Dana (Donations) Kind Appeal! Membership Granted!

DONATIONS: How to contribute

How to Make Donations to Buddhist Centre

Kind Appeal ! Membership Granted!

We sincerely need your kind support to up keep our centre activities. Donations are greatly appreciated! We need financial support to maintain the mortgage, utility bills and resident monks’ welfare. Please help us to secure our noble services by making a monthly donation (standing order - Please contact the centre for a form).

Be a MEMBER of our organization by making a Monthly Standing Order.

If you are a UK tax payer, you can increase your donations by 28% at no cost to you, as we a registered charity. Please contact us to sign for a Gift Aid Declaration Form.

Teaching and helping to spread the Dhamma is one of the highest forms of dana. "The gift of Dhamma excels all gifts (Sabba danam dhamma-danam jinati)."

Make an online donation:
Please use below bank account details for online course contributions:

Account Name: Letchworth Dhamma Nikethanaya
Sort Code: 20-41-15
Account Number: 93992683

Barclays Bank Letchworth Branch

Please put your name as reference.
Kindly text or email us to say you have made the contribution, so that we can share blessings. Thank you.

] Please Consider the Following Ways in which you can help us achieve our goal: We experience difficulties to upkeep the centre services due to the ongoing increasing expenses. Please make any donations that you can afford to secure the ongoing welfare services. There is a donation box at the centre main shrine room and you also have other options below. Thank you.

] MAKE A SINGLE DONATION: Donations are always welcome. Cheques can be made payable to “LDN” or “Letchworth Dhamma Nikethanaya” or “Dhamma Nikethanaya Buddhist Cultural Centre” or “DNBCC”

] S O : SET UP A STANDING ORDER: Regular contributions are very helpful to secure our confidence for ongoing for projects and manage our cash flow more easily. If you can make a Standing Order of at least £5.00 a month, this will give us an enormous strength to maintain our mortgage, utility bills and other regular expenses smoothly. Please consider making this donation to support the Temple. You may, of course, cancel your standing order in the future if your circumstances change.

] BUY A PIECE OF TEMPLE LAND: We have set up a Building Found to purchase a large house with 2 acres land to establish our Centre at a more suitable location for meditation. An opportunity is open for you to “own” a piece of land for £100 per square meter. You can dedicate it either on behalf of your loved one who may have departed. Your plot of land will be recorded on a map and you will receive an “Ownership Certificate” showing the location of your plot.

] LOAN: INTEREST FREE LOANS: Interest Free lump sum Loans will help us pay the mortgage off.

] GIFT AID: Gift Aid Scheme: Increase Donations at no COST to you! Dhamma Nikethanaya Buddhist Centre is registered charity. If you are a UK taxpayer, you sign Gift Aid Declaration Form (Please obtain from the centre). This will increase your donations by 28% at no cost to you (28p for each £1 you give).

From 6th April 2000, any donation made by an individual paying enough tax can be treated as a Gift Aid donation. This means that we can reclaim the tax you have already paid, thus making your donation to us worth 28% more.

One declaration form is enough for all donations you made as your declaration covers for any donations but you need to notify us if you change your name and address. Please also let us know if your circumstances change and you no longer pay an amount of tax at least equal to the amount that we will reclaim in the tax year.

] BEQUEST: REMEMBER US IN YOUR WILL: If you bequeath a donation to us in your will, you are not liable for inheritance tax on the amount you leave us, as we are a registered charity. You should consult your own solicitor for advice if you want to do this.

I would like to thank you for supporting this appeal and to thank all members and friends who have already agreed to donate through Standing Orders.

May you be well and enjoy success in your life, and may the Triple Gem bless you and enable you to reach your goal of attaining Nibbana.

With Blessings!

Head Monk

On behalf of the Charitable Trust.
 
 
 

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DANA: Giving is a Joy
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"May the Dhamma last as long as my sons and grandsons, And the sun and the moon will be! May the people follow the path of the Dhamma! If one follows the path, happiness in this and in other world will be attained." (Statement By Great Emperor) King Asoka

Teaching and helping to spread the Dhamma is one of the highest forms of dana. "The gift of Dhamma excels all gifts (Sabba danam dhamma-danam jinati)."

We practice dana by offering the teachings without a price tag. You can practice dana by making a donation of money, time and/or labour. Your donation allows us to continue offering the teachings to others. This centre is maintained only by the generosity of all of you who value the teachings.

DANA is a Pali word that can be translated as giving, generosity, charity, and liberality. It occupies an important part in the Buddha's teaching, which is often formulated under three headings - dana, sila, bhavana (giving, morality, meditation or mental cultivation). That dana is one heading underscores its importance. Buddhists should take heed and cultivate a good spirit of dana.

"Miser do not go to heaven; Fools indeed do not praise liberality. But the wise rejoice in giving And thereby gain happiness thereafter" - Dhammapada 177 

"Overcome the taint of greed and practice givng," - Devatasamyutta (S.i,18)

“jine kadariyam danena” - conquer miserliness with generosity.    (Dhammapada. 223).

During the time of the Buddha, there was one, Prince Payasi, who established a charity for ascetics and Brahmins, wayfarers, beggars and the needy. And he gave such food as broken rice and sour gruel and also rough clothing. A young Brahmin called Uttara was put in charge of the distribution.

One day Uttara made some uncomplimentary remarks about Prince Payasi. The Prince called him up and asked: "But why did you say such a thing? Friend Uttara, don't we who wish to gain merit expect a reward for our charity?" Uttara replied: "But Lord, the food you give-broken rice with sour gruel-you would not care to touch it with your foot, much less eat it! And the rough clothes - you would not care to set foot on them, much less wear them!"

Prince Payasi then asked Uttara to arrange to supply better food and clothing, and the latter did so. When Prince Payasi died he was reborn in an empty mansion in a low heavenly realm. Uttara was reborn in a higher heavenly realm in the company of the 33 gods.

This was because Prince Payasi had established his charity grudgingly, not with his own hands, and without proper concern, like something casually tossed aside. But Uttara had given the charity ungrudgingly, with his own hands and with proper concern, not like something tossed aside.

This account from Payasi Sutta of Digha Nikaya shows the importance of having true care and concern. So when doing dana, we should take care to cultivate a heart of true loving-kindness and compassion.

Emphasizing on the merits of giving, the Buddha said: "Monks, if beings knew, as I know, the ripening of sharing gifts, they would not enjoy their use without sharing them, nor would the taint of stinginess obsess their heart and stay there. Even if it were the last bit, they last morsel of food, they would not enjoy its use without sharing it, if there were anyone to receive it. Such a person, the Buddha said, "dwells with heart free from the stain of avarice, devoted to charity, open-handed, delighting in generosity, attending to the needy, delighting in the distribution of alms."

So let us share, each according to our ability. Let us cultivate the spirit and joy of giving, bringing happiness and cheer into the lives of our fellowmen.

DANA: Giving is a Joy