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federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
edited April 2012
Is begging good? From a conventional world perspective, we will clearly say that begging is bad because you are lazy to work to earn your living, live on the mercy of others etc.
some people arrive at the unfortunate circumstance of nor being able to find employment and working for a living. if you are homeless, your situation is desperate. you cannot find work without a stable background, and you cannot have a stable background without employment...
But if we think there is another perspective to it - by begging we can crush our ego, our self-esteem. When we give alms to beggers, sometimes this self-pride comes within us that 'I' have helped others, 'I' have given food to this begger to eat etc., thereby adding more to our self-conceit or self-pride, though it may be at too subtle level that we may even not notice it.
I always give something useful, not money. food, clothing, drink. not cash. I give to make them feel better. if I really wanted to feel better, I would invite them home, clothe them and try to help them get a job. I cannot be that altruistic, for many reasons. So I do what I can.
but if begging was bad, then why would Buddha recommend to monks to go for begging and sustain their lives on mercy of others.
monks detach from worldly material things and learn that abstinence and moderation in all things is a middle Way teaching. They repay the community by teaching, leading meditation and opening their temples to the public.
Hi All, A thought came to my mind today, so thought of sharing it with others -
Is begging good? From a conventional world perspective, we will clearly say that begging is bad because you are lazy to work to earn your living, live on the mercy of others etc.
But if we think there is another perspective to it - by begging we can crush our ego, our self-esteem. When we give alms to beggers, sometimes this self-pride comes within us that 'I' have helped others, 'I' have given food to this begger to eat etc., thereby adding more to our self-conceit or self-pride, though it may be at too subtle level that we may even not notice it.
But if begging was bad, then why would Buddha recommend to monks to go for begging and sustain their lives on mercy of others.
Any views, please.
Begging for a living probably shouldn't be lumped into either good or bad. How begging is viewed is often a cultural thing and highly dependent on circumstance.
When a church passes the plate on Sunday and sends letters asking donations from their members, they are begging in the same way a monk receives donations from the people in a Buddhist culture. It is even seen as sort of like our church tithes; it's a religious act, a small donation to support the temple and people devoted to the religion full time.
Having said that, as Buddhism spread and the temples grew, this custom of seeking direct support of the temple by sending the monks out could not work so well for one reason or another. In some cases it was because the temple itself became rich from donations by rich patrons and even income from donated land, etc, so the poor local town began to question why they should feed the monks, when the town was the one going hungry. Rarely did the temple feed the town.
And sometimes it wasn't a Buddhist culture, so the locals felt no religious obligation to donate to the temple and monks.
So some sects began shifting to a self sufficient basis, as much as possible. Growing their own food, accepting "donations" for services like funerals, etc.
So you've put your finger on a question that has come up before. It's just that it's much more convoluted than just calling begging good or bad.
Comments
if you are homeless, your situation is desperate. you cannot find work without a stable background, and you cannot have a stable background without employment... I always give something useful, not money.
food, clothing, drink.
not cash.
I give to make them feel better.
if I really wanted to feel better, I would invite them home, clothe them and try to help them get a job.
I cannot be that altruistic, for many reasons. So I do what I can. monks detach from worldly material things and learn that abstinence and moderation in all things is a middle Way teaching.
They repay the community by teaching, leading meditation and opening their temples to the public.
When a church passes the plate on Sunday and sends letters asking donations from their members, they are begging in the same way a monk receives donations from the people in a Buddhist culture. It is even seen as sort of like our church tithes; it's a religious act, a small donation to support the temple and people devoted to the religion full time.
Having said that, as Buddhism spread and the temples grew, this custom of seeking direct support of the temple by sending the monks out could not work so well for one reason or another. In some cases it was because the temple itself became rich from donations by rich patrons and even income from donated land, etc, so the poor local town began to question why they should feed the monks, when the town was the one going hungry. Rarely did the temple feed the town.
And sometimes it wasn't a Buddhist culture, so the locals felt no religious obligation to donate to the temple and monks.
So some sects began shifting to a self sufficient basis, as much as possible. Growing their own food, accepting "donations" for services like funerals, etc.
So you've put your finger on a question that has come up before. It's just that it's much more convoluted than just calling begging good or bad.