Pinda Schedule of Devotees
Offering food is one of the oldest and most common rituals of Buddhism. Food is given to monks during alms rounds and also ritually offered to tantric deities and hungry ghosts. Offering food is a meritorious act that also reminds us not to be greedy or selfish.
The giving and receiving of alms creates a spiritual connection between the monastic and lay communities. Laypeople have a responsibility to support the monks physically, and the monks have a responsibility to support the community spiritually. At Sadhananda Monastary, we have a list of regularly participating donars, who bring alms to the Sangha. To particilate in this event, please contact:
Mukul Barua:
(646) 269 2370
The alms bowl is another practical symbol of Buddhism, and, like the robes, another requisite of the bhikkhu.
Although every bhikkhu is given an alms bowl (and a set of robes) when he becomes a monk, not all of them will actually go on an
alms round and only a minority — usually they are the forest meditation bhikkhus — will eat from their bowl sitting on the floor.
Therefore many monks will eat using plates and dishes, while some will eat sitting on the floor at a small table and others at a
normal western-style table. One should not feel shy about asking a monk as to his normal way of eating and then fit in with that.
Those forest bhikkhus who keep the austere practices (dhutanga or tudong) will be stricter about only using one eating vessel.
This can simplify life and remind the bhikkhu that although food is necessary for bodily health he does not have to indulge in an
obsession with taste.
