Talk about the Way instead of Money 談道，不談錢

(English subtitles) Lectured by Daoist teacher Rui-Lie Lee (李瑞烈, 1921-2015).
Subtitles:
Why do I emphasize talking about the way instead of money? What's the reason? According to the dharma, when you are preaching the way, if you use donation box, ask for donation, or ask for money, this is called preaching dharma in evil life. If you don't believe it, you can check Buddhist dictionary and Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom. What is it about preaching dharma in evil life? It's simply talking about the way but not money. Somebody hear talking about the way instead of money, he might misunderstand. How did people ever said to me? If so, people preaching rationale can't do business.
1:00
How does he make a living? It's not like that. So, I have three conditions. Someone asked: Teacher, who are you going to pass the clothes and bowls to? I said: I will pass the clothes and bowls to someone who is able to hold my principles. First as I say, talking about the way instead of money; 2Nd, keep promise; 3rd, set a personal example. You can say it if you have the ability. You can't say it if you don't have the ability. You can't preach the words that is against your mind.
Lest you misunderstand the meaning of talking about the way instead of money, I must explain. This is actually an abbreviated statement.
2:00
Frankly, it should be described like this. This is my ideology. Talking about the way instead of money is just a simple statement. It should be said, “Ascend to the seat and preach dharma, talk about the way but not collect alms. Return to the original profession and do your own business.”
Standing on the stage is equivalent to ascending a seat. When standing on the stage and speaking rationale, you shouldn't collect alms. The collection of alms is extensive. You put a donation box there, and let people donate money freely. This is collecting alms. You persuade people to add oil and incense, this is collecting alms. You want people to buy something from you, this is collecting alms.
3:00
When you preach rationale on the stage, you simply can't bring up the issue of money. What is returning to the original profession? For a layperson, if you are doing business originally, you returns home to do your business. If you are a worker, do your best to earn money. If you are a farmer, you cultivate your land, sell vegetables and rice in the market, it doesn't matter. For a monk, what is his profession? His profession is reciting sutra, worshiping Buddha, and preaching dharma. If he returns to his temple, a benefactor says: Master, you work so hard, this is for you to add oil and incense.
4:00
If the benefactor hands out tens of thousand, you can take it, that's okay, you are not wrong. But if you ask for the offering first, you have broken the law. The Buddha has laid down this precept and discipline(Vinaya).
There are Four Parts Vinaya, Five Parts Vinaya. If you are at home and hold the Five Precepts, Eight Precepts, and Bodhisattva Precepts. If you are a novice monk(śrāmanera, younger than 20 or a novice) and hold Ten Precepts. If someone is a monk and a master, he holds a complete 250 Precepts. If you ask him, “can you recite the 250 precepts to me?” No need that serious, the precepts of the primary category – Catuh parajika. The second category is called Trayodaśa samghāvaśesāh. You ask: “Master, what is Catuh parajika and Trayodaśa samghāvaśesāh?” You ask him to say it. If he can't say it, he isn't qualified as a monk.
5:00
I dare say: He doesn't even know precepts. It's like you are a lawyer, prosecutor, or judge who knows nothing about the law. As a dharma master, you must know about precepts. Otherwise, how do you teach people? How do you teach disciples? Maybe my words are a little provocative, but it's from my heart. Recently, if you watch cable TV, they've improved. How have they improved? In the past, they used private remittance. The receiver's name of donation are their secular names. Nowadays, some dharma masters dare not do that but ask you to send the money to a certain foundation and dare not use private names. Most have changed but some don't.
6:00
Some are even smarter. That is, you send him money, but he won't give you receipt. People call and ask: “I've sent money to you, why didn't you give me receipt?”
“We'll take it as it comes. We don't give receipts normally. We will only provide a receipt if you specify.” If taking it as it comes, they just put it in their pocket. If a receipt is required, he has no choice but to enter it into the account.
I'm chairing three associations - World Wide Ethical Society , The Chinese Association for the Promotion of Morality, Association for Moral Practice. I am the chairman of all these three associations. But I don't interfere in those affairs.