By Candice Stone
In India, it is customary to employ domestic help, whether it be cleaning and dusting the house, cooking meals, washing and ironing clothes, or washing automobiles on a daily basis. Such tasks, in the Western world are ordinarily performed by ordinary citizens; the concept of “domestic help” is either non-existent or constrained to the elite in society. However, in India Read the rest of this entry >>
By Fatima Valentim
“Nature gives without expectation of return – and we should too” – Phra Santikaro, noted monk
Generally speaking, the concept or practice of giving is “universally recognized as one of the most basic human virtues, a quality that testifies to the depth of one’s humanity and one’s capacity for self-transcendence” (Bhikkhu Bodhi, 2010). In Western tradition, giving is often seen as an obligation or something we should strive for, and it often comes with an expectation of being recognized in some way. Our giving has become an act of exchange or an investment (Karnjariya Sukrung, The Rewards of Giving). Read the rest of this entry >>
By Rosario P. Blardony
The Philippines has a long tradition of giving and volunteering. The bayanihan spirit, a community acting together to help its members, best captures the essence of Filipino generosity. Pakikipagkapwa (a shared sense of humanity), pagtutulungan (mutual self-help), and kawanggawa (charity) are cultural traits that tend to underlie Filipino philanthropy. The Church is another significant driving force in reinforcing neighborliness and charitable giving.
Traditionally, philanthropic work in the country has been practiced within the family and kinship groups, and not through institutions. Read the rest of this entry >>
By Kim Collins
Buddhists traditions of south East Asia revere the story of Vessantara. In Buddhism there are ten (or six depending on the tradition) main virtues. The first virtue is the paramita (or perfection) of dana (generosity) (Ratnasinghe, 1). The paramita of dana is extolled in the tale of Vessantara.
Vessantara, the incarnation before Siddhartha, was born into a royal family. His birth caused the gods to take note of his generous character, as his first words were “Mother, what gift can I make?”(The Vessantara Jakata, 1). Read the rest of this entry >>
By Anna Marie Kolodziej
Philanthropy has been a prominent act throughout history, more specifically in the different cultures of the world. In the society today there are different religions and cultures which include traditions of giving; one in particular is called Buddhism. In the Buddhist tradition it is believed that humans are all interconnected in life and that we are continuously receiving generosity from others. Read the rest of this entry >>
By Megan Thomas
Thich Naht Hanh was born in Vietnam in 1926 and helped to found the ‘engaged Buddhism’ movement during the Vietnam War in the 1960’s (Hahn, 2008). In the simplest terms, engaged Buddhism entails a focus on the present and full participation in community, as well as a compassionate regard for the well-being of others (Hahn, 2008). Engaged Buddhists believe that suffering is caused not by individual fault or inadequacies, but the proliferation around the world of the idea that the individual is a separate and permanent entity and thus needs to acquire more, Read the rest of this entry >>
by Leah Tanner
Pindapata or Alms giving is a practice in which Buddhist monks walk through their village every morning to collect donations of food from the general population for their daily meals. The tradition began with the ritual that the monks are to simplify their lives by not preparing or cooking their own meals and to rely on the generosity of the lay people. The alms round was, for the Buddha, a key feature of the monastic life and the alms bowl is, for all Buddhists, a symbol of the monastic order. Read the rest of this entry >>
By Jennifer Scott
Russia has experienced shifts and changes historically when it comes to philanthropy. Russia‘s growth in charity over the past 3 years has been one of the highest growing countries in the world (schmida). Russia adopted English views of philanthropy historically but the transition to socialism and changes Russia adopted over time has created a distinct and continuously changing view of philanthropy.
During the 11th to 17th in Russia’s main form of dealing with the dispossessed was in the concept of almsgiving. Russian donors followed the teachings of St. John Chrysostom who deliberated that wealth should be shared to Read the rest of this entry >>
By Afua Bonsu
Philanthropy as we all know, it is a well known practice for the western culture, and thanks to the media we see more of these effort play important roles in our community and in people’s lives. Through our course discussions and personal perspective, I barely see a developed country like Japan strong involvements in these matters. This is why I chose to research on the Japanese culture and their ways and views on giving and charity.
Philanthropy involves free will to give and help others. The Japanese according to Baron (2000), are group oriented and therefore their view on philanthropy is towards who they know as to whom they do not know. Read the rest of this entry >>
By Nicole Kitson
In Japan, there exists a strong history of charity towards pilgrims. Historically, this giving dates back to the time of Kobo Daishi. He was a Buddhist Saint in medieval Japanese society and emphasized that all people could achieve the “attainment of Buddhahood in this life.” To achieve this Buddhahood, one must participate in the Six Perfections, the first being, ‘to give’, that is through charitable giving.
It was believed that if you did a good dead, you would be rewarded and protected and vice versa, if you did a bad deed you would be punished. Read the rest of this entry >>