Sunday 5 April 2015

The Power of Dāna


The power of the humble and selfless gesture of giving dana is seen in some of Myanmar’s great monks and meditation teachers. To give one example, Sayagyi U Ba Khin kept daily records of his own dana expenditures (he was an accountant, after all), one of three columns he used to record his behavior: “dana merit” (measured in money), “sila merit” (measured in adherence to the precept) and “bhavana merit” (referring to hours spent in meditation and recitation of verses). U Ba Khin records that he fulfilled his sīla-kusala by observing “the 227 rules of conduct with respect and diligence…[and] made a special effort not to infringe even the minor rules of conduct,” and fulfilled the bhāvanā-kusala by “[showing] my respect by meditating, by practicing patipatti.” However, his greatest detail is seen in the Dana-kusala column. Here he records that he has given the following items: “for Ingyinbin Pagoda, for Kaung-hmudaw Pagoda, 3 sets of the Tipitika in Burmese, 2 sets of three robes, 3 sets of two robes, 5 umbrellas, 6 pairs of sandals, 2 leather seats, 2 bowls and strainers, 1 razor, candles and incense sticks, 1 big box of cakes, two days of food offerings.” Next to each item is the exact cost, coming to a total expenditure of 2,442 kyat.


Another shining example is Shwe Oo Min Sayadaw (seen above, with Sayagyi U Goenka). Although he had a very large number of supporters, he only took that which he needed, and sent the rest of the donated items to seminaries throughout the country that did not have as many donors. When asked why he did not keep the donations himself, he replied that just as one can buy whatever one wishes at a supermarket, so also can one develop spiritually in any way that one desires in this time of the Buddha Sasana, but when you pass away, all opportunity is lost. For this reason, one must do all one can in the present moment to end akusala actions and tendencies. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways, from assisting monks to helping people, like, for example, his sharing his donations with those monasteries that were less fortunate. Addressing donors, he advised that when doing kusala actions, one should be “facing out” rather than “facing in.” In other words, they shouldn’t be thinking of any merit they accrue, but rather focus on the receiver of the dana and what he or she needs to be happy; when seeing their happy face, one will also become happy, and this is kusala.



In order to understand the great value that dāna can bring to one’s life, Prekhemma Sayadaw relates a story from the Buddha’s time. Suvana Devi was the king’s daughter, and she had a younger brother. One day she heard him talking to a palace servant, a boy of around the same age. Her brother was advising the servant to practice more dana, and that it was the fault of his not properly practicing dana that he was born a servant, not a prince like himself. Suvana Devi went to the Buddha and relayed this story. He explained that in a previous life, the two boys were monks who practiced intensive meditation. But the future prince also practiced dana as well. For example, he would give part of his lunch to animals. The future servant objected to this practice, claiming that meditation was the only practice that would lead to nibbana. When they both passed away, Prekhemma Sayadaw comments how “during every future life, the monk who did the meditation and dana enjoyed greater wealth and comfort. Later they both became disciples of the Buddha, and both became enlightened. But the one who practiced dana had an easier path.”


2 comments:

  1. Dear brother and sister,

    I am Myanmar who working in Malaysia more than 10 years and I would like to explain about SAMNAK SAMBODHI BUDDHIST ASSOCIATION. Therefore, recently I stayed at SASANARAKKHA BUDDHIST SANCTUARY (SBS), Taiping, Perak. I am very close with Ven. U Nandiya Maha Thero.

    My monk Ven. U Nandiya is very good heart and compassion to everyone in the world, also I heard when he stayed at Kuala Lumpur Buddhist Temple, he lends donation money to President of Temple (Datuk Yip Kum Fook, MCA Gombak) with amount RM20,000.00 only and he said that money belong to Myanmar society in Malaysia.

    On the other hand, my monk said, also many things happened when he stayed there because committees always disturbing, I am very sadly about that matter, why committees are very poor and crooks. Others Temple, people come to Temple to respected Buddha and Monks, also give red packet to monks. Why this Temple, monks must give money to committees, this is opposite.

    If anyone receive or read this message, please inform to DATUK YIP KUM FOOK (president of SAMNAK SAMBODHI BUDDHIST ASSOCIATION) to return that amount to my monk as soon as possible.

    My monk contact place:
    Ven. U Nandiya
    Sasana Daja Buddhist Temple
    49 Bombay Street, Lidcombe NSW 2141.
    Tel: (02) 9649-8124
    And:
    SĀSANĀRAKKHA BUDDHIST SANCTUARY
    c/o: 28 & 30, 1st floor, Jalan Medan Taiping 4.
    Medan Taiping 34000, Taiping, Perak, Malaysia.

    With kindness

    KO KO NAING
    Taiping, Perak, Malaysia

    ReplyDelete
  2. If you are a Buddhist monk from abroad to come and stay in any Buddhist association in Malaysia, any Buddhist monk should be more careful because some Malaysian Buddhist associations as committees are very dirty in their minds and they do not have Dhamma in their mind they (without Dhamma)

    For example, SAMNAK SAMBODHI one of Buddhist Temple (Malaysia Buddhist Association) located at Taman Desa Jaya, Kepong… YIP KUM FOOK as president, there is another more problem because the committee is like a ghost and animals

    Committees in SAMNAK SAMBODHI, they can collect any money from Buddhist monks, whose monks live in the Temple, one of our Myanmar Buddhist monks (VEN. U NANDIYA) lives there, the temple committee cheated his money about rm20,000.00, our monk is very sadly about that

    On the other hand, VEN. PHRA PIYA DHAMMO from Penang also committees at SAMNAK SAMBODHI BUDDHIST TEMPLE remove him out, without any mistake, this is very stupid committees in the world

    If anyone reading this message, please forward it to anyone who knows...we will protect and save Buddhists teaching

    Sharing by Buddhist groups in Malaysia & Myanmar Buddhist People in Malaysia

    ReplyDelete