Giving Gifts or Giving Burden?

Lay Buddhists are often taught the importance of giving (dāna)—especially to monastics—as a meritorious act. While this practice is deeply rooted in the Buddhist tradition, it has led to a growing concern: the excessive giving of gifts to monastics, resulting in monasteries having to deal with unnecessary possessions.

Monastics do depend on lay people to give them what they need. However, when the giving becomes excessive, it creates a burden for the monastics. Their monasteries can become cluttered with items they neither need nor want. In this situation, the gifts have become a burden.

To address this issue, lay Buddhists should be advised to practice wise giving. This involves considering the true needs of the recipient and the potential result of the giving. Instead of giving out of religious piety or a desire to gain merit, one can give wisely. What do the monastics really need? If you want to give but don't know what the monastics really need, you can always ask them.

By giving wisely, lay Buddhists can ensure that their gifts truly benefit the recipient. This may involve giving suitable things or supporting them in other ways, such as offering transport or skills.

Furthermore, in giving wisely, one is cultivating wisdom at the same time. Thus, this way of giving is even more meritorious.

Giving is a way to cultivate a generous heart. However, if done unwisely, it can result in burdening the recipient. So, it is better to give wisely, so that one can do what is truly beneficial. 

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