Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about our Bookstore.
If you don't see the answer to the question that you'd like to ask, you can send your question via e-mail to Dan, Dan the Bookstore Man.
Q: How do I make a purchase?
You may also pay for your purchases (or make a donation) by Visa or Master
Card. Please see Dan to pay by credit card (or one of several other
members. If Dan's not there just ask someone if they know who is trained
to take credit cards and they will find out.)
A: You can make a purchase in person at the Kadampa Center
Bookstore. We are a self-service Bookstore, set up to be as convenient as
possible. Each book has an index card with the title, author and price
listed on it. Simply take the index card(s) from the book(s) you'd like to
buy and place them with cash or a check made out to Kadampa Center in an
envelope and then place the envelope in the red payment box on top of the
glass display case. (Sorry, we can not make change for cash payments.) If
the item does not have an index card, please write a brief note on the
envelope indicating what you purchased.
Q: Why are there two prices listed for each book? How do
I know which one to pay?
A: The two different prices are meant for two different groups
of people. The first price is the publisher's price plus 7% NC sales tax.
The second price is the members' discounted price, and is 15% OFF
of the publisher's price and also includes tax. As the old commercial said,
"membership has its privileges." If you have signed the membership
registration book, then you are a member and are welcome to the members'
discount if you so choose. Those who are guests, visitors or anyone else
who has not become a member should pay the first price on the card. (By
the way, membership in Kadampa
Center is free and open to all who are interested.)
Q: So, why should I buy books from this Bookstore? I
can find these books cheaper on the Internet or at other bookstores in
town, can't I?
A: There are several reasons why you should make your
purchases of Dharma books and other items in the Kadampa Center Bookstore.
First, your purchase will greatly support our new fund to build a long life
Stupa (see below for more details). Second, if you are a member, you will not
find these Dharma books discounted at any other local area bookstores.
Yes, you may find a few books at a greater discount online, but you
wont find all of the Dharma books that we carry. Also, spending wisely does not
just mean finding the cheapest price, no matter what; it also means
spending your money where it will do the most good. Your purchase with us
will do you good, and do our community good.
Q: Can I make a purchase online?
A: No. Sorry, but we are not set up for e-commerce yet. We do
plan on eventually being able to process orders online, but since we are an
all-volunteer organization, we just don't have the manpower.
Q: How about by phone or mail?
A: Again, due to our limited staffing and being an
all-volunteer organization, we can not handle a large volume of orders
from all around the country ... yet. If it is a special situation, you
could e-mail Dan and he'll see what
we can do.
Q: Can I special order a book?
A: Yes! We do accept special orders and they are available at no
extra cost. There are forms in the Bookstore that you can fill out and place in
the center's suggestion box. Or, you can simply e-mail Dan (at the bottom of
this page) with as much information as you know about the book that you are
looking for (title, author, publisher, ISBN, etc.) and he will research to see
if the book is available. *Please note: Special orders may take as long as four
to eight weeks to arrive, as they may not coincide with our regular ordering
cycle. When the book arrives you will be notified and it will be held for
pickup in the office of Kadampa Center.
Q: Is it appropriate to "sell" the Dharma?
According to the FPMT:
A: An excellent and complex question. Strictly speaking, it is not
good for one to "sell" the Dharma or Dharma items. However, since we do live in
a conventional world, and since it does cost money to print books and
manufacture other items, we need to pay the people from whom we purchase those
items.
"We should always avoid the thought that we are selling the Dharma.
Therefore, while charges are levied for certain Dharma items that may be sold in
the Dharma shop or as part of the education program at the center, it is very
important not to arise the thought of making money from the Dharma. To cover the
expenses, ... is acceptable, but the motivation should not be one of making
money for profit."
A significant portion of the proceeds from Bookstore sales are used to purchase
more books and other merchandise, as well as to cover the cost of shipping and
handling.
Q: So, what does happen to any excess money generated from the
Bookstore?
A: The proceeds from sales in our Bookstore are set aside toward the
cost of building a long life Stupa on the site of our new center when we
purchase it. Lama Zopa Rinpoche, the director of the FPMT, has directed the
Kadampa Center to build a long life Stupa here in the heart of North Carolina
for the benefit of all sentient beings who may come in contact with it.
Q: Well, how about if I need a book now, but I just don't have the
money? Can I pay you later? I'm an honest person, I'll bring in the money some
other time.
A: Please do not take items from the Bookstore without paying for
them at the time of purchase. We are not questioning your honesty or integrity.
However, although our self-service style is set up on the honor system, our
Bookstore does function like any other business, and it is not okay to take
something without paying. This also relates to a basic Buddhist concept :
taking what is "not freely given" creates bad karma for your future self.
Q: Who decides which books and items you carry? How is that
decision made? And, from where do your products come?
Dan keeps an eye on what's "new & noteworthy" in Dharma publishing through
trade catalogs from publishers and distributors, as well as checking the
publishers' web sites. He buys what he feels is appropriate for our
center's Bookstore to carry and what he thinks members will have an
interest in. He generally orders books that are in the Tibetan Buddhist
tradition, since that is the type of center we are. He says that deciding
which books & items to buy is as much an art as a science and that it can
be quite challenging - especially given our limited space. He says that
he could easily fill a shop with three to four times our space, and
hopefully that will happen when we get our new space!
If you are a vendor and feel that your merchandise would be appropriate for our
Tibetan Buddhist Bookstore, you may send us a catalog if you wish. Please mail
your catalog directly to the center.
A:Our volunteer Bookstore Manager, Dan, is the main person who
decides which books and other items to buy - he places all of the wholesale
orders. He does, however, greatly welcome any suggestions or requests of any
specific titles that our members and friends may have.
Q: Do you need any help running the bookstore? Are there
volunteer opportunities?
A:Right now, we do not need help with the day-to-day running of our
Bookstore. We do need help whenever we have an off site event, such as a public
teaching. Dan usually posts an email on the Kadampa email list whenever there
is a need for help. One day, after we have our new center with a larger full
service Bookstore, we will be looking for many volunteers to help. There are,
however, many other areas in which Kadampa Center could use your help as a
volunteer.
Q: How can I keep up with what's going on in the Bookstore? Do
you have a newsletter?
A: You can find out what's new and/or interesting in our Bookstore
in three different ways.
We do have a "new & noteworthy" shelf for new Dharma books, and if you see
Dan, just ask him what's new in the Bookstore and he'll be glad to show you.
Kadampa Center, Raleigh, NC, USA -- Affiliated with the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition