Temples in Japan

[matsuki]

Having lived at one for half a year waaay back when, I know some of the family run temples are ballin' out of control but I've never really understood the reasons why. (there are plenty) It's obviously not too polite to ask directly so I turn to the wealth of knowledge that is FG.

So far the only info I have is:

1.) No property taxes
2.) Selling/collecting fees on cemetery plots
3.) Donations (though not exactly clear how these are collected and such so if you have any info, please do elaborate)

Anything you guys know would be much appreciated.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Having lived at one for half a year waaay back when, I know some of the family run temples are ballin' out of control but I've never really understood the reasons why. (there are plenty) It's obviously not too polite to ask directly so I turn to the wealth of knowledge that is FG.

So far the only info I have is:

1.) No property taxes
2.) Selling/collecting fees on cemetery plots
3.) Donations (though not exactly clear how these are collected and such so if you have any info, please do elaborate)

Anything you guys know would be much appreciated.

I heard a lecture a long time ago by a Buddhist monk and he said that temples got rich when funerals and cemeteries became big business. They were suddenly flush with cash and didn't know what to do with it so they invested it in real estate.

[wuchan]

Around here it is all politics. The local shrines are cared for by the town but the town gives them much more than they need so they then give the rest to the temples.

Then we have the "donation" scams. Every year we must donate for them to pray for a good harvest. Every year they want money to pray for our child's safety before he starts a new school year. Built a house? Donate for a prayer. Got married? Donate for a prayer. If you refuse to donate they will never take your money again and you then get blacklisted from all neighborhood meetings and events. Unfortunately, I own a farm and need to be involved with the local community to keep my JA membership so I have to fucking give these cunts my money. At least it's tax deductible.

[FG Lurker]

"If you want to get rich, you start a religion."
- L Ron Hubbard

[Coligny]

Around here it is all politics. The local shrines are cared for by the town but the town gives them much more than they need so they then give the rest to the temples.

Then we have the "donation" scams. Every year we must donate for them to pray for a good harvest. Every year they want money to pray for our child's safety before he starts a new school year. Built a house? Donate for a prayer. Got married? Donate for a prayer. If you refuse to donate they will never take your money again and you then get blacklisted from all neighborhood meetings and events. Unfortunately, I own a farm and need to be involved with the local community to keep my JA membership so I have to fucking give these cunts my money. At least it's tax deductible.

Don't forget the blessing of the car with the matching tied-roppy-knot goodluck charm tied to the front grill (mostly a Totoya crown/Lexus owner thing around here)

[matsuki]

I heard a lecture a long time ago by a Buddhist monk and he said that temples got rich when funerals and cemeteries became big business. They were suddenly flush with cash and didn't know what to do with it so they invested it in real estate.

Yeah, I've seen my boss's parents pay 1,500,000円 to "refurbish" a family grave and all that good stuff. I guess there's also a yearly fee or something like that for regular maintenance etc.? I know the local temple owns the land their house is built on too...paying something crazy to "rent" the land from them.

Around here it is all politics. The local shrines are cared for by the town but the town gives them much more than they need so they then give the rest to the temples.

Then we have the "donation" scams. Every year we must donate for them to pray for a good harvest. Every year they want money to pray for our child's safety before he starts a new school year. Built a house? Donate for a prayer. Got married? Donate for a prayer. If you refuse to donate they will never take your money again and you then get blacklisted from all neighborhood meetings and events. Unfortunately, I own a farm and need to be involved with the local community to keep my JA membership so I have to fucking give these cunts my money. At least it's tax deductible.

Damn, that's nuts. Do they actually mail you donation forms or how do they ask for donations?

"If you want to get rich, you start a religion."
- L Ron Hubbard

Hahahaha, somehow I doubt my religion of hard working harems would catch on.

[IparryU]

Around here it is all politics. The local shrines are cared for by the town but the town gives them much more than they need so they then give the rest to the temples.

Then we have the "donation" scams. Every year we must donate for them to pray for a good harvest. Every year they want money to pray for our child's safety before he starts a new school year. Built a house? Donate for a prayer. Got married? Donate for a prayer. If you refuse to donate they will never take your money again and you then get blacklisted from all neighborhood meetings and events. Unfortunately, I own a farm and need to be involved with the local community to keep my JA membership so I have to fucking give these cunts my money. At least it's tax deductible.

Yup... my ex-wife's family lives by Tengenji... and they "collaborate" on a whole bunch of things, which usually means that my ex's restaurant makes the food, donates some monies along with a ass load of other neighbors, then the temple ppl say good words and "host" by providing the space.

mind you, those fuckers just COMPLETELY remodeled their temple... no hot daughters/granddaughters either.

