Durga Puja is a truly vibrant celebration of art, culture and religion. Taking place over a five day period in the South Asian region, Durga Puja is celebrated predominantly by Bengali Hindus. Outside of South Asia, Durga Puja festivities also take place in Bengali Hindu communities all around the world. The largest celebrations of Durga Puja take place in the Indian state of West Bengal , but also hold major importance in the municipal regions of New Delhi and Kolkata. Outside of India, the largest Durga Puja celebrations take place in Bangladesh, where approximately eight percent of the population is Bengali Hindu. The festival celebrates the victory of the goddess Durga over the evil buffalo demon Mahishasura. The story of Durga’s victory over Mahishasura manifests itself as a celebratory example of good winning over evil, but also as an important religious example of the power of the female spirit. Durga Puja is known internationally as the largest open air art show, as art and visual representations of the Goddess Durga appear to be the festival’s main focus. However, philanthropy and charity also hold an important role in the Durga Puja, a role that has evolved greatly as the festival’s prominence has caught the attention of multi-national corporations and regional big business.

From a religious standpoint, there are many ritualistic elements to the festival of Durga Puja. “Puja” has a close resemblance to the English definition for “ritual”. Bengali Hindus typically wake up at four am on the first day of the five day festival, to listen to pop culture personalities retelling the epic tale of Durga and Mahishasura. Ritual drummers, known by the name “Dhakis” walk the streets performing prayers and ritualistic dances. Statues of the goddess Durga are also constructed and hand painted, later to be dissolved in water at the end of the five day festival, usually in the river Ganges or a waterway that flows into it. The most well known religious element of Durga Puja, however, are the Pandals. Pandals are outdoor prayer chambers of sorts. They are manually constructed, and are used to perform the “pujas” or prayer rituals within. Pandals have come to take a most well known position amongst all the religious elements involved in Durga Puja, because of the decorative, communal work involved in their design and construction. Pandals are typically highly decorative and usually depict Durga with her children. Pandals can also be themed, as they often are, manifesting the physical characteristics of t.v shows, ancient civilizations and world cultures within their design and construction.

Fundraising and charity also have a part to play within the context of Durga Puja. Historically, local communities would go door to door, fundraising for the actual construction and preparation of the often ornate Pandals. The money not used towards the construction and preparation of the given community’s Pandal would be donated to a charity or cause chosen by the community members themselves. However, with the emergence of multinational private interest, fundraising for the construction of the Pandals has changed drastically. Now, in major urban centres all over northwestern India and Bangladesh, construction of communal Pandals has been funded largely by private corporations and interest groups. At present, when a community does choose to fundraise, it is usually to recognize tradition for symbolic purposes, and not actually required to prepare the Pandal for Durga Puja.

The emergence of private interest funding of Durga Puja-related activities, has changed the character of the festival on a large scale. As mentioned earlier, Durga Puja has been labeled “the largest open air art festival in the world”. This must be due to, at least or in part, to corporate funding of Pandal construction activities, leading to Pandals being bigger, better and more eye catching. This may be a good thing, yet there may be many unknown negative aspects to this shift in funding Durga Puja Pandal construction. Many communities may no longer have a say in terms of how non-pandal construction funds get distributed my corporate funders/sponsors. Construction of Pandals sponsored through corporate sponsorship may not even include a charitable giving aspect to the festival. Research for this short paper was not extensive, and corporate sponsorship of Durga Puja have only been in full swing since the mid 1990’s, thus, the full effects of this change cannot be exhaustively described here. What can be said, is that the grassroots organizing and the communal choosing of charitable causes is quickly shifting to becoming responsibilities of the many private corporations who sponsor Durga Puja Pandal construction and other activities.

Works Cited

Parmita Borah (2 October 2011). Durga Puja- A celebration of Female Supremacy”. EF News International. Retrieved 22 September 2014.

McDaniel, June (2004). Offering Flowers, Feeding Skulls: Popular Goddess Worship in West Bengal. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-516791-0 Pp. 214.

