Why do students prepare to pay to learn Dhamma?

[CedarTree]

This would be a good time to say: The Dhamma is priceless. Having a chance to do an extended stay/practice at an Ajahn Chah monastery or speak with Ajahn Thanissaro or practice mindfulness and noting as intensely as is done at Panditãrãma or sit Zen meditation in America at Gyobutsuji Zen Monastery and manifest the Unborn is literally life altering. It is not a small day to day thing. At minimum it can change how you think and approach everything that is and arises in ones life. In between powerful experiences that many never get the chance to have because of not knowing the Dhamma and practicing it.

The dhamma is not a thing amongst other things. This is important wisdom to always keep in mind so one orients ones life around truly meaningful and powerful things.

But one has to believe this to begin with in order for the Dhamma to have such an effect, does one not?

Believe no, but practice what is instructed yes most likely.

[CedarTree]

I will clarify a bit, the context of what I said is within the context of this:

The world and the individuals within it spend a lot of money on many mundane things. For those already within a Dhamma perspective the idea that you would not invest in the Dhamma and your practice is foolish.

For those outside this perspective this kind of logic could apply to food, exercise, healthy living. Wanting to retire with a ton of money or have a ton of expensive things and so scraping on the essentials only to die very early due to this mis-emphasis of value and having wasted ones efforts and life/time.

There is a reason a sutta says that those that have heard the dhamma and or started on the path are incredibly fortunate.

If you have the chance to develop and experience incredible things way beyond the scope of ordinary mind and possibly have purity of heart and a unconditioned happiness with every arising moment with complete fulfillment and the end of stress it would be silly to toss this potential away to keep those things yet hold onto some paper with ink on it.

[binocular]

Believe no, but practice what is instructed yes most likely.

To practice what is instructed, one has to believe it.

If you have the chance to develop and experience incredible things way beyond the scope of ordinary mind and possibly have purity of heart and a unconditioned happiness with every arising moment with complete fulfillment and the end of stress it would be silly to toss this potential away to keep those things yet hold onto some paper with ink on it.

People in every religion that I know of say such things. Why not practice their religion?

[CedarTree]

Believe no, but practice what is instructed yes most likely.

To practice what is instructed, one has to believe it.

If you have the chance to develop and experience incredible things way beyond the scope of ordinary mind and possibly have purity of heart and a unconditioned happiness with every arising moment with complete fulfillment and the end of stress it would be silly to toss this potential away to keep those things yet hold onto some paper with ink on it.

People in every religion that I know of say such things. Why not practice their religion?

I'll leave it at what I've already stated. Have a good night.

[binocular]

I'll leave it at what I've already stated. Have a good night.

And that's why people are reluctant to pay for the Dhamma: because of such ignoring and silent treatments.

[Aloka]

If you have the chance to develop and experience incredible things way beyond the scope of ordinary mind and possibly have purity of heart and a unconditioned happiness with every arising moment with complete fulfillment and the end of stress it would be silly to toss this potential away to keep those things yet hold onto some paper with ink on it.

"Experiences" on retreats are impermanent like everything else, as are the feelings of euphoria, and its pointless clinging to them . I've also yet to hear of any lay practitioner in the modern world actually reaching "complete fulfilment and the end of stress" after being on a couple of Buddhist retreats.

In fact some people aren't suited to retreat conditions at all and have quite negative experiences. This is why its important to carefully investigate the reputation of the retreat teacher and the organisation beforehand. Also, to check if any costs or "suggested donations" are reasonable, (ie cover food, heating etc and possibly travel expenses for the teacher), or are completely outrageous.


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[CedarTree]

If you have the chance to develop and experience incredible things way beyond the scope of ordinary mind and possibly have purity of heart and a unconditioned happiness with every arising moment with complete fulfillment and the end of stress it would be silly to toss this potential away to keep those things yet hold onto some paper with ink on it.

"Experiences" on retreats are impermanent like everything else, as are the feelings of euphoria, and its pointless clinging to them . I've also yet to hear of any lay practitioner in the modern world actually reaching "complete fulfilment and the end of stress" after being on a couple of Buddhist retreats.

In fact some people aren't suited to retreat conditions at all and have quite negative experiences. This is why its important to carefully investigate the reputation of the retreat teacher and the organisation beforehand. Also, to check if any costs or "suggested donations" are reasonable, (ie cover food, heating etc and possibly travel expenses for the teacher), or are completely outrageous.


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Those are important to keep in mind no doubt