THE PRACTICE OF GIVING – ACCORD WITH CONDITIONS
Caller: Is it appropriate for me to put forth a vow to the Bodhisattva that I will channel a certain percentage of my monthly income for dharma propagation which includes, cash donations, making offerings to the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, and other virtuous deeds?
Master Jun Hong Lu: Actually, we are different from other Western religions. In all that we do, as Buddhist practitioners, we accord with conditions. If you have the intent to perform some virtuous deeds, it is one way to establish positive affinity. If you don’t have such an intent, it doesn’t really matter because you can still focus on your Buddhist practice. After all, we are not here to set hard and fast rules because monetary donations should accord with conditions.
You must remember that it is your intention that matters. If you wish to make donations, go ahead and do it. There’s nothing wrong with it. After all, you are performing a kind deed. In my case, I do a lot of charity work at charitable organisations, for example, nursing homes. In fact, I just did it yesterday. All of these come from the bottom of our heart. That said, everything that we do must accord with conditions. We should avoid setting hard and fast rules in order not to stress ourselves out.
If you insist, “From this monthly salary of mine, I must…”, you will feel stressed. In the event that you face financial tightness in certain months due to unforeseen circumstances, you will put yourself under pressure because, come what may, you still have to cough up that amount of money. Do you understand? Bodhisattva is always compassionate towards all living beings.
Source: Wenda20160410 11:46, Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program
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