Bhattacharya, Tithi. The Journal of Asian Studies. Vol 66. No. 4 (Nov. 2007)Tracking the Goddess: Religion, Community and Identity in the Durga Puja Ceremonies of Nineteenth-Century Calcutta. Pp. 916-965.

Gupta, K. (2006). Concise Encyclopedia of India 3rd Edition. New Delhi: Atlantic. Pp. 986. ISBN 81-269-0639-1.

The Hindu Article on Durga Puja”. Chennai, India. 6 August 2009. Retrieved 22 September 2014.

In India, a recent charitable act by one single nun is helping to change the lives of many of the countries’ most unfortunate girls who were born into the Dalit (or “untouchables”) caste.
The caste social system originated in an ancient Hindu text, called the Laws of Manu (circa 200 BC) that divided society into 4 main social classes or “castes”. These were Brahmins (priests), Kshatriyas (warriors), Vaishyas (merchants) and the lowest ranking caste, Shudras (servants). The Dalits were the lowest sub-category of the Shudras, and historically they were treated poorly, had little to no health care or education, and were segregated from other castes except for their “jobs” as cleaners of latrines and waste.

India’s new constitution in 1950 banned caste discrimination, and modernization and a more mobile society has greatly diminished the caste-based societal structure in today’s India. Intercaste marriages take place, and Dalits do hold prominent positions in modern society. However, caste discrimination is still quite rampant in more impoverished rural areas that make up 70% of India’s population . Furthermore, women are even more disadvantaged as they are seen as inferior to males. Rural Dalit girls are given few opportunities for education and are frequently married off young (typically around ages 12-14).

Into this societal context, a Catholic nun named Sudha Varghese opened the Prerna School for Girls in 2006 in the impoverished Mushahar (“rat eaters”, the lowest sub-sect of Dalits) area of Bihar state. Prerna means inspiration in Hindi. A second school opened in 2012. The schools now house 225 girls. The schools provide a safe place for education, as well as shelter, food, clothes and lessons in hygiene and health for the Dalit girls.
These remarkable schools exist mainly due to Sudha’s exemplary philanthropic efforts. Indeed, she gave up her family home and dedicated her life to her Prerna mission, becoming a nun as it was the sole occupation that allowed her to live as single independent woman alone in the community she wanted to help. She immersed herself in the Mushahar culture for 25 years, gaining their trust, and targeting the mothers with her educational message as they were key in allowing their girls to be educated versus married off young. Finally, in terms of funding, Sudha was instrumental in attaining the money to open, and continue operating, her schools.

According to the Globe and Mail’s Stephanie Nolen, the budget is “totally random. She asks government for the operating budget of the schools and they give it. Then sometimes random other money comes from European charities, from benefactors, now from Globe Readers. The make up of those donations is never consistent or predictable….and varies constantly” . Ms. Nolen goes on to explain that Sudha must harass the government for the funding, whom Sudha believes have a huge obligation to focus on Dalit education, particularly with India’s focus on becoming a global super-economy and eradicating any international perception as a culture with lingering gender and caste biases. For voluntary donations, initially Sudha singlehandedly sought out financial and labour support from her community, and her family (who helped despite their feelings her project was “crazy” ). Now, she just accepts gratefully for voluntary donations that come in due to the awareness and success of her venture, but they are not well organized or planned. And more troubling, a website opened by one of Sudha’s friends in the USA “narigunjan.org” now seems to be run by someone “sketchy” and the money never goes to Sudha, according to Ms. Nolen.

The future of the Prerna Schools is bright but uncertain. Some students have now graduated and broken the cycle of poverty in their families. But with a funding base dependent on an unreliable state government, and unpredictable voluntary donations, Ms. Nolen believes it is crucial for SOMEONE to help Sudha develop a strategy for long-term success. Given what Sudha has accomplished virtually on her own, it is inspiring and hopeful to think that with more philanthropic strategy and support, not only will the lives of many Dalit girls be changed for the better, but also the societal beliefs about caste and gender discrimination may be eradicated for good.

Works cited

Phone interview with Ashok Malhotra, father-in-law, Sept 21/2014.

