Page 8 - ดับตัวตน ค้นธรรม

There were three types of rongdana during the time of the Buddha: Permanently set up with continual services; set up periodically and set up for important occasions. The principal purpose of rongdana during that time was specifically to assist the poor and the destitute only. Well to do people; those who could help themselves were not able to receive those charitable materials. Charitable materials given to the poor—apart from foods—also included basic goods essential to subsistence, including clothes, medicines and shelters.
Therefore, rongdana played a very important role in nurturing the world, making it more livable; narrowing the gaps between different social strata; and reducing conflicts between people within the same society. This enabled people in the society to live together in harmony, effectively removing many social problems. Therefore, the role of rongdana during the time of the Buddha was more than just a place to provide alms to sustain lives, they were also an instrument that furnished the society with love, harmony, empathy through the distribution and generous sharing between the well to do people and the poor in the same society, living together contentedly.
Nowadays, the dynamics behind the establishment of rongdana have developed and changed with the time; and the changing social situations. The current functions and objectives of rongdana are different from those during the time of the Buddha. Present-day rongdana are established in order to expansively serve people of all social strata, not just the poor and the destitute. There are many types of rongdana: Some are
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