Poll: Dana %

A discussion on all aspects of Theravāda Buddhism

What % of your money and time do you offer to others?

0%
0
No votes
<1%
1
10%
1-2%
4
40%
3-5%
0
No votes
5-7%
0
No votes
7-10%
3
30%
10-15%
0
No votes
15-20%
1
10%
20-30%
0
No votes
30+%
1
10%
 
Total votes: 10

Alino
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Poll: Dana %

Post by Alino »

Dear friends,

What % of your money and time do you offer to others?
We don't live Samsara, Samsara is living us...

"Form, feelings, perceptions, formations, consciousness - don't care about us, we don't exist for them"
SarathW
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Re: Poll: Dana %

Post by SarathW »

Average Westerner pay about 30% tax (20% income tax and 10% VAt then much local government and state taxes)
This is a sort of a donation but it is compulsory so might not qualify for it.
At least you can be happy that your taxes some small percentage go to poor people after paying the eurocrats.
However, you still donate after tax it is commendable.
I try to give at least 1% of my income.
It is important to note that Dhamma-Dana is the highest. (some people are greedy to share the knowledge)
So if you are in Dhamma Wheel and help others to learn Dhamma you are well covered even if you do not give monetary donations.
You also can donate your time and labor to other people as well.
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
Ontheway
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Re: Poll: Dana %

Post by Ontheway »

I voted 7% - 10%...

I am not from a wealthy family. Normally, I avoid spending money on expensive clothings, avoid buying new PS video games (I got a PS4 but I'm not going to upgrade further), avoid buying books (except Nikaya books), not going to pub or unnecessary social gatherings, avoid buying luxuries, and avoid watching movies at cinema.

By avoiding these unnecessary spending, I managed to save money, aside from supporting my parents, also give money as donation to either a charity organisation or a Buddhist temple monthly.
Hiriottappasampannā,
sukkadhammasamāhitā;
Santo sappurisā loke,
devadhammāti vuccare.

https://suttacentral.net/ja6/en/chalmer ... ight=false
SarathW
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Re: Poll: Dana %

Post by SarathW »

Yes, Looking after your parents is also a great way to practice donation.
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
Mr. Seek
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Re: Poll: Dana %

Post by Mr. Seek »

SarathW wrote: Sat Oct 16, 2021 9:53 am It is important to note that Dhamma-Dana is the highest. (some people are greedy to share the knowledge)
So if you are in Dhamma Wheel and help others to learn Dhamma you are well covered even if you do not give monetary donations.
We out here investing in dhamma posts like it's crypto-currency. Hell yeah! I mean hell no, haha, because its straight to Tusita heaven, suckers!. ... Just joking. Every once in a while I give to needy people. Nothing much, according to my finances. Not a lot, not little.
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DNS
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Re: Poll: Dana %

Post by DNS »

Do taxes count? :tongue: After all, a good percentage of taxes goes to social welfare programs and other things that help people.

I've heard that most people exaggerate how much they give, not realizing that the actual percent is very small. And some are struggling themselves so don't have the resources to do too much.
Ontheway
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Re: Poll: Dana %

Post by Ontheway »

I think money or food Dana isn't the only way to make merits.

I just read Nidhikaṇḍasutta from Khuddaka Nikaya and it says it is important to perform meritorious deeds not only for the sake of our well-being and worldly success, but also to make progress in the path.

Here is the link for Nidhikaṇḍasutta:
https://suttacentral.net/kp8/en/sujato? ... ript=latin

It seems there are ten types of meritorious deed, this is my interpretation (correct me if I'm wrong):

1) Dana
= Giving money donation to charity organisation, needy person, sponsoring events at Buddhist temple, support one's old aged parents or poor siblings, food offerings to Sangha.

2) Sila
= Five precepts or Eight precepts on Uposatha

3) Bhavana
= Do some meditation

4) Apacayana
= Respect Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha. Respect parents and virtuous laypeople.

5) Veyyavacca
= Become a volunteer for a charity organisation, help doing house chores at home??

6) Pattidana
= Transfer merits and share merits with Devas and departed relatives (ghosts) after completing a meritorious deed such as food offering to Sangha or reciting sutta session.

* I remember in one Dhammatalk session delivered by Ajahn Khemako (a Dhutanga Singaporean monk from Thanissaro Bhikkhu's lineage), says when he was staying in Australia, he encountered some ghosts (apparently old days caucasians) when he was meditating. He said these ghosts, quite different from those from Asian countries he visited, often calm but curious. Though they were in deformed state and miserable, these spirits just come to visit him and confused what is going on. He said one of them even offered him for a drink, but Ajahn refused and in return, Ajahn Khemako want to transfer merits to help these local forgotten spirits. Curiously, these ghosts (nonBuddhist, possibly) refused and prefer to stay in that way, in shady world of their own. It seems it is quite possible even one wants to transfer merits, but can be rejected. Also quite relatable to a theory that these ghosts could be devout Christians, waiting for eternal salvation from their supposed Creator.

7) Pattanumodana
= Rejoice in other people's good works, eg: other people doing Dana, printing Dhamma books, helping poor people, blood donation, etc.