Nolen, Stephanie. Breaking Caste – Globe and Mail series, December 2, 2011 (“Remarkable School Gives Girls From The Bottom Of India’s Caste System New Hope”)

Email exchange with Stephanie Nolen, South America Bureau Chief, Globe and Mail, Sept 22/2014.

Nolen, Stephanie. Breaking Caste – Globe and Mail series, December 2, 2011 (“Remarkable School Gives Girls From The Bottom Of India’s Caste System New Hope”)

“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). Of course, the concepts of giving and generosity are not limited to Western traditions. Giving is known by a number of terms worldwide and takes on many different shapes and forms. Buddhism takes on a different perspective of giving, or dana as it is called, than does the Western tradition. Buddhism views giving, or dana, not only as a virtue, but instead of as a way of life and as essential in order to achieve true enlightenment. Enlightenment is the ultimate goal of Buddhism. This paper will explore the Buddhist tradition of dana or giving and how it manifests itself within the tradition.

Buddhism teaches that we exist as a vast network of life, so that we are continuously receiving the generosity of others. This means that we can choose to orient ourselves more and more towards others, developing loving-kindness for them and learning to give in all ways to all beings (Peter Joseph, Traditions of Giving in Buddhism). When they begin to explore Buddhism, most people are struck by the pervasiveness of the practice of giving and of generosity. Starting with the Buddha, the tradition has always emphasized that an open-handed and open-hearted orientation to life is essential if one is to make spiritual progress. It is no accident then that dana is frequently given “first in the systems of practice; it is emphasized by all schools and precise instructions are given in how to become increasingly generous”(Giving of the Heart – Giving in Buddhism). Buddhism seeks to replace the potentially natural human tendency to take, to draw to oneself and care about oneself first and to instead “grow towards Enlightenment, the goal of Buddhism, where we are instructed to enter into others’ lives sympathetically, to imaginatively identify with their pleasures and pain (Giving of the Heart – Giving in Buddhism).

With Buddhism, the gifts that we are to give are whatever is most needed by a particular person, and range from the most basis material things such as food, clothing and shelter, to those gifts that demand more of the donor, such as helpful communication, education, or even one’s life. The Buddhist tradition of giving recognizes that there is a range of motivations for our giving, from the Transactional (when I get something in return) to the transcendent (when giving means overcoming selfishness). Each of these is seen as “having validity, but the mental and emotional state from which we act is of supreme importance” (Peter Joseph, 2000). In essence, what this entails is that we need to examine our motives for the giving and ensure they are coming from a place of purity, giving solely for the sake of giving.

Giving, or dana, is one of the three elements of the path of practice as formulated by Buddha for laypeople (New World Encyclopedia). In Buddhism, giving is the beginning of one’s journey to Nirvana. True giving must be free from the expectation of anything in return, and in some perspectives “if you expect even a word of appreciation like thank you from the receivers, then it is not free giving, but an exchange (Karnjariya Sukrung, The Rewards of Giving). Dana is the first step towards eliminating the defilement of greed, hate and delusion (lobka, dosa, moha) – for every act of giving is an act of non-greed, non-hatred, and non-delusion (Mahindarama.com). When you give you are considered to have only loving-kindness (meta) and compassion (karuna) in your heart, so of course greed, hate and delusion will be absent as a result. Viewed as the quality of generosity, giving has a particularly intimate connection to the entire movement of the Buddha’s path.

Giving in the Buddhist perspective means that when we are kind to each other, we are giving kindness, gentleness, comfort, peace and happiness. In the teaching of Buddha, the practice of giving claims a place of special eminence, one which singles it out as being in a sense the foundation and seed of spiritual development (Bhinkkhu Bodhi, 2010). The true practice of giving is not defined by an outwardly act where an object is transferred from one to another, but instead as “an inward disposition to give, a disposition strengthened by outward acts of giving and where in turn makes possible still more demanding acts of self-sacrifice” (Bhinkkhu Bodhi, 2010).

