giving beggars question

Buddhist ethical conduct including the Five Precepts (Pañcasikkhāpada), and Eightfold Ethical Conduct (Aṭṭhasīla).
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mario92
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giving beggars question

Post by mario92 »

Namaste i want to ask a question: here in my surroundings are a lot of beggars, i live in a suburb of houses, some of them steal from houses, others use drugs, others are just migrants, etc. You can not notice. Is it good to give to beggars in general even though is possible that i would be supporting bad behaviour? is it considered good to give even to those hungry beggars? thanks
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Ceisiwr
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Re: giving beggars question

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mario92 wrote: Sat Apr 10, 2021 12:14 am Namaste i want to ask a question: here in my surroundings are a lot of beggars, i live in a suburb of houses, some of them steal from houses, others use drugs, others are just migrants, etc. You can not notice. Is it good to give to beggars in general even though is possible that i would be supporting bad behaviour? is it considered good to give even to those hungry beggars? thanks
Kamma is intention. What they do with it is their own kamma. That said, if you really feel it would do more harm than good then perhaps give to a local homeless charity. Even still you could just give them food directly. Be careful though.
“Knowing that this body is just like foam,
understanding it has the nature of a mirage,
cutting off Māra’s flower-tipped arrows,
one should go beyond the King of Death’s sight.”
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mario92
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Re: giving beggars question

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Thanks Ceisiwr, i have more clarity now. :anjali:
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Ceisiwr
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Re: giving beggars question

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mario92 wrote: Sat Apr 10, 2021 12:36 am Thanks Ceisiwr, i have more clarity now. :anjali:
You're most welcome.
“Knowing that this body is just like foam,
understanding it has the nature of a mirage,
cutting off Māra’s flower-tipped arrows,
one should go beyond the King of Death’s sight.”
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Re: giving beggars question

Post by SarathW »

There are four ways the gift can be wholesome.
In your case, you are the giver of virtues and giving to unvirtues. (perhaps but we do not know)
In any case, this is a good gift if you are virtuous.
To be a perfect gift both the giver and the receiver have to be virtuous.

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=25889&hilit=
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
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mario92
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Re: giving beggars question

Post by mario92 »

SarathW wrote: Sat Apr 10, 2021 2:43 am There are four ways the gift can be wholesome.
In your case, you are the giver of virtues and giving to unvirtues. (perhaps but we do not know)
In any case, this is a good gift if you are virtuous.
To be a perfect gift both the giver and the receiver have to be virtuous.

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=25889&hilit=
Thanks SarathW :anjali:
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Re: giving beggars question

Post by Alino »

mario92 wrote: Sat Apr 10, 2021 12:14 am Namaste i want to ask a question: here in my surroundings are a lot of beggars, i live in a suburb of houses, some of them steal from houses, others use drugs, others are just migrants, etc. You can not notice. Is it good to give to beggars in general even though is possible that i would be supporting bad behaviour? is it considered good to give even to those hungry beggars? thanks
As beggars often use money to buy drugs, so I say :
- I dont give money, but I can buy you something to eat.
We don't live Samsara, Samsara is living us...

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Bhikkhu Pesala
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Re: giving beggars question

Post by Bhikkhu Pesala »

If I have more almsfood than I need, I sometimes give it to beggars. I think that is better than giving cash, but if they want drugs, no doubt they will swap the food with other beggars for drugs.
Dakkhiṇāvibhaṅga Sutta wrote:“Herein, Ānanda, having given a gift to an animal, one may expect the gift to return a hundredfold. Having given a gift to an ordinary immoral person, one may expect the gift to return a thousandfold. Having given a gift to an ordinary moral person, one may expect the gift to return a hundred thousandfold. Having given a gift to one outside the Buddhist dispensation who is free from sensual desire, one may expect the gift to return times ten billion. By giving a gift to one practising for the realisation of Stream-winning, one may expect an incalculable and immeasurable result...
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Re: giving beggars question

Post by Bundokji »

Bhikkhu Pesala wrote: Sat Apr 10, 2021 8:23 am If I have more almsfood than I need, I sometimes give it to beggars. I think that is better than giving cash, but if they want drugs, no doubt they will swap the food with other beggars for drugs.
Dakkhiṇāvibhaṅga Sutta wrote:“Herein, Ānanda, having given a gift to an animal, one may expect the gift to return a hundredfold. Having given a gift to an ordinary immoral person, one may expect the gift to return a thousandfold. Having given a gift to an ordinary moral person, one may expect the gift to return a hundred thousandfold. Having given a gift to one outside the Buddhist dispensation who is free from sensual desire, one may expect the gift to return times ten billion. By giving a gift to one practising for the realisation of Stream-winning, one may expect an incalculable and immeasurable result...
Thanks Bhante :anjali:

Are there aspects in the teachings that priorities giving to relatives and closer circle in case they are needy before giving to strangers?