8) Dhamma desana
= Preach the Dhamma at suitable time to close friends or family (but need to be learned first)

9) Dhamma savana
= Listen to Pali Sutta recitation; Dhamma talk video; reading Dhamma books

10) Ditthijukamma
= Straightening one's (or other people's) view to be away from the wrong views as prescribed in Brahmajala Sutta. Always examine the mind if such wrong view still persists.
Hiriottappasampannā,
sukkadhammasamāhitā;
Santo sappurisā loke,
devadhammāti vuccare.

https://suttacentral.net/ja6/en/chalmer ... ight=false
Bundokji
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Re: Poll: Dana %

Post by Bundokji »

Apart from the taxes that gets deducted from my income, I think public holidays, especially of the religious type (such as Christmas or Muslim Eid) are good occasions to practice generosity. Usually, when we are young, we are on the receiving end of gifts and money, but when we become somehow financially independent, we give back.

I think generosity towards relatives is of a higher value than towards the needy. It is usually coupled with the generosity of recognizing status, and the status of our relatives by virtue of the way we function should be higher. Same thing goes with time, we need time for ourselves, then to our relatives then to friends and strangers.

This conservative way of thinking in terms of a hierarchy of values appears wise to me. It provides proper guidance based on the way we function in the world.
The ancients who wished to illustrate illustrious virtue throughout the Kingdom, first ordered well their own states. Wishing to order well their states, they first regulated their families. Wishing to regulate their families, they first cultivated their persons. Wishing to cultivate their persons, they first rectified their hearts. Wishing to rectify their hearts, they first sought to be sincere in their thoughts. Wishing to be sincere in their thoughts, they first extended to the utmost their knowledge. Such extension of knowledge lay in the investigation of things. Things being investigated, knowledge became complete. Their knowledge being complete, their thoughts were sincere. Their thoughts being sincere, their hearts were then rectified. Their hearts being rectified, their persons were cultivated. Their persons being cultivated, their families were regulated. Their families being regulated, their states were rightly governed. Their states being rightly governed, the whole kingdom was made tranquil and happy. From the Son of Heaven down to the mass of the people, all must consider the cultivation of the person the root of everything besides.
Confucius
And the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus, saying: "Behold now, bhikkhus, I exhort you: All compounded things are subject to vanish. Strive with earnestness!"

This was the last word of the Tathagata.
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retrofuturist
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Re: Poll: Dana %

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings,
DNS wrote: Sat Oct 16, 2021 2:49 pm Do taxes count? :tongue: After all, a good percentage of taxes goes to social welfare programs and other things that help people.
Yes, and does family count? Dana begins at home.

Metta,
Paul. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
SarathW
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Re: Poll: Dana %

Post by SarathW »

DNS wrote: Sat Oct 16, 2021 2:49 pm Do taxes count? :tongue: After all, a good percentage of taxes goes to social welfare programs and other things that help people.

I've heard that most people exaggerate how much they give, not realizing that the actual percent is very small. And some are struggling themselves so don't have the resources to do too much.
In my opinion that counts too provided you do not hate paying taxes knowing that your contribution helps the needy and the society is benefited from the taxes collecting from you. Unfortunately, there is a lot of waste in the public sector so as a citizen you should take an active role in politics.
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
SarathW
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Re: Poll: Dana %

Post by SarathW »

retrofuturist wrote: Sat Oct 16, 2021 10:19 pm Greetings,
DNS wrote: Sat Oct 16, 2021 2:49 pm Do taxes count? :tongue: After all, a good percentage of taxes goes to social welfare programs and other things that help people.
Yes, and does family count? Dana begins at home.

Metta,
Paul. :)
I think that counts too.
However, Dana to be fulfilled that has to be done without the self-view I suppose.
For instance, can I give Dana for myself?
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
SarathW
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Re: Poll: Dana %

Post by SarathW »

This conservative way of thinking in terms of a hierarchy of values appears wise to me.
There is a Sutta to support this.
Buddha listed the actions of Dana from the lowest merit to the highest.
Dana for animals comes the lowest if I can recall.
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
TRobinson465
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Re: Poll: Dana %

Post by TRobinson465 »

Since you said time/money i put over 30% since its basically over 30% if you add money and volunteer time together. Although that is an admittedly confusing way to phrase the poll. Money alone i would say 20-30% of my disposable income goes to others. Im not particularly materialistic and dont have anything much better to do with my money so why not?

in terms of time i dedicate probably 40% of my free time to doing something for someone else or a group of people.
"Do not have blind faith, but also no blind criticism" - the 14th Dalai Lama

"The Blessed One has set in motion the unexcelled Wheel of Dhamma that cannot be stopped by brahmins, devas, Maras, Brahmas or anyone in the cosmos." -Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta
bpallister
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Re: Poll: Dana %

Post by bpallister »

i don't keep track of percentage, but i usually give a few bucks when i go to the grocery store and will sometimes donate to local Sanghas or monasteries and also feeding america
Alino
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Re: Poll: Dana %

Post by Alino »

Up 🙏
We don't live Samsara, Samsara is living us...

"Form, feelings, perceptions, formations, consciousness - don't care about us, we don't exist for them"
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