In the Buddhist practice, the practice of giving is also seen as a basis of merit or wholesome kamma (karma) and when it is coupled with other virtues such as morality, concentration and insight, it leads ultimately to liberation from samsara, the cycle of repeated existence (Susan Elbaum Jootka, 2010). Like all good deeds in Buddhism, an act of giving will bring us happiness in the future in accordance with the karma laws of cause and effect taught by the Buddha. In this view, “giving yields benefits in the present life and lives to come whether or not we are aware of this fact, but when the volition is accompanied by understanding, we can greatly increase the merits earned by our gifts” (Susan Elbaum Jootka,2010). The amount of merit gained varies according to three factors: the quality of the donor’s motive, the spiritual purity of the recipient, and the kind and size of the gift. Simply put, good deeds mean good results and bad deeds mean bad results and the idea is to create as much good karma as possible and in the practice of giving this means keeping one’s mind pure in the act of giving, choosing the worthiest recipient available, and choosing the most appropriate and generous gifts one can afford. This is somewhat different from the Western perspective where the rewards of giving are usually expected more immediately.

In Buddhism, giving is the beginning of one’s journey to the ultimate goal of the Buddhist tradition which is Enlightenment. Although this might appear to be too great an ideal to aspire to in terms of the Western perspective of giving, perhaps we could adopt some of the concepts surrounding giving or dana in our own lives and strive to view giving in a different light.

Works cited

“Dana: The Act of Giving” retrieved from http://www.mahindarama.com/e-library/dana-vis.htm

“Dana: The Practice of Giving”, Selected Essays edited by Bhikkhu Bodhi, Access to Insight June 2010 retrieved from http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/various/wheel367.html

Give of the Heart – Giving in Buddhism retrieved from http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma8/gift.html

Jootka, Susan Elbaum “The Practice of Giving” from “Dana: The Practice of Giving”, Selected Essays edited by Bhikkhu Bodhi, Access to Insight June 2010 retrieved from http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/various/wheel367.html

Joseph, Peter “Traditions of Giving in Buddhism, Alliance Magazine December 2000 retrieved from http://www.alliancemagazine.org/en/content/traditions-giving-buddhism

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Almsgiving

Sukrung, Karnjaiya “The Rewards of Giving” retrieved from http://asisarecipe.com//thaigiving.html

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 (and other nations comprising the “Third World”, to that matter), due to over-population and prevalent economic conditions, domestic help is freely available. What more, such help is available at a relatively (to the Western world) inexpensive price.

Domestic help is so universal in India, that, one does not need to be a part of the elite class (economically) to take advantage of the benefits of domestic help. Ordinary middle (lower to upper) class families can take advantage of freely available domestic help at nominal prices. That said, there tends to be a reciprocal relationship between the “hirer” and “worker” that transcends monetary remuneration in the form of monthly salaries. Both parties recognize the integral role that each other plays – economically and pragmatically.

It is significant to focus on the non-economic, and to that matter, philanthropic role that the hirers play, especially during major religious festivals and national holidays (such as Diwali, Eid, Christmas, and New Years’). Such events are marked by much joyousness and fanfare – certainly those relegated to the lower economic strata (especially, those contributing to the “informal” workforce) are never neglected. Specifically, significant events, such as those aforementioned (and often dependent upon the dominant religion or the religion of the potential recipient) are considered reason to give. In fact, it is customary to offer material items and /or money during such times.

My husbands’ family in India have always been ardent advocates of giving during festivals. Common items (over and above monthly salaries) that are offered in donation are old (albeit in good shape) garments, utensils, and bedding, to name just a few. What is even more noteworthy is that such items were offered not just during “special events” and festivals, but on a yearly basis. What is more, gifts offered over and above monetary remuneration seem to contribute to job satisfaction. It is a way for the employer to demonstrate how much they need the domestic help – in return, they receive efficient, punctual, and reliable service, and above all, trustworthiness. In a society that is innately dependant on verbal (most often, non-verifiable) trust, the aforementioned traits are vital factors. The fact that trust is predicated in such seemingly trivial acts of philanthropy (old material items and negligible sums of money), is impressive. This fact highlights the fabric of giving or daan that inhabits the crux of Indian society and the Hindu religion, to that matter.

