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m_v

Offering/donation

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Dear m_v,

I couldn’t agree more with all you have said and I hesitate to add any of my unenlightened insights to it. But concerning generosity as opposed to miserliness in general, and donations in particular, I cannot help but share with this forum some of my confusion.

 

I learned for the first time last night that the Dharmaling Congregation in Ljubljana is short of funds. I am afraid this news hit me like a hammer. How could a first-world dharma centre be strapped for cash? As far as I know the centre in Ljubljana is quite a modest affair and very economically run. From what I could gather we are talking of about 3,500 euros a month. Of course I do not know the exact size of the congregation but if one divides 3,500 by 100 one gets the figure of 35 Euros (almost exactly what I spend on my cappuccinos a month) per head. I am taking for granted here that all members of the congregation enjoy the benefits of cable television, which if one adds on the cost of the television license (RTV contributions) also costs around 35 Euros a month.

 

So does that mean members of the Dharma congregation here in Ljubljana cannot come up with the money equivalent to what they spend on watching a load of rubbish on their TVs? Or is there some other more profound, deeper reasoning behind this state of affairs?

 

I must say I shouldn’t be all that surprised, as having successfully invited about 100 Buddhists (mostly, first-world, western countries) to a Facebook group supporting an African NGO we together managed to raise about $150.

 

Perhaps I’m way of the mark in my confusion. Perhaps people are donating and showing their generosity in other ways - with their very precious time, wisdom, merits even, But for me I don’t understand why it seems so difficult to open up the wallet.

 

I have read on the net about people shopping around for the best Dharma bargains - apparently the Sri Lankans are offering the best deals in America, for example, if anyone is interested.

 

I’m afraid my only conclusion to date is that your average drinker is willing to spend more on his/her crutch than your average Buddhist is prepared to come up with for the genuine article, carefully preserved and handed down to us through a whole lineage of precious teachers going back to our Lord Buddha.

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Thank you for your speedy reply. The way I look at is that the very process of opening the wallet leads directly to some kind of understanding about what is important and what is not. Generosity in whatever form should lead to prosperity. I suppose it has a lot to do with all the garbage we are carrying from our past lives and early existence in this one. We really must generate patience and not expect immediate results, as Rinpoche has kindly reminded us. He has also told us that in karma nothing is lost and all we do for our own and other people's benefit will produce positive results. I believe this to mean that all the good work being achieved thanks to the Dharma centre here in Ljubljana will produce good results and in the end these results will also show in the flourishing of the Dharma itself even if there are the bad times in between due to karma from the past. Patience it seems is the key.

Oh how wonderful it is to see how the six perfections when taken together really are perfections - did you see Rinpoche's latest videos? The perfection of generousity needs all the others - good conduct (refraining from harm), patience, perserverence or energy, meditation/concentration and widom/insight - to make it really work.

I think we can share these ideas with each other even though we need to make the right efforts ourselves.

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Perhaps I’m way of the mark in my confusion. Perhaps people are ....

I have read on the net about people shopping around for the best Dharma bargains - apparently the Sri Lankans are offering the best deals in America, for example, if anyone is interested.

 

 

what does that Dharma bargains thing mean?

(and what means "way of the mark"? (i dont know this expression))

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By Dharma bargains I mean the cheapest methods of accessing the wealth of the Dharma - e.g. looking for the cheapest teachings, restricting oneself to what is available free on the internet, etc.

Way of the mark means basically missing the target by a long way or simply wrong in a big way.

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So does that mean members of the Dharma congregation here in Ljubljana cannot come up with the money equivalent to what they spend on watching a load of rubbish on their TVs? Or is there some other more profound, deeper reasoning behind this state of affairs?

