Can Theravada buddhist temple accept non buddhist donations ?

[sentinel]

Can a Theravada buddhist temple /sangha receive donations from non buddhist ?
Can a Theravada buddhist temple / sangha receive donations from criminal / killer ?
Can a Theravada buddhist temple /sangha receive donations from illegals sources (selling drugs/cocaine/gambling/liquor , smuggling goods , human trafficking , selling illegals human organs)?
Does receive donations knowing it came from illegals sources constitute dark kamma ? Because this indirectly encourage the criminal to continue their illegals activities .


Thank you .

[Just another Bhikkhu]

Of course they can (and many do). If it is proper or not, that's a different story... You would be amazed at how flexible some monks can be with their beliefs about kamma when there is money involved

[sentinel]

Of course they can (and many do). If it is proper or not, that's a different story... You would be amazed at how flexible some monks can be with their beliefs about kamma when there is money involved

Venerable ,
Could you explain if it is against not taking money precept ? Isn't that allure monks become greedy ? Then moreover create favouritism towards the rich and famous , causing discriminations , prejudices and biases against followers that are
underprivileged . Looking down on the poor people .


I find this situation similar to Islam religion , they condemned the Kafirs yet they can forfeit their moneys although the money came from unlawful illegals sources (gambling , alcohol ) and property and take the women as their slave .

[JamesTheGiant]

Could you explain if it is against not taking money precept ?

At a monastery with good vinaya, the money is given to the monastery, not to the monks. The monks do not handle it, it's all done by laypeople.
But bad monks accept money personally.

[bazzaman]

The title of your post asks one question, and the text of the post asks another. Regarding the first question only... in Burma it is not uncommon to see non-Buddhists making offerings to monks and temples.

[sentinel]

Could you explain if it is against not taking money precept ?

At a monastery with good vinaya, the money is given to the monastery, not to the monks. The monks do not handle it, it's all done by laypeople.
But bad monks accept money personally.

What about having a "middle" man to handle the money ? Though not "touching" the money but Not really Equivalent to " not taking " the money ?

[Just another Bhikkhu]

Venerable ,
Could you explain if it is against not taking money precept ? Isn't that allure monks become greedy ?

Some monks, even though they do not handle money directly, take an active roll in managing funds, and making economic decisions. Others own land as part of a "trust" and so on. It is possible to get very creative to get around the Vinaya.

Now, all of this can be done for very wholesome reasons... or not, and sometimes there is no other choice.

The daily life of many abbots resembles more that of a businessman than a contemplative one

[chownah]

The temple in my village has never asked me if I am a buddhist and has never asked me to show them a buddhism membership card when I make donations.
chownah

[AgarikaJ]

Can a Theravada buddhist temple /sangha receive donations from non buddhist ?
Can a Theravada buddhist temple / sangha receive donations from criminal / killer ?
Can a Theravada buddhist temple /sangha receive donations from illegals sources (selling drugs/cocaine/gambling/liquor , smuggling goods , human trafficking , selling illegals human organs)?
Does receive donations knowing it came from illegals sources constitute dark kamma ? Because this indirectly encourage the criminal to continue their illegals activities .

There might be a problem if a donor would proclaim: "I made this money by human trafficking, specifically so that I could give it to the temple". I am sure in this case, it would not be accepted. It would also create Bad Kamma if a temple would ask: "Can you please go out and steal so that you can donate that money."

Besides those extremely constructed and fairly impossible scenarios, the act of Dana is one that benefits not only the Sangha, but more importantly the giver, so a donation should never be rejected to allow that the giver gains merit from it and to give him the opportunity to fight his negative attachments (namely those of greed and miserliness). In the case the giver is not a Buddhist and does not believe in merit, he still gains it and with it a chance to gain access to the Path (maybe in a later life).

Actually, Dana is the first of the Noble Qualities and counts as even more imoportant than Sila (Moral Conduct).

- https://drarisworld.wordpress.com/2016/ ... -buddhism/

As such, it would be the an obligation by any monastic to accept any donation, as it benefits the giver so much more then the receiver.

In the words of the Buddha:
- https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitak ... .than.html

"And how is a donation endowed with six factors? There is the case where there are the three factors of the donor, the three factors of the recipients.

"And which are the three factors of the donor? There is the case where the donor, before giving, is glad; while giving, his/her mind is bright & clear; and after giving is gratified. These are the three factors of the donor.

"And which are the three factors of the recipients? There is the case where the recipients are free of passion or are practicing for the subduing of passion; free of aversion or practicing for the subduing of aversion; and free of delusion or practicing for the subduing of delusion. These are the three factors of the recipients.

"Such are the three factors of the donor, the three factors of the recipients. And this is how a donation is endowed with six factors.

"And it is not easy to take the measure of the merit of a donation thus endowed with six factors as 'just this much a bonanza of merit, a bonanza of what is skillful — a nutriment of bliss, heavenly, resulting in bliss, leading to heaven — that leads to what is desirable, pleasing, charming, beneficial, pleasant.' It is simply reckoned as a great mass of merit, incalculable, immeasurable.

"Just as it is not easy to take the measure of the great ocean as 'just this many buckets of water, just this many hundreds of buckets of water, just this many thousands of buckets of water, or just this many hundreds of thousands of buckets of water.' It is simply reckoned as a great mass of water, incalculable, immeasurable. In the same way, it is not easy to take the measure of the merit of a donation thus endowed with six factors as 'just this much a bonanza of merit, a bonanza of what is skillful — a nutriment of bliss, heavenly, resulting in bliss, leading to heaven — that leads to what is desirable, pleasing, charming, beneficial, pleasant.' It is simply reckoned as a great mass of merit, incalculable, immeasurable."

[SarathW]

Why not.
I give donations to other religions as well.

[sentinel]

Why not.
I give donations to other religions as well.

As a samanera one of the precept is not accepting money . What more for a bhikkhu ?

If not mistaken , Buddha discouraged his followers to donate to other sects and ascetics .
Maybe someone could help find out the text .
Of course there are exceptional case .

[SarathW]

Buddha discouraged his followers to donate to other sects and ascetics

I don't think so.
But he has shown the various kind of fruits for giving to various type of people.
Or what sort of giving is more fruitful than others.