppose he should do with it. what i would do with that kind of money. i dont know man. it really, again, depends on how i acquired the money to begin with. i would feel sick with myself if i got "way over $30mill" in blood money and started flashing ideas around on the web about how to start spending tremendous amounts of it.

however, if i had actually MADE the money, that would be different. giving for the good of mankind is not done for the good of mankind when you have nothing to lose from doing it. this kind of thing is done out of boredom, foolishness, selfishness, i dunno you name it. you truely give when you lose something from giving.

this guy didnt DESERVE his money, he was simply accorded it by a judiciary. THIS IS IMPORTANT. if you dont know why, read the paragraph right before this one over and over again. a man who had worked for his helps others when he gives. a man who had his wealth vacuum-packaged and handed to him on a silver platter helps HIMSELF when he gives. XJ, i really dont like to say "shame on you" to people (im not that old) but really man im surprised. you seem a moral person, how didnt you see this? i know you're excited (though i dont know whom for) but i think you're letting it get the best of your reasoning.

another point, related to point 6. give me the number of monks that teach here in the US who have built a temple vs those who havent. the results, you will find, will be overwhelmingly in favor of "didnt-build"ers. this goes back to the idea of the location. its the whole thing about Californian aestheticism. its hilarious to me that someone wants to build a fancy shmancy SHAOLIN temple somewhere to help people and he could think of nowhere better to do it than california. try helping poor white trash in Alabammy, the sad, opressed, people of south america, or and of a hundred places in Africa if you realy want to give people spiritual guidance. you will notice two things:

1-the idea becomes dramatically less appetizing

2-theres a good chance that the thing will flop.

number two, however will not flop in a place like california. because in a place like california theres plenty of rich kids with the money and loads of fre time to go and even pay. it will however, flop in a place like south america because it requires much, much more effort and more importantly, much, much more devotion and sincerity. in

I've said it once, ill say it again- this is not done out of a will to help people. i think people who believe it is are being naiive. why would he think of it before he got the money, you ask? i think the question you should be asking is why WASNT he thinking about this before the money.

again, close to nothing here is fact. it is merely an outline as to why i think the idea, though nice, is being done under a suit or morality that does neither morality nor the idea itself justice.

[xing_jian108]

I said why would he be thinking of it before he got the money, beacuse that takes too much money to do, being a young guy who isn't a Shao Lin monk or has another famous name like that where people would come to help out working for it. That would be really really hard to accomplish. That's why I think he wouldn't be thinking of it before he got the money.

You say it's "blood money" and he doesn't deserve it. That's why he isn't using it for himself. By making a temple somewhere that is him giving it away to something good because he doesn't deserve it. He shouldn't spend that on himself. He didn't work for it. But for all the teachers of Chan and Gong Fu who have worked hard their whole lives and want a place to spread their wisdom, he is giving it to them. Not to gain something out of it for himself. He said it would be free of charge. And he isn't going to be a teacher there. He maybe realizes he doesn't deserve that kind of money. And so he wants to give it away. Creating a temple is another kind of charity in a way.

I understand how you think what you think. But I think it is better than keeping it for himself or spending it on himself. He is giving it away. Hopefully I am right in thinking he isn't doing it thinking giving will reward him later on. I hope he realizes he doesn't deserve such kind of money. Money won't fix what happened. So if he thinks this way, that money means nothing. It shouldn't be his. So he is now giving it away to people who could make better use out of it. Such and Chan and Gong Fu masters. If he thinks this way I don't think it's very selfish. But we'd have to ask him to really know.

A mi tuo Fo
-Xing Jian

[xing_jian108]

Also I don't know about California. I just thought it would be a nice thing anywhere in the world. But maybe there are better places. I really don't know about California, so you can say that it's better to be some place else. And I would agree.

A mi tuo Fo
-Xing Jian

[doc]

I think, that whatever this Joehaz does with his inheritance, regardless of the whys or wherefores of his getting it, that he's going to have to be extremely cautious in the future.

If anyone will be a target of the slimy, self-centered, distrustful undesirables of this planet, who are looking to make some quick easy money, and who seem to be ever-present and innumerable, it will be him.

Joehaz, be careful, whatever you ultimately do.

[dogchow108]

Doc- that kind of thing scares the **** out of me, you're very right.

XJ- well at least you've gotten SOME of what ive said, lol. just for the record, i dont dislike this guy for doing what hes doing, but you know i just think theres a mist of dishonesty floating around.

[Fa Hui]

I LIVE IN CALIFORNIA!!!!

Dogchow, do you live in CA, have you ever been to CA?

Believe it or not, if I had one choice on where I had to live it would be California. I think it is more relaxed in CA and I think that there is more openness here as well. And yes I have been to the East Coast, and I say it's better out here.

Quite frankly, when I was Joehaz's age, I had wished there was a Shaolin monk or temple here in California too. California is my home, I was born and raised here. I have been and lived in other places but I prefer CA. If I had the money to do what Joehaz wants to do, I would have done it. And yes I would have trained there, but I would hope others would too. Although I don't find this whole thing simple, and not very skillful if you just jump into it, I understand where it's coming from and I know that I would have done the same thing. I think if he really researches the whole and gets trustworthy people to help out, then I say go all the way, you have support.

Peace.

[dogchow108]

christ, is ANYONE listening to me?

i dont even know what to say anymore. you can't POSSIBLY have understood my posts on this. hopefully, you just didnt read them all the way through.

i'm done.