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Dakshina

ShivaFan

Satyameva Jayate
Premium Member
Hinduism has ancient traditions, including using priests for invocation of the Devatas and then you can pray to the Divine thanks to the priests invocation which has "set the atmosphere" or the "painters canvas" and now you can "fly your kite" of prayer or "paint your colors" of prayer and meditation and focus. Also just honoring these traditions, even if you do not believe in God, is a way to teach your community to respect the wisdom marga of ancestors and savants from long lineages who have earned the title as teachers by listening to those teachers prior to them, focus is the end result and focus can resolve many things in this world which can be a struggle. But there are many who are simply too self absorbed to respect the intent of traditions. They should not be so puffed up with pride, always criticizing Hindus for their ancient traditions. Why do they whine so much against Hindu traditions? - it is like the idiot who walks into a movie theatre and then arrogantly starts talking loudly during the movie thus disturbing everyone in the theatre... shutup already, don't even come into the public showing of the movie, sit at home and whine all you want at your redbox rental. Or better yet, make your own "movie" and see if you are as good as the director and whether anyone shows up to buy a ticket. Good luck.
 

Fireside_Hindu

Jai Lakshmi Maa
Also, Let us not forget that the money we give priests for their services doesn't just sit in their pockets gathering dust. Priests are also just as capable of generosity as anyone else, and I'd be willing to bet that when they do not donate money to other causes themselves, they are sending money home to India to help support family there. Our temple is very transparent about its expenses and every year they share the salary of the priests with the community. I promise you, it's no princely sum. They are not destitute by any measure, but in America, there salary would still be a challenge to live on.

Also, paying dakshina and charitable giving are not mutually exclusive. You can do both. Again, it comes down to balance and what you are able to give. I would never expect a person in financial need to give dakshina OR charity. It makes no sense to give beyond your means to the point where you are really putting yourself at risk for a bad situation. Not inconvenience, but serious financial trouble. Also, almost every time I have forgotten cash (which is a lot) when I go to temple and there has been a puja with a recommended sponsorship amount, or an unsponsored lunch where a small donation was requested, I am always offered those services freely, without being made to feel guilty or like I am a bad person. In fact, priests and devotees alike are eager to invite me (and others) to participate in activities free of charge that normally have a requested donation. I don't take that offer lightly because everything costs money for the temple.

For a long stint, I kept forgetting to bring cash to temple when there was an unsponsored lunch. They request only $2 but I never had it on me! (Ah, the scourge of credit) . I always apologized and the volunteers waved me off with a smile and even offered me double portions sometimes. This is the beauty - the assumption is not that I am cheap, but that I cannot afford it, therefore, extra generosity is given. They don't know my financial situation, but it doesn't matter. Because it is seva. It is Dharma/Duty.

So finally, one day, I remembered to bring cash with me. So I put extra in the donation box. The volunteer tried to give me change but I said it was all the interest from "missed payments" ;)

The flow of money and generosity goes beyond the quantitative value of dollars and cents.
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
I enjoy giving. It can be a creative process. For example, when travelling swamis from my order (or others) are met at the airport with a garland, I'll slip them some Canadian currency, just for their own use, to buy water, to leave a tip, etc. Why should a swami have to go to the currency exchange? Most orders don't carry any money, relying on others to feed them.

So we look about for opportunity ... donate a murthi to a temple, sponsor a tile in a floor, or gold plating on a temple, volunteer to drive people around, bring gifts to hosts, all that stuff.

At the temple we go to, I rarely give any money. We give about 400 hours of time to do the temple landscaping each summer. If they hired someone it would be in excess of $10 000 so there you go.

The spirit of dana is in 'without thought of reward'. Another beauty of Hinduism is the opportunity to remain anonymous too.
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
Watching it allows for such great opportunities to learn. I can recall two occasions at our temple that impressed me. One was a day when I was a volunteer manager. Two fellows came by within about an hour, each offering to make a donation to the temple. Each gave cheques. One was for $50. The other was for $10 000. Guess who made the fuss.

Another time a just before the building was done, the board and key members were discussing whether to delay it, or go ahead without the floor tiles being in, as they didn't have the funds. A regular devotee, but not a member of the core group, heard the conversation in passing. He asked, "How much do you need?" When they told him, he went out to his vehicle and wrote a cheque for that amount.

Another temple builder I know personally was struggling with all the negativity about the community not affording it. He was determined though and ended up donating a very large sum of money to get it done.

It's just inspiring all around when you see people being so generous. It's an upward spiral all around. And when it is negative, it's a lesson on what not to do. Win win.
 

atanu

Member
Premium Member
I have cited the following many times.

Book 10 Rig Veda
HYMN CVII. Daksina.

1. THESE men's great bounty hath been manifested, and the whole world of life set free from darkness.
Great light hath come, vouchsafed us by the Fathers: apparent is the spacious path of Guerdon.
2 High up in heaven abide the Guerdon-givers: they who give steeds dwell with the Sun for ever.
They who give gold are blest with life eternal. they who give robes prolong their lives, O Soma.
3 Not from the niggards-for they give not fireely-comes Meed at sacrifice, Gods' satisfaction:
Yea, many men with hands stretched out with Guerdon present their gifts because they dread dishonour.
4 These who observe mankind regard oblation as streamy Vayu and light-finding Arka.
They satisfy and give their gifts in synod, and pour in streams the seven-mothered Guerdon.
5 He who brings Guerdon comes as first invited: chief of the hamlet comes the Guerdon-bearer.
Him I account the ruler of the people who was the first to introduce the Guerdon.
6 They call him Rsi, Brahman, Sama-chanter, reciter of the laud, leader of worship.
The brightly-shining God's three forms he knoweth who first bestowed the sacrificial Guerdon.
7 Guerdon bestows the horse, bestows the bullock, Guerdon bestows, moreover, gold that Rsisters.
Guerdon gives food which is our life and spirit. He who is wise takes Guerdon for his armour.
8 The liberal die not, never are they ruined: the liberal suffer neither harm nor trouble.
The light of heaven, the universe about us,-all this doth sacrificial Guerdon give them.
9 First have the liberal gained a fragrant dwelling, and got themselves a bride in fair apparel.
The liberal have obtained their draught of liquor, and conquered those who, unprovoked, assailed them.
10 They deck the fleet steed for the bounteous giver: the maid adorns herself and waits to meet him.
His home is like a lake with lotus blossoms, like the Gods' palaces adorned and splendid.
11 Steeds good at draught convey the liberal giver, and lightly rolling moves the car of Guerdon.
Assist, ye Gods, the liberal man in battles: the liberal giver conquers foes in combat.

I reproduce a translation which I feel is better from spiritual point of view. There are some explanations included.

Rig Veda
10.107.01 The great (splendour) of Maghavan has become manifest (for the rites) of these (worshippers); all life has been extricated from darkness, the vast light bestowed by the progenitors has arrived, a spacious path for the daks.in.a_ has been displayed. (Maghavan = the sun, at whose rising and at midday the daks.in.a_ is to be given, not at sunset; cf. RV. 5.77.2].
10.107.02 The donors of the daks.in.a_ have mounted high in heaven, those who are givers of horses dwell with the sun; the givers of gold obtain immortality, the givers of raiment, O Soma, prolong their life.
10.107.03 The divine nourishing Daks.in.a_, which is part of the sacrifice to the gods, is not for those who go wrong, for they do not gratify (the gods with worship), but many men through fear of incurring sin liberally extending the daks.in.a_ gratify the gods.
10.107.04 They see (the offering of) the oblation to Va_yu, of the hundred streams, to the all-conscious sun, to the men-beholding (deities); they who please (the gods) and offer (oblations at the festival, let flow the daks.in.a_, the mother of seven. [Mother of seven: i.e., which has the seven sam.stha_s as in children, the agnis.t.oma etc., or that which has seven mothers as regulators (nirma_tarah), the Hota_ and other priests].
10.107.05 Summoned (by the priests) first advances the daks.in.a_-bearing (sacrificer); the head of the village bearing the daks.in.a_ goes in the front. I regard him as a king among men who first introduced the daks.in.a_.
10.107.06 They call him the r.s.i, the Bra_hman.a, the leader of the sacrifice, the chanter of the hymn, the reciter of the prayer, he knows the three forms of light who first worshipped with the daks.in.a_/ [The leader of the sacrifice: the last three epithets denote the Adhvaryu, the Udga_ta_, and the Hota_; three forms of light: i.e., Agni, Va_yu and A_ditya].
10.107.07 Daks.in.a_ gives horses, daks.in.a_ gives cows, daks.in.a_ gives gold and also silver, Daks.in.a_ bestows food. Our spirit discriminating (all things) puts on daks.in.a_ for armour.
10.107.08 The givers of enjoyment do not die, they do not go to destruction, they suffer no injury, the givers of enjoyment suffer no pain. Daks.in.a_ gives them all this world and the entire heaven.
10.107.09 The givers of enjoyment first won the cow the source (of food or Word), the givers of enjoyment have won a bride who was beautifully attired, the givers of enjoyment have won deep potations of wine (or Soma), the givers of enjoyment have conquered those who without being challenged advance to meet them.
10.107.10 For the giver of enjoyment they deck out a fleet horse, to the giver of enjoyment is presented a maiden beautifully adorned, to the giver of enjoyment belongs this dwelling, adorned like a lake full of lotus flowers, delightful as a dwelling of the gods.
10.107.11 Horses capable of bearing heavy burdens bear the giver of enjoyment, a well-constructed chariot rolls along (for the giver) of the daks.in.a_; O gods, protect the giver of enjoyment in combats; may the giver of enjoyment be the victor over his foes in battles.
 
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Aupmanyav

Be your own guru
द्वे नप्तुर्देववतः शते गो रथा वधूमन्ता सुदासः l
अर्हन्नग्ने पैजवनस्य दानं होतेव सद्म पर्येमि रेभन ll
चत्वारो मा पैजवनस्य दानाः समद्दिष्टयः कर्शनिनो निरेके l
रज्रासो मा पर्थिविष्ठाः सुदासस्तोकं तोकाय श्रवसे वहन्ति ll

Dve napturdevavataḥ śate go rathā vadhūmantā sudāsaḥ l
arhannagne paijavanasya dānaṃ hoteva sadma paryemi rebhana ll
Catvāro mā paijavanasya dānāḥ samaddiṣṭayaḥ kaṛśanino nireke l
ṛajrāso mā paṛthiviṣṭhāḥ sudāsastokaṃ tokāya śravase vahanti ll

22. Priest-like, with praise, I move around the altar, earning Sudas' reward, O Agni,
Two hundred cows from Paijavana's descendant, two chariots from Sudās with mares to draw them.
23. Gift of Paijavana, four horses bear me in foremost place, trained steeds with pearl to deck them.
Sudās's brown steeds, firmly-stepping, carry me and my son for progeny and glory.
http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/rvsan/rv07018.htm

Note: The old hymn does not prove that Vasishtha Maitravaruni, the writer of the verse, was given all these gifts. 200 cows, two chariots, four brown mares to draw them. But it does prove that whatever was given to him, satisfied him. He may have made his 'dakshina' more than what it actually was. That also is an encouragement to others not to give in a miserly way. Perhaps he was given 20 cows, one chariot and two mares. In poetry these small exaggerations do not matter. ;)
 
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