DO NOT INJECT ANY FUNDRAISING AGENDA IN YOUR DHARMA PROPAGATION ACTIVITIES
Caller: Hi Master, in this era, there is great potential to spread the dharma to countless people through social media. Now that we are running some paid advertisements online, is it alright to solicit funds among like-minded practitioners to pay for the advertising fees?
Master Jun Hong Lu: Personal fundraising is not allowed! If you pay for the advertisements yourself, you will amass boundless merits, but raising funds is strictly prohibited. Do you understand?
Caller: Okay. What about when a fellow practitioner knows of me running advertisements on Guan Yin Citta and would like to chip in, is it alright for him to do so?
Master Jun Hong Lu: That’s fine. Each of you can settle your part of the payment individually and the amount can be pooled together after that. In no circumstances should you take other people’s money into your own hands. This is to say, the interested parties come face to face to proclaim their interests to sponsor the advertisement. In this regard, the contribution will be discretionary. This is a completely different approach. Do you understand?
Caller: Okay. Am I right to say we should not approach others to raise funds, but it is alright for them to join on their own accord?
Master Jun Hong Lu: That’s not what I meant. Say, you plan on publishing an advertisement to propagate the dharma, you may ask him, “Would you like to participate?” But you should never collect a single cent from him. If he is willing to chip in, and when it is time to make payment, this group, say, four or five of you, can go ahead and make the payment together. The problem will arise if you say, “Hand over your money to me, I will help you pay”, which is a definite no-no.
Caller: Does it mean that we should settle our share of the cost individually?
Master Jun Hong Lu: Yes, that is right.
Caller: Okay, I understand now.
Source: Shuohua20141010 03:35, Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program
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