The Importance of Supporting Dharma Institutions

If the sangha diminishes, then so will the doctrine of Buddha. Just like any universities, if there are no lecturers/professors, then the university will soon vanish. Likewise, while sanghas and practitioners decline, then so would the holy BuddhaDharma.

The sangha took on vows to protect and propagate the lineage, and because of them, many of us lay practitioners can enjoy the “fruits” of their practice today. So it goes both ways, when we support the monasteries, centres, sanghas, the Dharma, we are also supporting our journey and opportunities to attain enlightenment. If we cannot take on vows, study, learn, practice all of our lives, then we support those who can, as it goes both ways.

His Eminence Tsem Rinpoche has always led the way in supporting monasteries and centres, and I have been to the monasteries like Shar Gaden, offering dana, robes, pujas, finances from Rinpoche and Kechara for the monastic community to continue their good works. It was very much an honour to do so.

“We should all sponsor the sangha and make it our priority. Without this priority, then how can we expect Dharma to remain? Do not think supporting the sangha is a burden or only when you have extra resources because if you ponder the value of the sangha, you will realize it is not a burden or extra but a necessity. It is not enough you encountered the Dharma, but you must make sure it is safeguarded for future generations… how? Through the sangha naturally. ” – H.E. the 25th Tsem Rinpoche

Also, there’s a video,link below, where Rinpoche gave a really good teaching at 6am on the streets of Bangkok just before we undertook the holy activity to offer dana to the monks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROC2veZMqW0

http://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/students-friends/bangkok-monks-and-why-make-offerings.html

The Sangha communities ensures that Buddhadharma continues to be spread throughout. Should the Sanghas communities start to decline, then dharma will also follow. That is why it is very important for people to support the Sanghas. Not only it will benefit us, it will benefit many many other people because people will receive Dharma which will lead to their enlightenment. Because of our support, we are indirectly preserving the lineage.

It this day and age where people are chasing for money instead of spirituality, supporting the Sanghas is even more important. We do not want to see the a world full of materialism and people become robots. We can do something about it.

Sangha members are the one who preserve and teach us dharma. Without the Sangha we will not be able to learn dharma. Why is it so? Sangha are the person who will bridge us between our mundane daily life to the path of enlightenment. Sangha members are the one who uphold the teaching and show us the right method. Therefore supporting Sangha is very important in maintaining the continuance of dharma teaching and to benefit others.

In a country with rich Buddhist tradition, there is mass consciousness about the value of Buddhist institution; i.e. monastery or Dharma center. People sponsor generously because they know that these institution is an immense merit field for them to create vast amount of merits for themselves and their loved ones, not just for this lifetime but also future lifetime. If we donate to Buddhist institutions that spread Buddha Dharma, many people will benefit from our single act of generosity. In the greater scope of things, our generous contribution will help preserve Buddha Dharma for future generations to get the same benefit as we do now. Having said all this, there is no “big” or “small” donation, every donation counts and it depends on your circumstances.

For me, supporting a monastery / Dharma institution is very important because of the effect of money potentially benefit so many people. With the same amount of money but invested into non Dharmic activities will have only small effects. I can relate to what i have read recently that Tsem Rinpoche was very poor and had very little money and situation changed after he was reunited back with his father by Sogpu Rinpoche. Tsem Rinpoche’s father then sponsored Tsem Rinpoche his expenses and ladrang including Enthronement. The snowball effect have made what Tsem Rinpoche became now, the founder of Kechara Buddhist Organisation benefitting so many people with Dorje Shugden.

The importance of sponsoring a Dharma Institutions is even more magnified in Magadha Sangmo’s life story. It was the virtue of her previous life’s sponsorships that created the cause for her to be reborn in a rich family and able to make more offerings to the Buddha thus creating more virtues through her devotion to Dharma that led Buddha coming to her place to give teachings thus benefitting the people there.

Making offerings to Buddha, Sangha or Monasteries is a way for us to gain merits, depending on our motivation. Making offerings can also tackle our stinginess, the attachment on money and possessions. When we offer monetary, talent, time, effort, ideas etc to Dharma, our guru or Sanghas, and even our Dharma brothers and sisters, it will definitely help us to develop the quality of giving, generosity and kindness. By giving, especially to the Dharma, which the benefits could multiply and pass on to the future generations, it not only help us to work on our bad qualities like stinginess, it will also help us to gain merits to help us on our spiritual pursue.

