Does a temple’s growth and fame mean it has kept its original purpose?

Not necessarily. Being willing to help people at the beginning and being able to preserve that intention later are both lessons to learn. As an organization grows and becomes better known, it may also face the temptations of profit and status. We cannot assume that spiritual practice naturally improves simply because the outward scale keeps increasing.

Dao Shun shared that when visiting temples, they read the stone inscriptions recording how the temples were founded. Some founders were willing to practice medicine and help others; some quietly built a small temple out of faith. Dao Shun valued those intentions. However, when other people take over later, we still have to see whether they follow the original direction. A good vow made by the first generation cannot serve as a guarantee for everyone who comes afterwards.

I have said that tests in spiritual practice sometimes come when we do not realize we are being tested. When we begin to care about who gets ahead, who becomes famous, or who receives the benefits, we need to examine our thoughts all the more carefully. This does not mean every large temple has problems. We need to look at how people treat others and how they use their position and resources to understand whether they have stayed on course.

The same applies to expansion: we must look at actual needs. At the time, Sheng Zhen Men genuinely lacked enough space for classes, ceremonies, and practice, so I felt expansion was necessary. But if the space is already sufficient and we still want to buy more land and cut down nearby trees, we should consider carefully whether this will make participation easier for more people, or simply satisfy our desire for somewhere more beautiful and imposing. In discussing moderation, I hope we can recognize our thoughts within these decisions and find a proper balance between needs and desires.

While running our spiritual center, I often examine myself with this question: when someone in front of us is facing difficulties, can our professional skills help? If our daily thoughts become entirely about making more money or making the temple wealthier, we need to be careful that our original intention to help people has not drifted away. This has been a lesson I have cared about throughout my own experience of managing the center.

So when looking back at whether things have improved, we cannot consider income alone. On that occasion, Dao Shun specifically pointed out that a temple making a great deal of money does not mean it is particularly accomplished. I agreed: having a lot of money does not necessarily mean something is upright. Even when outward circumstances improve, we still need to examine why we are doing something and the intention behind it. Wealth cannot serve as a guarantee of virtue.