I like to stay away from all what concerns money, as it has never been a goal for me. But it is fact that the Temple of Ljubljana has been acquired on basis of a loan, which we have to reimburse each month, plus paying the usual bills. This Dharma Center proved and proves to be very useful, not only for Dharmaling members or not just for Buddhists people, but helping quite broadly. If not directly, by giving a seat to the Buddhist Congregation, which activities are expending and spreading in different countries; and seat for the Foundation which is nowadays developing also its activities so as to touch as many beings as possible, even outside of any religious context.

Some people might forget that Zavod Dharmaling was created to support financially the Buddhist Congregation, as the primary concern of the Congregation shall not to be finances. Yet, the Foundation/Zavod doesn't materialize money (yet ;)) but has to refund this loan and keep the usual functioning.

 

This financial point is indeed very sad. As we say, we come to realize the importance of someone/something when that person/thing disappear. Truth is that the Temple in Ljubljana could disappear because not all people benefiting from it are supporting it sufficiently.

 

May be people think that their contribution, if too small, will not change much. But this is not true. Indeed, I think most people can afford 35- per month, specially regarding what other amounts are spent for useless, if not harmful for body or mind, things.

 

Generosity is the first of Six Perfections. It's not for nothing. It touch also directly our various attachments. Why can we give so much money for useless things or just to feed our senses, but not to sustain a Dharma Center?

Practicing generosity in this case is working on our attachments and accumulating incommensurable amount of merits because supporting a Dharma center!

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Thank you Rinpoche but I am confused about accumulating merit by supporting the Dharma.

As I understand it in order to complete the paramita of charity one must be generous without regard to money buying merit.

If two beggars present themselves, one better off than the other one should give to the poorest and explain to the richer of the two that whilst caring about him and wishing him the best that the alms are already reserved for another.

I take this to mean if one's money is limited one should give one's money to the most needy of the money. One bases the most needy (or most deserving) in terms of money not on the most worthy of one's donation.

Is one's possessions to be given away to the most needy or the most worthy regarding the possessions?

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Dear m_v et al,

Of course giving to Dharma projects is beneficial to all but my question concerns the essentials of charity with respect to the first paramita of the six perfections.

Is the priority to give to the most needy or the most worthy?

The Dharma is concerned with all limited beings including those who are not fortunate to have encountered the Dharma and those of so few blessings as not to encounter the Dharma for many lifetimes. But they were all once our mothers. They were all once our providers. When charity is given it is only returning favours done to us in the past. The present condition of the recipient is immaterial. We should give to the most needy to present themselves to us or be referred to us.

Of course the Dharma needs our support. So do people who perhaps we consider the lowest of low and will perhaps mistake our generosity and waste our alms.

The old communist saying from each according to ability to each according to need was corrupted by adherants of communism who allocated resources to who they thought more worthy - they judged what was best for the people and ignored their needs. We Buddhists should not make the same mistake.

When we offer a loaf of bread to someone who is hungry we feed them for a whole day - we in fact could be saving a life, a life that one day could meet up with the Dharma, could perhaps save us all.

I'm putting it badly but please remember the question - is the priority to give to the most needy or the most worthy, and if the latter is true who the hell are we to judge?

I am presently donating to Dharmaling because it is in dire financial straits - therefore it is needy. I am not donating because it is in "my opinion" the most worthy of my money.

Furthermore when I give charity or practice generosity I don't care a fig about any personal accumulation of merit, although I always thank the recipient for his blessing. In fact I dedicate any merit or good karma o whatever to the benefit of all limited beings wherever they are, in the higher or lower realms, totally lost or well on their way to enlightenment because I want to complete the paramita of charity and give away my merit as well as my posessions. If you care to see my views (however crazy they seem) on giving away my body as well please see the discussion about donating organs and contribute there.

Thank you.

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Dear m_v I almost envy your devotion. I certainly find joy in it. Please forgive me for any preaching. I have no right. There is obviously a great gulf between us and our precious masters. We seek to immitate and close that gulf. Each to his/her own abilities. I am always in complete admiration of this. There is no need to delete anything said in this matter. I can only take your postings as encouragement on my path.

Thank you once again.

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