The Lunar New Year is prime time to look for a new job. Recently, job seekers have discovered that temple staff stand to make a pretty reasonable salary.

It’s customary to ask the gods for help in securing a good job with high pay and a short commute. What about working for the gods themselves? Well, as it turns out, getting hired as a deacon for Hsing-tian Temple in Taipei could net you a monthly salary as high as NT$48,000 (USD$1,500). 

Apart from keeping the temple environment tidy, the duties of a deacon include giving sermons, assisting visitors with rituals and exorcising misfortunes, interpreting divination slips, and chanting scripture, all of which require specialized knowledge and training. Temple staff clarified that it takes time and experience to reach that pay rate.

It’s not easy to get in, either. Considering Hsing-tian Temple is highly trafficked in addition to being a hotspot for foreign tourists, deacons need basic English skills; knowing a bit of Japanese or Korean is also beneficial. Out of a thousand applicants, only a handful are selected, and even then, they need final approval from the gods.

It would seem getting a job here is not just about having good connections, but having good karma, too.

H for Rti News