Pre-order a priest? Procure a pastor? Or were you in the market for a monk?
In Japan, people once had close ties to their local Buddhist temples. But those ties are fading. Still, many Japanese people consider the Buddhist culture to be part of their heritage. So what do they do when they need a Buddhist monk?
Usually, that need arises when there is a death in the family. In keeping with Buddhist tradition, a monk should perform certain rituals in a ceremony. But where to find a monk when you haven’t been observing the religion?
Amazon Japan contributed to the solution. The company allowed a provider to offer “Obo-san bin,” or “Mr. Monk Delivery,” on its website. Budget religious services company Minrevi sold a basic package through Amazon. For about 35,000 yen ($300), one could order a monk, transportation included, to come to a home, funeral hall, or grave.
The “monk-by-mail-order” offer raised objections from some generally harmony-seeking Buddhists, however. They say it is disrespectful for a company to profit from Buddhist religious services. Critics say it commercializes religion.
“Such a thing is allowed in no other country in the world,” says Akisato Saito, director of the Japan Buddhist Association. “We are disappointed by an attitude toward religion by Amazon.”
Buddhist temples in Japan are suffering from loss of members—and those members’ financial support. The ease of ordering a monk just when needed could further threaten the religion. Temples in rural areas may have to close. That will hurt Japanese tourism in the long run. Many visitors take cultural tours of rural Buddhist temples.
But some modern Japanese want the benefits of Buddhism when it matters most to them—without the cost of commitment. They save financially too. Typical Buddhist memorial services can cost as much as 100,000 yen ($830). So the savings from “monk delivery” are noteworthy.
Minrevi spokesman Jumpei Masano defends the company. “Many people don’t have ties with temples. . . . We can cater to the needs on both sides,” he says of the service, which does pay the 400 monks it contracts with.
Do we look at God sometimes for what services He can give us, instead of for who He is? Do we look for “cheap” ways to connect with Jesus only when we think we need Him? It’s an easy temptation to fall into. But Jesus isn’t interested in rituals. He wants real relationship. And in our relationship with Him and others, we share His love with sincerity, “as those sent from God.” Unlike a business, believers are warned not to “peddle the word of God for profit.” (2 Corinthians 2:17 NIV)