Works Cited

1. Sudip Duttagupta, Verbal Communication (my husband who was born and raised in India)

​Once upon a time, there was a little boy named Jaya. He lived in a little Indian village where the Gautam Buddha happened to come across one day. The villagers all came to welcome the Buddha and offered him fruits and water to drink. The Buddha spoke throught the day and night to the villagers along with Jaya. Jaya watched and listened to the sound of Buddha’s voice until he fell asleep; he was fascinated with Buddha with his calm presents and the conviction in his words. When the child a woke from his slumber he saw the Guatam Buddha leaving, the child wanted to scream out and beg Buddha to stay. Instead Jaya watched as the villagers offered Buddha more fruit and grain to take on his journey. Jaya having nothing to offer to Buddha so instead he gathered dust and soil from the earth and offered it to Buddha. Buddha saw the faith and love in Jaya’s eyes and blessed him.
​
Many people believe that this child was later reincarnated as Emperor Asoka the Great (304BC -232BC). Emperor Asoka was the third know emperor of the Mauryan dynasty from 271BC to 232BC. During his rule he lead many wars and gained the throne after he attacked Kalinga (Orissa present day), his brothers kingdom, in order to expand his kingdom. This particular war resulted in the death of thousands of people, including his brother. However, it was after this particularly bloody war that Asoka decided to give up war and violence forever and he became a Buddhist. Asoka sent missionaries to South East Asia, Egypt, Macedonia, Cyrene (Libya present day), Syria, and even sent his son, Mahinda a Theraveda monk, to Sri Lanka. All religions were accepted in Asoka`s kingdom but Buddhism was embraced. Due to his Buddhist beliefs he became very dedicated and devoted to the well being of his kingdom.

​Emperor Asoka the Great earned his name by improving his kingdom. He introduced public health care for humans, animals and all living things. In his kingdom he built several hospitals, dispensaries, and even hospices for the elderly and dying. He also banned animal sacrifices, which at the time were part of the culture and very accepted. Asoka also built veterinary hospitals and dispensaries and even banned pollution of water. To further protect all living things in his kingdom he built botanical and herbal gardens to preserve nature and to utilize medicinal herbs. Asoka believed that all medical knowledge should be freely shared for the greater good.

​Asoka also created wildlife reserves, improved agriculture and horticulture. He also sponsored cave exploration to provide traveling monks with shelter. In the second half of Emperor Asoka’s life he lived his life devoted to peaceful coexistence with all living things, tolerance, social welfare, education, justice, and ecological responsibilities to mother earth. Asoka’s Empire was the first powerful Buddhist practicing monarch. He united his empire under Buddhist philosophies and drastically changed his empire for the better.

Works Cited

http://www.lonympics.co.uk/asoka.htm

http://people.virginia.edu/~pm9k/59/gita/ashoka.html

http://www.thenagain.info/webchron/india/Asoka.html

Webster’s dictionary defines charity as; “a spiritual love for others” or “generosity to the needy” or “alms given to the poor”. When many of us think of charity we think of foundations and charities such as the Red Cross or The Salvation Army. We think of giving to charity as a generous act, and we praise those who choose to do so. This is a Westernized view of charity and this ideology of charity has become quite prominent; its influences can be seen worldwide.

Canadian society is considered as mosaic society, it is comprised of many different cultures, religions and ideologies. For this reason it is important to understand how other cultures and religions view charity and charitable acts. This gives us a greater understanding of the fundamental values and religious beliefs of the members of our society regarding charity and charitable donations. This paper will explore the Hindu ideology of charity and highlight specific examples of this ideology at work.

In Western culture we quite often speak of charitable acts as acts of generosity, however, in Hindu tradition charitable acts are considered prerequisites to its followers. To Hindus acts of giving and charity, better known as Dana, are essential to ones Dharma, or religious duty. This means that Hindus are expected to give freely in order to ensure that they fulfill their Dharma. It is believed that this will ultimately have an effect on one’s Karma. Karma refers to the idea that “all thoughts and actions carry out consequences which must be faced in this life or the life to come”. Since they believe in reincarnation and that their actions in this life will affect their next life, it is made custom to give freely . Giving and charitable acts are thus made an essential aspect of Hindu tradition, culture, religion and life.