[matsuki]

Yup... my ex-wife's family lives by Tengenji... and they "collaborate" on a whole bunch of things, which usually means that my ex's restaurant makes the food, donates some monies along with a ass load of other neighbors, then the temple ppl say good words and "host" by providing the space.

LOL, cartel/connected life! What kind of events that they need restaurant catering?

mind you, those fuckers just COMPLETELY remodeled their temple... no hot daughters/granddaughters either.

I think you're starting to catch on

[IparryU]

Yup... my ex-wife's family lives by Tengenji... and they "collaborate" on a whole bunch of things, which usually means that my ex's restaurant makes the food, donates some monies along with a ass load of other neighbors, then the temple ppl say good words and "host" by providing the space.

LOL, cartel/connected life! What kind of events that they need restaurant catering?

mind you, those fuckers just COMPLETELY remodeled their temple... no hot daughters/granddaughters either.

I think you're starting to catch on

they did the food for the local gatherings and what not. Hyogoya-san (conbini) did the booze... which I used to regularly buy from as they were really close and they put in a lot of work during the maturi and what not.

I done been on the hunt for rich temple girls... never got one though as they usually have arranged dates/marriages.

[wuchan]

Damn, that's nuts. Do they actually mail you donation forms or how do they ask for donations?

pay for postage? those fuckers rock up to my door and give me the form in an envelope on my day off.

[GomiGirl]

There is something else that goes on too between the regional temples and the mothership temple in Kyoto or whereever depending on the flavour or group you are affiliated with. Kinda like tithes or taxes or something else that you are supposed to pay for the honor having your own religious monopoly outpost in buttfuck nowhere .

But if you get sick or whatever, the mothership will look after you so it is a two way street.

[matsuki]

I done been on the hunt for rich temple girls... never got one though as they usually have arranged dates/marriages.

Haha, this lemur I know from my uni days (English isn't too bad) and chojo's becoming priestesses isn't the norm over here so the family can't be too strict. When she came a "Hisashiburi'n" I didn't expect her to try to lasso me down but I think she realizes she'll be tied down for life and looks at me as a way to meet her expectations yet still have some spice to life with FG gray areas. Anyhow, she's a good friend so I don't want to risk the friendship and date her unless I could realistically commit to her....and having lived with a temple family before for 6mos, I know a ton of reasons why that life can be difficult, shitty and rule your life. The upside (at least according to most J-people) is that the temple is ballin' in more money than they know what do with. I don't really know that's the case as much as people believe but it made me interested enough to want to understand it. (though it obviously varies from temple to temple)

Damn, that's nuts. Do they actually mail you donation forms or how do they ask for donations?

pay for postage? those fuckers rock up to my door and give me the form in an envelope on my day off.

Hahahahaha, at least it's in person? They could just slip it in your mailbox? Do they demand...errr sorry, recommend a donation amount? The temple I lived at before didn't have that kind of extortion going on with the farmers....hell, I really respected how hard the guy worked and how many nutty women, dying people, and other events he had to deal with....BUT they did have money for sure. The funny thing was their second son, kinda crazy hippie type that had studied English in San Diego, ended up taking over the place after the father retired. Last time I visited it was weird seeing him in obosan gear when the last time I saw him he looked like a thrift store hipster.

There is something else that goes on too between the regional temples and the mothership temple in Kyoto or whereever depending on the flavour or group you are affiliated with. Kinda like tithes or taxes or something else that you are supposed to pay for the honor having your own religious monopoly outpost in buttfuck nowhere .

But if you get sick or whatever, the mothership will look after you so it is a two way street.

Yeah, they had some sort of obosan conference at the place I stayed. I can imagine the need for substitute obosan but I can also imagine upsetting people when the guy/gal all know and trust isn't the one that comes to their aid.

[matsuki]

Thought I'd update this thread since this lemur just visited me and was really open about her situation...

