(no subject)
Sunday was Wesak day, and as expected, I was at a temple with my camera. The shots I took were less than satisfactory, but regardless, here they are.
I'm quite worried of the commercialization of religion. Though almost inevitable, the last thing I expect to see in a Theravadian Buddhist temple, where handling money is a sin for monks, were fortune telling machines. Not just one, but SEVEN machines, one for every day of the week. On top of that, there were donation pots everywhere: two under every bell (there were possibly a hundred bells), and rows of statues each holding another pot. There were even dedicated counters for devotees to exchange bags of small change from, so that they can hopefully fill every single pot with their money just for show. I know Wesak day donations are a major source of a buddhist temple's yearly income, but this has crossed the line.
I'm quite worried of the commercialization of religion. Though almost inevitable, the last thing I expect to see in a Theravadian Buddhist temple, where handling money is a sin for monks, were fortune telling machines. Not just one, but SEVEN machines, one for every day of the week. On top of that, there were donation pots everywhere: two under every bell (there were possibly a hundred bells), and rows of statues each holding another pot. There were even dedicated counters for devotees to exchange bags of small change from, so that they can hopefully fill every single pot with their money just for show. I know Wesak day donations are a major source of a buddhist temple's yearly income, but this has crossed the line.