A Cup Of Tea
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Really, not even at-cost meals?
Where are the monastics?
- Thread starter Tellyontellyon
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I think most people are happy to pay at least the suggested minimum donation, especially if meals are included. My first retreats I didn't have two pennies to rub together, but the monks had no problem with it. I had absolutely nothing. My warm little monastery room and three meals a day were a luxury and a benefit to me. I was grateful to the monks for sheltering me. I hated having to leave after a week. They accommodated me three times a year, for a week.
Now I'm fixed up with work and pension credit and housing benefit, etc. And I live just across the road from the Abbey now, so ... but yes, those old monks helped me a lot.
Others will chuck in a sizeable bit when they stay. The Buddhist monastery above is self-catering. I do believe as soon as they start charging a fee, they lose their tax exempt status. They seem to be allowed to invest in commercial business.
Buckfast Abbey owns quite a nice bit of prime Devon land and property, and it brings in a nice bit from selling its Buckfast Tonic Wine, although a private company makes it for them; the Abbey gets a share of the sales. I don't know if the returns are taxed. They have a private business manager, etc. I'm not sure of the exact legality.
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Tellyontellyon
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The Buddhist centre is small, the Lama is there but sometimes on retreat, there is a volunteer manager who had plenty of work to do. I've stayed there and I'm the only other person, I don't expect them to cook for me or give me food out of a limited budget. When there are some bigger events these might just be for a weekend and if there is any spare money it will go to supporting three charity and the main monastery in India.
Tellyontellyon
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Buckfast does well from brewing right?
I saw a Rab C. Nesbitt series about it once lol
I saw a Rab C. Nesbitt series about it once lol
Yes, but don't believe everything you read or see about Buckfast wine, although it's potent stuff. Most monasteries make some sort of beer or wine.
Chatreuse liqueur is famous. Monks are allowed to drink in moderation. You can have a glass of home brewed beer or cider with your meal; they make it themselves.
But yes, different traditions. The puritan protestant Christians despise drinking alcohol. I know alcohol is anathema to Buddhists, Muslims and Hindus and Sikhs.
Catholics are more lenient about it. After all, wine is a part of the sacramental Mass: Christ himself offered the chalice in memory of his blood.
Oh yes, me too.
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I have a copy of Into The Great Silence and bought one for my mum ...
The bit I like, considering it a silent order, is when the old monk takes the crew up into the attics to find the cat that keeps the mice and rats at bay, he's chatting away to himself, the crew, the cats!
Silly old duffer ...
The bit I like, considering it a silent order, is when the old monk takes the crew up into the attics to find the cat that keeps the mice and rats at bay, he's chatting away to himself, the crew, the cats!
Silly old duffer ...