On Saturday and Sunday each weekend we have Dana from 10:30am in the Community Hall at Dhammaloka.
On-Going Weekend Sangha Food Offering (Dana)
| 10:00 – 10:30am | Guests arrive and drop off food.
Please prepare and cook food before arrival. |
| 10:30 – 11:00am
|
Chanting and offering of the Five Precepts and Three Refuges
Alms-round (pindapata): rice offering to the monks or nuns Offering of requisites to the monks or nuns Sangha Blessing. After the offerings, a traditional pāli blessing is chanted by the monks or nuns to share the merits of the gifts given. |
| 11:00am – Noon
|
Shared lunch for all.
After the meal, the monks or nuns are available to speak informally with the visitors. |
“Dana” means giving, and it is part of the Buddhist way of life. Generosity is a core practice of Buddhism and one of the traditional expressions of this is through offering food to the monks and nuns. It is fundamental to the principles of Theravada Buddhism that monastics, as alm mendicants, are completely dependent on lay supporters for their material needs. The Buddhist community thereby becomes mutually dependent. The lay community offers material support, whilst the monastic community provides spiritual support in the form of Dhamma talks, meditation guidance, personal counsel and exemplary behaviour.
Location: Community Hall at Dhammaloka
Dates: Every weekend; Saturday and Sunday, except during Rains Retreat.
What is the Sangha offering of the Five Precepts and Three Refuges?
For more information please visit: https://bswa.org/practices/taking-five-precepts-online/
What is alms-round (pindapata)? *Please note this may not occur due to government restrictions
Before the meal, visitors are invited to participate in a custom dating back over 2500 years ago to the time of the Buddha; offering rice to the monks, also known as piṇḍapāta. If you wish to participate, you collect a plate, spoon and rice, then line up and as the monks or nuns walk past place a spoonful of rice into their bowl.
Important:
Please remove your shoes and head-gear on entering the community hall. Please wear modest clothing which covers you, this applies to both men and women and includes not wearing short skirts, shorts, thigh slashes in skirts, sleeveless or low-cut tops and singlets.
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Please follow any current government COVID regulations and stay home if you are feeling unwell.