I showed her pics of the temple I lived at before and she immediately recognized it as part of the same group her temple is with. I was surprised to find out for the most part, they only have gatherings at her temple once a week except for holidays, funerals, etc etc. Her daily grind is mostly making house calls in the AM and it spills over into the PM. As it is, she can actually get more time off than I thought and after her father retires, she isn't afraid to take time off. Basically, she's like deli-psychologist for the locals and they pay her 3,000 yen for each visit. They aren't doing blessings for the farmers or anything like that. She had told me before, her temple/family isn't ballin' like most others but I found out why. (basically, her dad is not a greedy asshole and actually does what he can to better the community) While they do sell those family grave plots, her father decided to do away with annual maintenance fees. My next thought was funeral fees but she said her father was known in the area for giving back money when the relatives were overly generous with paying for the funeral. (something that has apparently won him quite a few people from other temples) The interesting thing is there are 10 temple people living nearby that basically monitor the temple activity and advise the family on all aspects of how the temple is run. (their advice to her family is, in short, stop turning away money and make more money) That being said, they apparently generate about 20,000,000 Yen annually before taxes, utilities, maintenance. (the advisers are saying this is about 60% of what they should be bringing in haha)

....and if anyone cares, her rents absolutely love me and she really seems out to lasso this injun. I still don't know what to make of it all as we never really dated until recently and my feelings about her keep getting over showed by the fact that I'd be pretty permanently (well, at least until she retires) tied to the inaka of the four seasons. Maybe I'm over thinking it though, she's an awesome catch and this could be quite an interesting life.

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

Thought I'd update this thread since this lemur just visited me and was really open about her situation...

I showed her pics of the temple I lived at before and she immediately recognized it as part of the same group her temple is with. I was surprised to find out for the most part, they only have gatherings at her temple once a week except for holidays, funerals, etc etc. Her daily grind is mostly making house calls in the AM and it spills over into the PM. As it is, she can actually get more time off than I thought and after her father retires, she isn't afraid to take time off. Basically, she's like deli-psychologist for the locals and they pay her 3,000 yen for each visit. They aren't doing blessings for the farmers or anything like that. She had told me before, her temple/family isn't ballin' like most others but I found out why. (basically, her dad is not a greedy asshole and actually does what he can to better the community) While they do sell those family grave plots, her father decided to do away with annual maintenance fees. My next thought was funeral fees but she said her father was known in the area for giving back money when the relatives were overly generous with paying for the funeral. (something that has apparently won him quite a few people from other temples) The interesting thing is there are 10 temple people living nearby that basically monitor the temple activity and advise the family on all aspects of how the temple is run. (their advice to her family is, in short, stop turning away money and make more money) That being said, they apparently generate about 20,000,000 Yen annually before taxes, utilities, maintenance. (the advisers are saying this is about 60% of what they should be bringing in haha)

....and if anyone cares, her rents absolutely love me and she really seems out to lasso this injun. I still don't know what to make of it all as we never really dated until recently and my feelings about her keep getting over showed by the fact that I'd be pretty permanently (well, at least until she retires) tied to the inaka of the four seasons. Maybe I'm over thinking it though, she's an awesome catch and this could be quite an interesting life.

This was great to hear. The temple won't pay tax, though, so it's a decent living for a family, though head priest is not so good.
I'm still up for starting a religion. It's a fucking great life. I'll be the guru or the women-tester.

[wagyl]

I'm still up for starting a religion. It's a fucking great life. I'll be the guru or the women-tester.

Keeping control of the acolytes and suppressing heresies and splinter groups would get old pretty quickly.

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

Keeping control of the acolytes and suppressing heresies and splinter groups would get old pretty quickly.

I was kinda hoping that being the woman-tester would make me get old pretty quickly...

Still, in accordance with all the great beliefs, I'm willing to sacrifice and suffer so that others may live a happier, serener life (which they can do for a mere donation of 1 million yen for each dose of Power Elixir, a penily injected sticky white substance <it doesn't always work immediately and will almost always require repeat injections before there is a noticeable improvement in contentment, which I guarantee will come <though it may go away again if repeat treatments lapse.>)

Let us Prey!

[matsuki]

This was great to hear. The temple won't pay tax, though, so it's a decent living for a family, though head priest is not so good.

On taxes, the temple does pay tax except for property tax. Their salaries are also taxed. Their house, built in the corner of their land, is actually sectioned off and is taxed like any other home.

I'm sure there are ways to get around paying legit taxes and stuff, TIJ, but legally speaking, the only taxes they don't pay are property taxes.

She doesn't seem to feel worried about taking over when her father retires. Slightly longer work hours but nothing as bad as the head priest at the temple I lived at before. (less populous inaka) I think if she had it as crazy as that d00d did, it wouldn't consider her advances at all.

I'm still up for starting a religion. It's a fucking great life. I'll be the guru or the women-tester.

Let me know when this gets started. I might finally "find religion."

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

This was great to hear. The temple won't pay tax, though, so it's a decent living for a family, though head priest is not so good.

On taxes, the temple does pay tax except for property tax. Their salaries are also taxed. Their house, built in the corner of their land, is actually sectioned off and is taxed like any other home.