For Hindus acts of charity and giving are viewed as responsibilities, not as acts of generosity. Such acts of giving and charity are to first start at home, but of course are not inclusive to home life. The responsibility at home is to ensure that one’s extended family is well taken care of and have everything that they need. It is believed that “the wealth a person acquires is not for him [or] herself but for the wealth of one’s extended family and others”, this also includes the welfare of the state.

An example of charity and giving at home in Hindu tradition would include taking responsibility for one’s extended family members who were having trouble supporting themselves. It is believed that this should be done at just about any expense, such as “give up or compromise [one’s] personal goals for the sake of the family”. Giving for Hindus is not just the giving of monetary things or possessions, but also in extreme cases, dreams and aspirations. It is all for the good of the many, and not the individual.

While giving to the family is first priority for Hindus, this is not where giving is expected to end. Followers of Hinduism are expected to take a vested interest in the welfare of society, as well. An example of this is the sharing of food, better known to Hindus as Anna Dana. Anna Dana is considered to be an essential part of one’s dharma. This tradition calls Hindus to share their food with any unexpected visitors that may show up at their home. However, the Orthodox tradition calls for home owners not to partake in food, themselves, until they have offered said food to their dependants, deities, ancestors and the mendicant. A homeowner is expected to stand outside his or her home and announce, before each meal, ‘is anyone hungry? Please come to take your meal!’. This would be done three times, and only after that is done would the family eat, alone or with guests that have taken the offer of food.

Giving to family and the community are very important to Hindus, they are taught to “Give. Give with faith. Do not give without faith. Give with sensitivity. Give with a feeling of abundance. Give with right understanding.” While Hindus believe in giving to fulfill their dharma, it is important to remember that giving is at the core of their belief system. This is not something that they choose to do, but that they believe they must do, it is their duty.

Works Cited
Dorga, Kavita. Kanyadaan. Global Giving Resource. http://globalgivingresource.com/india.html

Duncan, Suzanne. Hinduism: Charity as Social Duty. Introduction to Fundraising. Ryerson University, Chang School. CINT-916. January 09 2010. https://de.ryerson.ca/de_courses/index.aspx?course=CINT916&mod=03&id=71382&startdate=January 9, 2010

The New Lexicon Webster’s Dictionary of the English Language. Deluxe Encyclopedic Edition. Lexicon Publications, Inc. New York. 1992.

Raju, Sirpada K.S. PhD. Philanthropic Perspective on Hinduism. Learning to Give. http://www.learningtogive.com/faithgroups/voices/phil_persp_of_hinduism.asp

Surgirtharajah, Sharada. Traditions of Giving in Hinduism. Alliance Magazine. September 01 2001. http://www.alliancemagazine.org/en/content/traditions-giving-hinduism

Annadan, providing food or drink to those in need, is an early form of Indian charity. From ancient times to this day, it is considered one of the greatest gifts to offer food to the hungry in India. While the act of annadan is not as common as it once was, the selfless act of giving continues to be highly respected in India.

Annadan is just one type of Indian charity. Dana, at the root of the word annadan, is the traditional word for Indian charity and it appears in a variety of ways. Two such forms include vastradan, the giving of clothing, and patradan, the donating of utensils. The giving away of dana is believed to secure divine blessings for the giver and is meant to be a purifying act. The practice has Hindu roots, but is common in all parts of Indian society. According to Hindu description, “dana is the act of conscious and willing relinquishment of possession and transference of ownership of something to another willing recipient who consciously accepts the transfer.”

In early times it was customary for Indians to open their homes and offer food to the poor. If a family had plenty, the husband of a home would often go out into the streets and call out for anyone who was hungry to join his family for a meal.

To honour the ancient tradition of annadan and provide help to those in need, many Indian charities offer special meals to the poor. One such charity, Dasanudas, believes that feeding the poor is the first step in breaking out of a destructive cycle of poverty. The charity believes that by being fed people are better able to cope with life. In particular, hunger robs children of the benefits of education. To quote a former president of India (2002-2007), Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, “Good food makes the children not only concentrate on studies, it also improves their health. Educated and healthy children will lead to a healthy and knowledgeable society.”