Here’s one of Rinpoche’s teaching of Making Offerings to the Buddha:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBFw9BsMQDo

This month is Ullambana month where offerings to the Sangha creates a lot of merits. Therefore, when we offer to the Sangha, we will be able to benefit many others as the Dharma grows. By giving also, we are practicing generosity where we give to others instead of always thinking about our selfish self.

The common perception is that giving is generosity and taking is selfishness. Giving and taking are both just actions and both actions are neutral. Buddhism focuses on the motivation behind an action.

Sometimes we know what is the right thing to do or what we should do but we are simply too lazy or selfish to do it. When there are others who are willing to do it, and we can acknowledge this, then the least what we can do is support them.

To receive Dharma is most important and we want to offer everyone this opportunity of meeting the Dharma. By supporting Dharma institutions we create the causes for this institution to reach out more, share Dharma to more people and we create the causes for us to meet the Dharma again.

The buildings, maintenance, food, books and staff take up a lot of resources and if we don’t support them people may need to go out and find sponsor instead of continuing their studies.

I rejoice for the precious opportunity we have now to learn about Buddhism even at home via Internet with tools like blogs and chat discussions. A lot of improvement has been done so that more are attracted to reach out and help others.

Support is not only on a financial level but volunteering and offering ones time and skills can inspire others and bring us happiness because we reach out to benefit others and spend our time in a useful way.

Different people, owe different backgrounds, perceptions, and faiths. Individuals without Dharma would think that spending their hard earned money in a better way by spending them on themselves, etc., go for vacations, foods, shops for clothes and more to treat oneself after working hard. I used to think like this, however, by time and connecting to Dharma. Gradually, I thought of doing more and benefiting more people, rather than just treating myself. I find Dharma has always been teaching people to be good, therefore, to support their work, would definitely benefit people and even other sentient beings.

Dharma Institutions, a place to bring peace, healing and enlightenment, and the most important thing is Dharma Institutions can bring positive moral disciplines to others thru learning from all the great beings ( Monks and Nuns ).

I always shared with customers or the customers had other religion background : Don’t treat Buddhism as religion, treat Buddhism as a human philosophy, my Guru, Guru’s guru and Buddha want us to become a better person, is that simple to become a better person? No.. That is the reason why we need Guru, we need someone who show us the ways to become a Better Person.

Thank You
Eric kksiow

The fundamental goal of Buddhism is peace, not only peace in this world but peace in all worlds. Buddha taught that peaceful minds lead to peaceful speech and peaceful actions.Supporting the Dharma institution is directly supporting the continually of Dharma and bring peace to the world..

Furthermore, to understand the cause of suffering and how to get rid of that is never taught in schools, colleges and universities but Buddha taught that.

in addition the only answer for world peace is compassion and loving kindness. Buddha taught us the compassion is not only to human being but to all sentient being.

Therefore Dharma institutions play an important role in world peace. It is important for everyone of us to support Dharma Institutions for ourselves to get rid of our suffering and for world peace.

Dharma institution is basically a place where the Dharma preserved and spread. All the masters that are giving teaching and building more Dharma institutions all over the world came from Dharma institution. It started from the first monastery at Buddha time.

I am grateful to have met my guru H.E. the 25th Tsem Rinpoche, to receive teachings from Him and to practice Dharma. I am very fortunate to be able to do Dharma work in Kechara in a few departments for me to purify my negative karma at the same collect merits. All Kechara departments manifested due to the kindness of the sponsors who see and understand the value of sponsoring the Dharma and the gurus.

Dharma institution basically is a huge merits field. At this degenerated time, Dharma institution is very important.

The Dharma is the most previous. Without it we wouldn’t know the way to liberate ourselves from this samsara or gain enlightenment. So, it is important to support the Sangha and the Dharma centre by giving donation in terms of money and volunteering our services. In a way, we also collect merits by contributing to the Sangha and the centre. If we do not wish the Dharma to disappear, we must continue to support the Dharma centre.

With folded palms,
Vivian