I'm sure there are ways to get around paying legit taxes and stuff, TIJ, but legally speaking, the only taxes they don't pay are property taxes.

She doesn't seem to feel worried about taking over when her father retires. Slightly longer work hours but nothing as bad as the head priest at the temple I lived at before. (less populous inaka) I think if she had it as crazy as that d00d did, it wouldn't consider her advances at all.

I'm still up for starting a religion. It's a fucking great life. I'll be the guru or the women-tester.

Let me know when this gets started. I might finally "find religion."

Don't "find," "found!"
We won't live in houses. It'll be a temple/ashram/compound and work for nothing, taking a vow of poverty and allowing the church to support us.

[wagyl]

Let us Prey!

[Russell]

The Buddhist priest who took care of my mother-in-law's funeral told us that the maintenance for his temple is quite costly. I can imagine that. Every so many years he has to call in a team of 大工さん, which is not cheap. So, yeah, somehow I can imagine these guys need moneys.

Nevertheless, he also told us that he gambled a lot of his money away with Pachinko.

LOL, talking about stupid.

And he is supposed to give people spiritual advice...

[matsuki]

She said they pay around 5,000,000 annually for utilities, maintenance and other expenses. Her parents were looking into solar power but the area (Niigata) is more known for rain than sun (probably the biggest reason I haven't already packed my bags yet) though I'm going to head over there sometime soon to see if I can't help them with other ideas on making the place more green and reducing the utility bills. (I'm wondering if the locals would oppose a line of wind power generators along one of their property lines...they actually look kind of neat and can be painted to match the area so they don't stick out so much)

Her father is also a fan of the keibajo (as opposed to me being a fan of the kyabajo) though she claims he's just really into horses and doesn't gamble as much as just watch....while at the same time she says he spends a ton of time with spreadsheets, trying to guess the winners haha

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

Her father is also a fan of the keibajo (as opposed to me being a fan of the kyabajo) though she claims he's just really into horses and doesn't gamble as much as just watch....while at the same time she says he spends a ton of time with spreadsheets, trying to guess the winners haha

You should tell that to the Mystical Eastern Spiritualist Vegan-types of the West. They ask me whether Japan is strongly influenced by Zen....

[matsuki]

Her father is also a fan of the keibajo (as opposed to me being a fan of the kyabajo) though she claims he's just really into horses and doesn't gamble as much as just watch....while at the same time she says he spends a ton of time with spreadsheets, trying to guess the winners haha

You should tell that to the Mystical Eastern Spiritualist Vegan-types of the West. They ask me whether Japan is strongly influenced by Zen....

...and kill their romantic dreams of this ancient oriental "religion" I don't have it in me!

[Samurai_Jerk]

Her father is also a fan of the keibajo (as opposed to me being a fan of the kyabajo) though she claims he's just really into horses and doesn't gamble as much as just watch....while at the same time she says he spends a ton of time with spreadsheets, trying to guess the winners haha

You should tell that to the Mystical Eastern Spiritualist Vegan-types of the West. They ask me whether Japan is strongly influenced by Zen....

That reminds me of getting shitfaced with a couple of Buddhist lamas and their girlfriends in Mongolia. Nobody there seemed to think it was strange but when I told my friend back in the States about it he was shocked.

[GomiGirl]

Her father is also a fan of the keibajo (as opposed to me being a fan of the kyabajo)

Clever Injun-boy. Me likey.

[matsuki]

Her father is also a fan of the keibajo (as opposed to me being a fan of the kyabajo) though she claims he's just really into horses and doesn't gamble as much as just watch....while at the same time she says he spends a ton of time with spreadsheets, trying to guess the winners haha

You should tell that to the Mystical Eastern Spiritualist Vegan-types of the West. They ask me whether Japan is strongly influenced by Zen....

That reminds me of getting shitfaced with a couple of Buddhist lamas and their girlfriends in Mongolia. Nobody there seemed to think it was strange but when I told my friend back in the States about it he was shocked.

Her "Buddhism teachers" were pretty frank about it not being a religion but a "guiding philosophy" but then again, each different sect here seems to take the "case by case" method in interpreting what Buddhism is. I found it more hilarious when she complained about when the mormons, jehovah witnesses, etc. come bible thumpin' at the temple every year. They can't ignore them or tell them to fuck off so it always leads to sitting down for tea. She's perfecting the art of flattery and asking about their families and such to avoid the religious preaching.

Her father is also a fan of the keibajo (as opposed to me being a fan of the kyabajo)

Clever Injun-boy. Me likey.

I still find more humor in oyaji gags than I do in Japanese "owarai"