Charging Money For the Dhamma

[Kamran]

Some of the books I am interested in reading are only available for sale and I am interested to know what others think of charging for the dhamma. Below is a relevant quote I found. Thanks.

Ajahn Thanissaro – No Donation Required

“How can I ever repay you for your teaching?” Meditation teachers often hear this question from their students, and the best answer I know is one that my teacher, Ajahn Fuang, gave every time: “By being intent on practicing.”

Each time he gave this answer, I was struck by how noble and gracious it was. And it wasn’t just a formality. He never pressured his students for donations. Even when our monastery was poor, he never acted poor, never tried to take advantage of their gratitude and trust. He was living a tradition in which, as he often put it, we weren’t reduced to hirelings, and the act of teaching the dharma was purely dana, purely a gift.....

Donors, for instance, should not see their gifts to monastics as payment for teachings. That would turn the gift into wages, and deprive it of its potential to gladden the mind. Monastics, in return, shouldn’t pressure the donor in any way, even with hints about what they’d like to receive. When asked where a prospective gift should be given, they’re told to say, “Give wherever your gift would be used, or would be well cared for, or would last long, or wherever your mind feels inspired.” This conveys a sense of trust in the donor’s discernment—itself a gift that gladdens the mind.

The same principles apply to the gift of dharma. The Buddha insisted that dharma be taught without expectation of material reward, perhaps because the best way to teach generosity is by being generous with the most valuable thing you have: the dharma itself

http://www.theravada-dhamma.org/blog/?p=8823" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[DNS]

See:

http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=11672" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=8491" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[manas]

There is a difference between charging for Dhamma instruction - which would be abhorrent - and charging for a book to cover the cost of paper, printing, etc, is there not?