Wat Lao's problems will not be solved by doing nothing. So much have been wasted by doing nothing. Nothing have been done to improve Wat Lao. Unrelated activities, such as, building Temple in India, took the resources out to improve Wat Lao Buddhavong. The management needs to focus on managing the temple and fundraise to improve Wat Lao and serve the Lao Community as stated in its mission.
July 4th Celebration each year brought in between $60,000 to $100,000 to the temple. This event is estimated to be nearly half of the income made per year.
All income and expenses of the temple need to be managed properly, and should be audited by the local community members to ensure accuracy and transparency.
1. Call the public meeting before July 4th, 2010
2. Elect new additional Board Members
3. Elect and modify Officers
4. Establish plan to improve Wat Lao Buddhavong
The Lao Community will not this
Total views of this boycott
Company responses
To the person who said "This is in Virginia, right? My family has gone there many times, yet, a boycott?... My family actually aren't the people that go there to donate, only sell."
I hope that is not true that your family only goes to sell without donating. My family also sells, and donates each time before the celebration is over. It might cost money to reserve selling space for the booth, but I don't believe that counts as donation.
King
It seems like the words got out. The Lao Community is getting smarter on where to donate their hard earn money. Many older folks donate most of their retirement money, hoping and wishing it will go for good use. Sadly, only small portion go to support the community. The money is either wasted because of BAD Management. Some mony go to the Greedy Monk - Chandaphone and his brother and his closest followers who have no conscience. They don't believe in "boon or Barb".
I understand some of the community is blinded by certain teaching of these monks - soon to be fugitive monks. We have to open our eyes, open our mind, that there are Bad Monks who will take advantage of our innocent. No, we should not wait for them to be punished in their next life, we want to see them punish NOW, this life. We are seeking JUSTICE now.
It is true that, yes, they the monks go to houses to houses, travel every where, to find money to continue taking care of the temple. But that did NOT give them the right to take money as they please. There are rules they have to follow. There are law they have to follow. This is temple for the community, build by the community for the community. Stealing is SIMPLY NOT acceptable, doesn't matter how much - especially if you are MONKS.
LYING is SIMPLY NOT acceptable, especially if you are monks.
BAD BEHAVIORS, UNETHICAL BEHAVIORS will NOT be accepted. May be some of these monks have done some good in the past, but this does NOT give them the right to go beyond what the monks are supposed to do. If they can't handle, get out from the temple.
wat lao is not work the same as a church. ( i'm talking about funding and management )
watlao buddhavong was found by the two head monk who spend half of their life time travel around the country raising fund to build this temple. not just lao comunity of washington. the wat lao does not have a monthly budgets like a church, the money come to support the temple only when they have a service and festival. the biggest donation come from when the temple held the new year and july 4 that would support the temple through the years. the temple they build in indian is also fund by the people all across the usa who want to have a temple represents by Laos people from USA and other country. ( if you are buddhist you would understand why we should have a temple there ) and if you don't know this, i don;t know what to say anymore, as for fixing the temple, helping youth. united lao community get together. it not very easy job for the monk. I wish you all could spend sometime at the temple or better yet try to become a monk for a week or two see how the monk live and work. they spend their time 7days a week helping people problem.
the people who make this complain doesn't understand completed the problem, Please do your research more carefuly, i'm ashamed to this alots. one bad apple make the rest of all us look Bad. I just hope that whoever do this have a good conscience.
My mother has been a part of this community for over 20 years now. This temple has been family to us since we migrated here from Laos back in 81.
My mother doesn't only sell during the large festivals, but she also sells on the weekends from Spring through the end of Autumn. She gives most of her earnings to the temple. She has traveled with the Monks overseas several times too.
I've seen a lot come out from our donations. When my sister passed away, we had a group of Monks come to our house to pray with us for 3 days straight. They attended the funeral and did their share as well. They even threw a gathering for our family at the temple so that our family could receive donations from the rest of the community to help out the kids that my sister left behind.
So, i'm not sure if I would agree that these donations do not get used correctly. And when I say "i'm not sure", it's mainly because I don't know all the politics in this.
This is my problem with temples in our area in c.t. as I see in V.A. there is no pushing for the future. They are not investing in the youth. There are no youth leagues and programs that encourage setting foot into the temple besides festivals. When the people who run the temple who will fill their shoes. Invest in the future and all in the community will benefit.
This is in Virginia, right? My family has gone there many times, yet, a boycott?... My family actually aren't the people that go there to donate, only sell.
HumLium
Your donation are not truly going to support the temple and community. Only certain small group of individuals will benefit. Your money are dropping to the black hole.
You are helping them to survive and they will never change.
Bad IDEA! Go show your dissatisfaction AND your disapproval!!!!!
Speak up LOUD and in PERSON!!! BE HEARD!!!