Performing Dana or Offerings to the Sangha

As D-day, or departure day, approaches the pilgrim will naturally experience great joy and religious excitement at the prospect of actually journeying to the land where the Buddha and the Arahants lived and preached more than 2,500 years ago. For Malaysian Buddhists, who are well known for their generosity, the desire to perform dana will prompt the pilgrims and their well-wishers to donate generously towards the purchase of monks’ requisites for offering to the Buddhist monasteries located in the vicinity of all the holy shrines. Many of the monks in these monasteries, notably those from Sri Lanka and Myanmar, have spent the major part of their lives in India. They are dedicated to the safeguarding of the holy shrines and reviving the traditions of Vaisakha Purnima (Wesak) and Kathina (robe offering after the rains-retreat) in the land where Buddhism was born but had disappeared for six hun­dred years after its downfall in the 13th century AD. Their pres­ence at the holy shrines has helped to keep these shrines ‘alive’, so that pilgrims who come from far and wide can benefit from their advice and help. By performing dana to these bhikkhus, one expresses one’s gratitude, reverence and loving-kindness to the Sangha, for its role in safeguarding these holy places for future gen­erations of Buddhists to come and “look upon them with feelings of reverence”, in accordance with the Buddha’s advice.
 

For pilgrims travelling in a group, there is less restriction on lug­gage weight during group check-in at the airport. This provides them with the opportunity to bring items such as monks’ robes, towels, medicines, multi-vitamins, writing materials for student-monks, foodstuffs and other requisites not obtainable in India and offer them to the Sangha. Money remaining after the purchase of requisites may be converted into Indian rupees and placed into the donation boxes of the monasteries during the visits, so that the money may be used for the maintenance of the monasteries and the bhikkhus.
 

Donations to Charity

Begging appears to be a profession in India and even village chil­dren enjoy begging from visitors at the first opportunity. By giving to one beggar, one will find oneself being swarmed by a crowd of beggars asking for more, and generally making a nuisance of themselves. In giving charity to the poor, it is advisable to give all donations in cash and kind to the monasteries for fair distribu­tion. One may bring ballpoint pens, sweets, old clothes, etc. and donate them to the Maha Bodhi Society branches in Sarnath and Bodhgaya, which provide free education to the poor children in their areas.