Buddhism As Education

The rain retreat of the monks (Vassa Kala) ends on the full moon day of October. During the Vassa retreat that lasted for three months, the monks serve the community of followers in various ways such as teaching the Dhamma and meditation, counselling and serving in many other ways. The monks end the retreat by performing a Monastic Disciplinary Act (Vinaya Kamma) called the Pavarana. After this, the monks are free to leave the place where the retreat was held. Before they leave, it is the customs of the devotees to hold a farewell ceremony for the monks. This is called the Kathina ceremony. During this ceremony, many gifts are offered to the monks as well as gifts for the upkeep of the monastery (Vihara). A very essential part of this ceremony is the offering of a special robe called the Kathina Civara, which is made in a special way through the contribution and collective effort of many devotees. This is also offered in a special way by carrying the Kathina Robe in a parade (Perahera)...

The virtuous devotee, endowed with great faith in the Buddha, wishing to promote long endurance of his teaching and emergence of succession of good, dutiful Sangha who would maintain the prosperity and purity of the Sasana, should support the Sangha organization by offering regular alms-food to its members. But when alms-food has been prepared ready for offering, the devotee must remove any attachment as "this is my Sayadaw", "this is the monk that I had helped ordained", "this is my favourite monk" and so on. Instead, he must incline his mind to the whole Sangha while making the offering uttering at the same time "I offer this to the Sangha, Samgassa demi ". When the dana performance is made daily in such a manner, the offering becomes a true Sanghika Dana. The invited meal can become a Sanghika Dana Going to a nearby monastery, the invitation must be offered to the responsible head monk. "Reverend Sir, I wish to make an offering of alms-fo...

The Pali word of Sanghika Dana means offering alms and other requisites to the Order of the Sangha. Supposed you donate one dollar to an association, all members rich or poor are entitled to that one dollar. Similarly, if a bowl of alms food or a set of robes is offered to the Sangha, then all members of the order are entitled to those offertories. You need not go around the world to give alms to the Sangha Order. An offer to any member of the Sangha in general will automatically amount to Sanghika Dana. All members are entitled to such offertories. They can share it between them. How to project one's goodwill? In offering Sanghika Dana, a donor's mind must be directed to the Order of the Sangha in general. Even though you utter Samghassa demi , I offer it to the Order of Sangha, if you have in mind a particular monk or a particular monastery, your charity cannot be Sanghika Dana. Offering alms food to any monk on daily alms-round or to a certain monk designated by the Order of...