True merit

For Vietnamese people in general, and those in Ha Tinh in particular, visiting temples and pagodas during the spring festival is also an opportunity to make offerings and pray for merit and good fortune. However, for a long time, many people have not understood this correctly, leading to misplaced merit.

Tourists flocked to Huong Tich Pagoda on the opening day of the Spring Festival in the Year of the Dragon 2024.

Many times, while visiting temples and pagodas with friends and relatives during festivals, I've often been concerned to see some tourists casually stuffing money into the mouths of sacred statues or placing money on offering trays, considering it an act of merit. The money placed in these sacred places is often crumpled, small denominations. The owners also appear tense, fearing that their offerings might be stolen and not reach the Buddha or deities during the ceremony...

When I asked a venerable monk at a famous temple about this, he explained that giving alms or making offerings in this manner is not in accordance with the true "practice" and "principle" of Buddhist teachings. "Practice" refers to the act or deed; "principle" refers to the essence or meaning. Such offerings or almsgiving do not bring true merit to tourists or Buddhists. The essence of giving alms or making offerings is to give to a specific recipient in order to highlight positive values.

The practice of arbitrarily offering real money as a donation at sacred places still persists in some temples and pagodas.

For example, if we consider a temple as a school where people come to respectfully offer incense, listen to Buddhist teachings to live more virtuously, and do good deeds for themselves and others, then the offerings are intended to beautify the temple—that school—making it more magnificent so that all people can come to worship and learn. Or, offerings to a highly respected monk are to use their knowledge to help them do things that benefit sentient beings. Therefore, placing money on sacred objects is completely meaningless when those objects themselves are made of wood or stone; similarly, placing money on altars of gods and Buddhas is meaningless, as these are statues made of metal, wood, or cement.

Money has monetary value, but in material terms, it is impure because during circulation it is placed in many places—in pockets, contaminated with the smell of fish or meat, or dropped on the ground... So, is it really clean to use these banknotes for offerings, when according to Vietnamese cultural tradition, offerings must be the purest things?

My teacher taught me that giving alms or making offerings, though two words, have the same meaning. Offering to Buddha and deities is about directing one's mind towards goodness and knowing how to do good deeds. Respecting and making offerings to monks and nuns also has that meaning... Instead of making offerings to ask monks and nuns to do good deeds on one's behalf, each Buddhist or citizen should do it themselves for themselves and their families in many ways.

If you have the means, help those less fortunate than yourself. Giving alms or assisting someone in difficult circumstances, helping them overcome hardship, is also an offering to the Buddhas, saints, and deities. Moreover, a person with a compassionate heart who shares and helps others naturally creates merit for themselves, aligning their minds with the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and deities, so why wouldn't the Buddhas and deities protect them?

Visiting temples and shrines to make offerings is meaningful when tourists and Buddhists choose the right place and make the right donations.

Making donations at temples and shrines is only meaningful when visitors and Buddhists choose the right place and make the right offerings. Nowadays, many temples and shrines have donation boxes or managers who keep records of donations, allowing visitors and locals to make offerings. The management boards and abbots will have plans to use the money appropriately... This also helps Buddhists and visitors accumulate merit and receive the blessings of Buddha, saints, and everyone else.

Gemini

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/van-hoa-ha-tinh/cong-duc-dung-nghia/261817.htm