Alms bowls and cash donations don’t go hand in hand
Aletter by Dr. Chandima Weeraratne “The disappearing begging bowl and its abuse” in the Sunday Times of October 8, speaks a lot about the abuse of alms bowls by certain monks.
I quote below from the Internet on the origin of the begging bowl: ‘What is Pindapatha’ (from http://sridharamawardhanaramayam. blogspot.com). ‘The word “pindapata” is elucidated in the Visuddhimaga as: “Alms food is any sort of food or nutriment is called “alms food” or pindapata – literally means “lump dropping,” because of its having been dropped (patitatta) into a bhikkhu’s bowl during his alms round (pindloya). Or alms food (pindapata) is the dropping (pata) of the lumps (pinda); it is the concurrence (sannipata), the collection, of alms (bhikkha) obtained here and there, is what is meant.” Pindapata, is the practice of collecting alms food, as observed by Theravada
APPRECIATIONS
Buddhist monks who have gone forth from ‘home life’ to ‘homelessness.’
But Pindapatha or use of the alms bowl to collect money from public to pay fines of corrupt, convicted officials is not acceptable and it supports robbers which is against Buddhist principles. “No one should take anything belonging to others without permission”, is the Buddha’s preaching.
Regarding the last paragraph of his letter, priests accepting ‘money envelopes’ is acceptable in my opinion. During the days of the Buddha, there was no need for money for priests, as they were healthy at that time by taking part in Daana, made up of vegetables without insecticides and walking long distances for their daily routine preachings. But now the scenario is completely different. Most of the senior priests have many ailments, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and arthritis etc., hence they need money for medicines. Young priests need money for their education - expenditure on travel by bus to the universities, purchase of books for their studies, to re-load their phones or internet cards (for studies), for meals at canteens during lecture time – all these cost money now. Therefore a cash donation is always helpful.
May all beings be happy and contented! Sumith de Silva Kesbewa