Annadan is an important part of the giving traditions of India. The recognition that food is such a basic and crucial element to life has held a primary position in Indian philanthropy.

Works Cited
http:// www.the-crankshaft.info/2010/09/charity-in-hinduism.html

http://www.dasanudas.org

http://www.alliancemagazine.org

http://www.shrisaibabasansthan.org

Western culture has come to know philanthropy and giving as acts of generosity bestowed upon others less fortunate by those who personally choose to make a contribution to society. The intention of the charitable act is simply to better their community and perhaps improve themselves as individuals in a positive, altruistic way. Those seeking to make such charitable donations, be it personal time or financial aid, are offering it unconditionally, with no expectations for anything in return, but understandably still receive the feeling of gratification that undeniably accompanies such an act.

In the Hindu religion, also known as ‘Sanatana Dharma’ and East Indian culture, the act of giving (called ‘dana’) is part of the belief which teaches that good will come to those who give while here on earth and continuing even after death. The belief is also that philanthropy “brings name, fame, recognition, and prosperity to the giver and his/her family in the here and now and enhances the quality of life for them after death”. ‘Karma’ is commonly referred to in the teachings of generosity in Hinduism. ‘Karma’ means that all thoughts and actions, both positive and negative will have consequences in this lifetime or another.

Dharma, religious duties, includes giving of food to help others in need. This particular form of giving is referred to as ‘anna dana’. Any unexpected guest should be offered food on any occasion, not to mention special occasions where anna dana is practised on a more bountiful extent. In some cases, a special meal is prepared for the less fortunate, or a donation is made to a charity in memory of a passed loved one.

For the most part, North Americans have other reasons for giving to those in need. These reasons are not as much religious or cultural expectations or obligations as they are personal and moral choices. These usually include understanding the needs of others and true compassion and empathy toward those who go without, as well as the idea that if roles were reversed, they would like to know others would reach out and help them in their time of need.

It seems that though Hinduism and its cultural expectations may be just as charitable and may even have higher demands of their people to give, their intentions aren’t necessarily selfless as those of the Western world.

Perhaps, however, the obligation to give, which is embedded in those of Hindu cultures, results in a greater number of charitable acts than the amount of donations resulting from the mere hope that individuals will give out of the good of their hearts, as Westerners hope and pray for. Though the freedom to choose what, when, and who to support is something Westerners value, perhaps too many individuals choose not to offer their time volunteering or financial aide at all, since there are no expectations or obligations.

Works Cited

http://learningtogive.org/faithgroups/voices/phil_persp_of_hinduism.asp

http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu

http://www.alliancemagazine.org/en/content/traditions-giving-hinduism

Although examples of giving to the less fortunate can be found in many Indian traditions and customs, I would like to talk about a unique tradition that is found among the Goan Catholic families during wedding preparations. Goa is predominately a catholic state in India, having been occupied by the Portuguese who converted a large portion of the population. English is widely spoken and the western way of dressing is the norm.

A couple of days before the wedding, usually on a Tuesday, a lavish feast is prepared and 7 or 9 poor people in the village are invited to the bride and groom’s houses. This lunch is termed “Bikareanchem Jevonn” (i.e meal for the beggars); ‘bikari’ meaning “beggar” and ‘jevonn’ meaning “meal”. The significance of this lunch is to remember and pray for the dead ancestors and invoke their blessings on the engaged couple. If possible, the poor are chosen in line with the age and gender of the departed souls. During the preparation of the lunch, certain traditional songs are sung. These are called “Zotis” and are basically prayers for the engaged couple, wishing them a happy and long wedded life and lots of children.

The lunch consists of pork, beef, fish, rice and a special curry called “Samarachi Koddi” which is cooked with dry prawns and mango sol (dry unripe salted mango). Coconut or cashew feni, the special liquor brewed in Goa is also served. The guests are seated on the floor of the dining hall and the meal is served on jack fruit leaves that are woven into a plate and held together with fine bamboo sticks. The bride and groom personally serve the guests, invoking their blessings.

