Almsgiving Programs Inspired by Hardship

Yesterday afternoon, on Abhidhamma Day, I casually scrolled through social media while lying on a cane lounger. I saw some interesting Facebook posts by Shwe Thar Ma Nay School (a samanera school in Kyaukse where the young novices are taught both laity and monastic education) and other reputed Buddhist monasteries with a large monastic population studying there, such as Masoeyein Monastery in Mandalay. [Masoeyein Monastery has a monastic population of over 2,500.] The posts publicly shared the photos of their sponsors’ almsgiving events at their monasteries. In these posts of all the monasteries, I found something interesting, and I had been down to make a deeper study into their so-called ‘Offer one good dish every day (ဟင်းကောင်းတစ်ခွက် နေ့စဥ်ကပ်)’ program. In this almsgiving program, the donors offer only one good alms dish for the monks and novices in the monastery. It helps the donors less costly to fulfill their wish to give alms for all monastics instead of offering different dishes and alms rice. I found that these creative almsgiving programs have been born out of the financial hardship of many people in the country these days, and I noticed something in a deeper study. Here’s how:

Before diving into the descriptions and explanations about the said creative idea or program, we must know the background situation and how the monasteries practiced before the 2021 de facto military coup in Myanmar. 

In many Buddhist monasteries in Myanmar where a large population of monks and novices reside and study, the question comes first to someone outside this beautiful world _ how they find food every day. Depending on the abbot who is the most responsible head monk of the monastery, and often, his assistant monks who are mostly lecturers, the student novices and monks go alms round either individually or in a graceful line organized by their teachers. Or, the monastery usually receives alms donations on most days, and the abbot feeds them on other days. In most large monasteries where 100 or more monastics live and study, the monks and novices are supposed to go alms round, individually or in a line together. Nowadays, in the post-coup period, many monasteries prevent their monastic students from going on alms rounds in both rural and urban areas due to political instability and armed conflicts. Meanwhile, the nationwide economic crisis has left many lay supporters unable to afford offering alms at the monastery, even though things were going well in the first few years after the coup.

I once spoke with a chief monk at Mahā Gandhārum Monastery in Amarapura, who shared that it takes around 10 million kyats to provide two meals (breakfast and lunch) for its nearly 1,100 monastic residents. These days, it’s quite difficult for many individuals to bear this hefty cost. Therefore, the large monasteries including Masoeyein Monastery have initiated a creative program allowing donors to contribute just one quality alms dish for the monks. We witnessed that this initiative has proven beneficial for both the lay supporters and the resident monks, so far. 

The name “Offer one good dish every day” was introduced by Shwe Thar Ma Nay School in Kyaukse. As of October 10, a lay trustee from the novice school shared that the cost to provide ‘one good dish’ for all 160 monastics is 50,000 kyats ($11). Meanwhile, Masoeyein Monastery does not assign a specific name for this practice but allows donors to contribute a single dish as alms. [In their posts, they simply refer to it as “Alms Dish Donation”.] Other initiatives include the recently introduced “Buffet Aruna (Breakfast) Alms and Lucky Draw,” launched by the monastery’s lay supporters in September. Additionally, donors provide single-item offerings, such as onions or fried dried shrimp with fish paste, whether cooked or dried. [PS: Though some monks argue that the ‘buffet’ concept conflicts with Vinaya rules and the Buddha’s intent, it appears that both the monastery and its Kappiyas (lay attendants) adhere to monastic principles. The lay donors also take care to align these offerings with Vinaya regulations. There’s no denying that this practice seems to address the monks’ needs and supports their well-being and studies. I will explore this further in a forthcoming essay.]

Anyway, these creative programs have proven to be quite beneficial for both the monastics and lay supporters during these challenging times. We have also observed that many other monasteries across the country, with large numbers of monks, are facing food shortages. Our local charity plans to promote single-item quality dish donations to support monks and nuns in such monasteries and nunneries. We aim to encourage those who have not yet adopted this type of alms donation by taking the initiative, hoping it will inspire local individuals to contribute generously. Currently, we are preparing to assist Shwe Thar Ma Nay School and the new Masoeyein Monastery with donations of nutritious curries. We also welcome international meditators who wish to express their gratitude to the Sanghas in Myanmar. Any well-wisher for the Sanghas is invited to join us!