Sanghika Dana (Charity meant for the order of the Sangha)

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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 the Sangha can only be classified as true Sanghika Dana, when only the donor's mind is truly directed to the whole Order of Sangha.

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