When their minds are attached to material society then almost nothing can really hold them back

There have been many sad stories about Sangha members’ broken samaya with one another, causing disharmony and fighting in the sangha over money or properties. A monk involved in business who was living near us slipped a sedative to his business partner that put him to asleep. The monk then strangled the business partner with a rope. Not only that, but unable to throw his partner’s body in the river, he just left his body on a bridge. Now that monk is in jail for life.

Many monks, lamas, and khenpos like to go to big cities to study English and Chinese so they can meet more people. They spend most of their time in cities taking offerings from unaware people. When they have enough money and after they spend so much time in the colorful society, they will give up their monk’s lives. Do any of you really want to destroy lives of monks or Dharma lives by giving money to them?

This is happening in monasteries in Tibet, India, Nepal, and all over. Therefore, I have been trying to control this kind of situation. I am afraid that the way some of our lamas look at money may cause envy and disharmony in the monastery because when their minds are attached to material society, then almost nothing can really hold them back.

 Hungkar Dorje Rinpoche, “Our Samaya with Lamasang”