Donations

It is said that the Dharma is priceless therefore it cannot be offered at a price. All of our services, personal guidance, book distributions, classes, ceremonies and so on are offered at no cost. Moreover, we do no business, and the ancient monastic code prohibits our monks from accepting compensation for goods or services. Since the time of the Buddha monasteries have depended entirely on the kind generosity of lay supporters to provide food, clothing, housing and medical care for the monks and (in modern times) to pay for utilities, transportation, office expenses, transportation, publications and printing, and so on. Our supporters provide material donations, labor and funds. We are a non-profit religious corporation (301(c)) registered as the Theravada Dhamma Society of Minnesota (TDSM). Please contact donations@sitagumn.org to learn how you can contribute..

Each donation to the Dhamma Vihara is matched by enormous appreciation on the part of all of those who benefit from the Temple. This appreciation begins with the Sangha who are housed here and given a peaceful and inspirational rural setting and the most supportive facilities in which they can practice, study, teach, provide the pastoral needs of the community and reach out beyond through lecture appearances, writing, good works, etc. This appreciation includes the many yogis who are able to come here to meditate and study. The Dhamma Vihara moreover stands as an oasis, a place of peace and force for good in a troubled and turbulent world. Casual visitors and neighbors and even people that read about us on like are glad we are here.

The Dhamma Vihara is indeed a fertile field of merit because it brings great benefit in fullfilling its mission of supporting and propogating the Buddha sasana in America.

How to Donate

These are some of the ways in which donations can be made:

Make a cash donation to the monastery. Checks should be made out to TDSM or Theravada Dhamma Society of Minnesota and can be mailed to:

The Dhamma Vihara (TDSM)
99 32500 Lofton Ave.
Chisago City, MN 55013 USA

Donations to the vihara can also be offered by hand to the abbot. Please contact our treasurer to arrange for a monthly bank transfer

Donate to the Sangha members. Generally lunch is offered by local families on a weekly rotating basis. Moreover, other families are welcome to make a one-time meal offering, or simply to supplement what is otherwise offered. It is common for a family to offer on a particular occasion such as on a birthday or a memorial day. Please contact the abbot to make arrangements. Note that the sangha must eat before noon. Robes are traditionally offered at Waso or Katthina (see Events). Other material offerings, for instance tooth paste or socks, can be made at any time to individual monks. Monks are in general not allowed to make a request for material things. However, one may declare to a monk, "If you need anything, just let me know," in which case a monk is allowed to make a request.Because most people will not know the specific material needs of a monk, nor what might be appropriate, small cash donations have become common. See the etiquette page for how to make a cash offering to monks.

Donate to a specific fund. Often a donor takes a particular interest in a particular need of the monsastery, for instance in expanding our library holdings. At any one time generally one or more funding campaigns are underway, for instance, to make a repair or develop new facilities. These are generally announced in our news page. Donating to a specific fund engages the donor directly in shaping the future of the temple according to the donor's values

Donate to the material needs of the temple. Some members of the community become adept at assessing what the monastery might need, from household appliances through computer and office equipment to gardening equipment.

Volunteer. This can range over routine cleaning and repair, preparation for events, editing and publishing, mowing the lawn, publicity or communications. Although monks cannot in general request material things, they can request help in the form of labor.