The Teachings of Ajahn Suchart.
19th February, 2022
Question: Regarding dāna. does it bring effect over a period of time whenever we recollect it and feel happy about it?
Than Ajahn: That’s the nature of dāna. The consequence of giving dāna does not easily disappear, unlike the happiness you gain from sensual objects. So, giving to charity is a better way of making yourself happy than going out to a movie or going on a holiday. The happiness you get from giving dāna is different from the happiness you get from sensual objects. The happiness from sensual objects will disappear very quickly, while the happiness from doing dāna will last for a long time. Even after you die, this happiness from giving dāna will follow the mind. But the happiness you get from sensual objects won’t follow the mind after you die.
Question: If the dāna is done but we forget to whom we gave it to, would it still bring happiness when we share those merits?
Than Ajahn: Yes, because it’s embedded in your mind. The good feeling that arises from doing good things will stay in your mind, even though you might have forgotten it.
“Dhamma in English, Apr 3, 2021.
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Question: What is the purpose of offering gold, jewelries, and crystal to put into a stupa? Does giving more expensive items make one happier and make one remembers it longer? Is there any Dhamma purpose for offering those gold, jewelries, crystal items?
Than Ajahn: Well, the goal of offering things is to get rid of your cravings and attachments to material things, so that you don’t rely on material things, like money and gold, to make you happy because material things can only make you happy briefly. By giving them away, it can make you feel a lot happier and the happiness will last longer.
The purpose of giving expensive things is because you are respectful of the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha, so you want to offer the best things that you have for them. And, by offering the best thing that you have, you can become happy and the happiness will last longer than spending money buying expensive things for yourself. The happiness you get from buying expensive things for yourself only lasts briefly, but the happiness that you gain from giving to charity will last much longer.
Giving to charity can also transform your mind to become of a higher quality—from a human being to become a heavenly sensual being, become an angel or a deva. So, the purpose of people giving gold, jewelries and expensive things to build a stupa or to build a Buddha’s image is for them to be able to get rid of their attachment to valuable and expensive items, like gold and jewelries; and in so doing, it will make their mind become lighter and happier. So, those are the purpose of giving things.
Whether you give expensive or not expensive things depends on whether you have it or not. If you can afford to give expensive items, then you give expensive items. But if you don’t have them, you just give whatever you have. The goal is to let go of your attachment to material things, material happiness. You want to change from physical material happiness to mental happiness by sacrificing your possessions for the benefit of other people. This is the purpose of charity.
“Dhamma in English, Jan 17, 2021.
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Question: Which one is wiser: to offer crystal or gold worth $10K to build a stupa, or to offer the same amount of $10K for food to people who practice meditation?
Than Ajahn: That depends on who needs it most. Both have values, have benefits. So it depends on which one is more useful or more important. For me, I think supporting people who practice meditation is more important than building stupas.
But if there are no people who can practice meditation, then building stupas can be beneficial because the stupas will remind people of the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha. So, it’s up to you, and it is also a personal preferences. Some people like to build stupas, or build Buddha’s rupas—they support that type of dāna; some people like to see people enlightened, so they support meditators.
“Dhamma in English, Jan 30, 2021.
By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
YouTube: Dhamma in English.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_BnRZmNgECsJGS31F495g
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