I don't know much about Ladakh and Dharamsala, but I guess it will be similar everywhere. The Tibetan system in the monasteries is a very well organized social system. I have spoken to many monks in Nepal about how does it work that they have money, smart phones, a little higher ones motorbikes, cars and more and more, depending on the popularity of the monk and/or his monastery. When a family offers a child, usually boy, to enter a monoester, it is obvious that the family will continue to send money, clothes and anything that is allowed and needed by the child monk. Part of the money is given to the monastery itself as donation. Moreover, if a child is an orphan or his family is poor, some religious people, Tibetans as well as many Westerners, choose to sponsor a monk for all life. I knew a German couple who sponsors a Nepalese monk in a monastery near Kathmandu al his monk study years, and I would even claim they are spoiling him. It can also create jealousy among monks, maybe...He is very lucky. When they go to visit him in Nepal, they bring him electronic gadgets and clothes etc.
I was explained that the system is so well established, that practically all monk has a sponsor. So in Nepal often monks are considered very rich, and they have to pay higher prices for goods. If they have to travel, most of the time they can afford to take expensive taxis, while locals must go on old crowded buses or on foot...
I think the system is very good, and it could have worked well when monasteries were in Tibet, and the money and gifts had been in the limits of a normal Tibetan household. But nowadays this sponsor system creates a source for materialism in Tibetan monasteries, and that looks sad for someone who comes to them to study about a Buddhist lifestyle...
Another, not small, source of money for older monks are Pujas: religious rituals in temples or private houses. Pujas are actually monks' main "job", especially at occasions of people's death, birth, building a house, purifying a place etc. On Pujas usually invited guests (non-monks, non-nuns) stand up at a certain point to distribute the same amount of money to all present monks and nuns, even if they did not do any active prayers.
I started to understand why are monks and nuns always so enthusiastic about Pujas, and had been calling me to this or that Puma. For them they are the happy occasions of earning money, and sometimes very big amounts, if the beneficiary is rich.
I hope I helped you to understand where monks get expensive shoes from...
I was explained that the system is so well established, that practically all monk has a sponsor. So in Nepal often monks are considered very rich, and they have to pay higher prices for goods. If they have to travel, most of the time they can afford to take expensive taxis, while locals must go on old crowded buses or on foot...
I think the system is very good, and it could have worked well when monasteries were in Tibet, and the money and gifts had been in the limits of a normal Tibetan household. But nowadays this sponsor system creates a source for materialism in Tibetan monasteries, and that looks sad for someone who comes to them to study about a Buddhist lifestyle...
Another, not small, source of money for older monks are Pujas: religious rituals in temples or private houses. Pujas are actually monks' main "job", especially at occasions of people's death, birth, building a house, purifying a place etc. On Pujas usually invited guests (non-monks, non-nuns) stand up at a certain point to distribute the same amount of money to all present monks and nuns, even if they did not do any active prayers.
I started to understand why are monks and nuns always so enthusiastic about Pujas, and had been calling me to this or that Puma. For them they are the happy occasions of earning money, and sometimes very big amounts, if the beneficiary is rich.
I hope I helped you to understand where monks get expensive shoes from...