Buddhist Councelling

Went with Thupten to Kushalnagar. We had a couple of Masala Dosas and bought some electrical parts. At Fawaz supermarket the Meat Monk got sausages and chicken which he claim to be of the same brand as the ***** hotels in Bangalore serve. When we got back I fixed some broken plugs and sockets. A new career perhaps? We'll see if it works when the power returns. They say it's raining all over India today but here it has just been hot. In the evening we could see lightning in the distance but it's not coming our way (I hope). Water started flowing after 3 pm and we could do the dishes. Yesterday when Thupten and I went for a walk down through the Indian village towards the jungle I asked him what he is going to do in California. Teach? Mostly Buddhist councelling, he said. It means receiving persons who suffer from psychological problems like depression, pretty much like a regular psychologist. What? I said. Yes, most people come for that, he replied. The person pays the monk a "donation" which is like a fee, although a lot cheaper than that of a liceensed psychologist. That's pocket money for the monk. They don't have any particular training for this. What is councelling from a Buddhist point of view? I asked. But he didn't really have an answer to that. Thupten had actually been advised by a professional claivoyant (!) to indicate a high donation since the more people pay, the more value they feel that they get for their money. In any case, this is something new, and part of the latest development in Buddhist modernism.