At the end of the meal, a sweet dish made of gram dal and ‘soji’ or wheat/semolina is served along with a banana. A cigarette or locally made beedi (tobacco rolled in a leaf) is given to the guests according to their preference. Coconut oil is given as a gift for them to take home and use for their hair.

In the event that no Bikareanchem Jevonn is held, the poor are given one measure of rice and some money.

The giving of gifts has always been a huge part of every joyous event in the Indian tradition. When a child is born, sweets are distributed to family, friends and neighbours. A “laddoo” (round sweet made of flour) symbolizes the birth of a boy while a “peda” (flat sweet made of condensed milk) symbolizes the birth of a girl. Sweets are exchanged on the occasion of various festivals. Christians will send traditional sweets to their Hindu and Muslim neighbours on the occasion of Christmas and they in turn will send their traditional sweets over on the occasion of Eid and Hindu festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi and Diwali. Gifts are exchanged between brothers and sisters on the occasion of Raksha Bandan, a festival that celebrates the relationship between brothers and sisters.

“Philanthropy” may best be defined as, “private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of life.”(Wikipedia) and we see this manifested in both individual traditions as well as corporate programs.

Works Cited

The Beggars’ Lunch: http://www.saligaoserenade.com/2008/08/05/the-beggars-lunch/

Catholic marriages – traditions and customs: http://www.goanwedding.com/articles/customs.php

In ancient India, there existed a very vibrant community of giving amongst the Theravada monastics and the lay people. The form of giving was called Pindapata, which was the practice of gathering food or “alms-gathering” by the monastics. As we will soon see, this generosity was believed to be “full circle” as those that provided food also felt they gained something from their gesture.

The Theravada monastics are from one of the oldest schools of Buddhism and while it began in India, today we are only seeing it practiced in Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka. They never asked for food and only took it when offered. Yet, this was the only food they had since they were not allowed to prepare their own food. “The intention was for monastics to be free from the worldly burden of cooking and to make them dependent on the generosity of lay followers.”¹ As a bhikku (a Buddhist monk), they gave up all worldly possessions and never accepted money.

The monastics would set out for Pindapata shortly after sunrise. This would give them time for meditation and allow the laywomen in the community time to prepare the food. A first-hand account from an observer out on Pindapata wrote: “He walks…holding his bowl in his sling…he walks until it is apparent to him that a lay-supporter wishes to offer some food. How does he know this? Outside that house may be a little table on which food is placed; or lay-supporters may have invited him to take food from their house every day…Any of these things we may observe. We shall also see that he stops to take food from everyone who wishes to give.”²

Because the monastics would always take whatever was offered, they also practiced giving within the Monastery and would share leftover food with fellow Buddhists, workers and even animals that would happen to seek refuge with them. They would also share with their Teacher which they believed would result in some merit.

As told by Wisdom Quarterly about Pindapata, “Practiced correctly, it is giving ordinary people the opportunity to gain merit and to develop the wholesome character trait of generosity.” The Buddha believed so strongly in this that he “continued this practice even on returning to his affluent kingdom, which angered his father who was rich and able to support him. The Buddha was determined to offer everyone the opportunity to give. If no one gave, he went hungry.”³

Lay-supporters closely mirror today’s donor; and more specifically, a church supporter. The lay-supporters had the free will to give as they wished and the amount they chose, or were able to give. Some affluent people in the community would feed up to 80 monks each day. Some would give one monk a bit of rice, as that’s all they had. Many gave for one of the same reasons that Christians, and people of other religious affiliations give – for religious merit and spiritual education. We can also see the connection between the Theravadas monks and today’s priest or other minister; living by faith and the support of his or her church community and providing teachings on the Word of God in return.

Works Cited

Retrieved September 23, 2010, from:
www.bhavanasociety.org/page/alms_rounds/

Retrieved September 23, 2010, from: www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/khantipalo/wheel073.html

Retrieved September 23, 2010, from: http://wisdomquarterly.blogspot.com/2009/04/gathering-alms-pindapata.html