Thanks.
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Inedible
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Re: giving beggars question

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If you want to keep your money, don't worry about it. It is your money. You don't have to work so hard to justify it by saying the money will not be used well and the recipients are not of good quality.
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Re: giving beggars question

Post by sphairos »

In Germany and other countries of Europe gracious, merciful people often give the beggars food.

In terms of Buddhism I think it's a very meritorious activity.
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SarathW
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Re: giving beggars question

Post by SarathW »

Bhikkhu Pesala wrote: Sat Apr 10, 2021 8:23 am If I have more almsfood than I need, I sometimes give it to beggars. I think that is better than giving cash, but if they want drugs, no doubt they will swap the food with other beggars for drugs.
Dakkhiṇāvibhaṅga Sutta wrote:“Herein, Ānanda, having given a gift to an animal, one may expect the gift to return a hundredfold. Having given a gift to an ordinary immoral person, one may expect the gift to return a thousandfold. Having given a gift to an ordinary moral person, one may expect the gift to return a hundred thousandfold. Having given a gift to one outside the Buddhist dispensation who is free from sensual desire, one may expect the gift to return times ten billion. By giving a gift to one practising for the realisation of Stream-winning, one may expect an incalculable and immeasurable result...
Hi Bhante
I was under the impression that monks are not allowed to share their alamfood with others or beggars.
Say I give you some food and I notice that you go and give it to a beggar. Perhaps I may be disappointed.
Perhaps I got my wires crossed somewhere.
:D
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mjaviem
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Re: giving beggars question

Post by mjaviem »

mario92 wrote: Sat Apr 10, 2021 12:14 am Namaste i want to ask a question: here in my surroundings are a lot of beggars, i live in a suburb of houses, some of them steal from houses, others use drugs, others are just migrants, etc. You can not notice. Is it good to give to beggars in general even though is possible that i would be supporting bad behaviour? is it considered good to give even to those hungry beggars? thanks
I think the most important thing to do is to watch your mind at that precise situation you are facing and check if you are about to act out of greed. If you are, let go and give whatever is that you should be giving in that situation. But you don't have to if the situation is not about you being greedy but about the beggar pressuring you to give them only because you must, nor if giving that thing is in detriment of you or others.
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Re: giving beggars question

Post by Dhammanando »

SarathW wrote: Sat Apr 10, 2021 10:41 am I was under the impression that monks are not allowed to share their alamfood with others or beggars.
There are certain items of sangha property that it's a Vinaya offence to give away, but almsfood isn't one of them.
The Canon lists five classes of Community belongings that cannot be given out to any individual or divided up among the bhikkhus, even by a Community transaction or through the agency of a Community official. Any bhikkhu who does give out or divide up these belongings incurs a thullaccaya — and even then the belongings do not count as given out or divided up. They are still the property of the Community. The five classes are:

1) A monastery, the site of/for a monastery.
2) A dwelling, the site of/for of a dwelling.
3) A bed, bench, mattress, pillow.
4) A metal pot, a metal basin, a metal jar/bottle, a metal vessel/frying pan, a knife/machete, an axe, an adze, a hoe/spade (the Thai sometimes calls this a hoe, sometimes a spade), a drill/chisel.
5) Vines, bamboo, coarse grass, reeds, tina-grass, clay (all of these can be used as building materials), wooden goods, clay goods.

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Bhikkhu Pesala
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Re: giving beggars question

Post by Bhikkhu Pesala »

By donating to the Saṅgha or to monks who are striving for nibbāna, lay supporters maximise their merit.

If the monks have more than they need, they should not throw food away in the trash — that would surely upset the dāyakas. If there are other monks who need more food they should share it with them, or with nuns or novices. If there are neither, they can share it with lay people who help the Saṅgha or their own blood relatives if they are needy. Failing that, they should share it with lay people like beggars, or at least leave it where animals can eat it.

There is merit to be made even by sharing the bowl washings with worms and other creatures that live in the garden.

When Ānanda once accepted 500 robes he was accused of being greedy. He explained how they were shared, and how the old robe were reused as bed-sheets, and the old bed-sheets reused as foot-wiping cloths, etc., with nothing being wasted. The donor then gave him another 500 robes.

We should have the same attitude with everything donated, including money donated to a kappiya for paying utility bills, etc. Even if we have sufficient funds to keep the heating on 24/7, we should use it sparingly so that the funds will last longer, and after our death any surplus funds can benefit other monks or meditators.
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