SantiFM - Fundraising Project
Basics
Santi Forest Monastery lives by the ancient system of freely given offerings. No charge is made for any teaching, books, accommodation, or other services. We have faith that by giving the gift of Dhamma, openly and without reservation, there will be people who are sufficiently moved by gratitude to reciprocate by offering material support to the monastery. Some indigenous cultures call this the 'boomerang' effect. Buddhism has thrived for 2500 years on this economy of mutual giving, exemplifying a radical alternative to the prevailing economy of contractual obligations.
The monastic Sangha must not own or use money in any way. However, money is obviously needed to operate a monastery, so the Buddha allowed the Sangha to have a steward - a lay person or organization who will manage funds appropriately to supply the needs of the Sangha. The steward for Santi Forest Monastery is Santi Forest Monastery Incorporated, a non-profit charity. Donations may be made by cheques made out to Santi Forest Monastery Incorporated, or by direct deposit in our bank account. Please specify if you need the cheque to be deposited in our tax-deductible building fund. The details of the general account and building fund are in the left hand column of this page.
Note: cheques may not be made out to individual monastics.
Apart from financial donations, there are many ways people can support the monastery:
Firstly, through offering material necessities for the use of the Sangha. The classic requisites are robes, alms food, dwellings, and medicines. The most common regular offering is the daily meal. Buddhist monastics do not buy, cook, or store food, which encourages the time-hallowed tradition of the daily meal offering, giving the lay community the opportunity to practice a very immediate and satisfying form of generosity and to have a daily contact with the Sangha. In addition to offering cooked food one can bring uncooked supplies. If you wish to offer the meal on a particular day, please let the monastery know in advance.
Secondly, the offering of time to serve the community. There are always plenty of jobs requiring enthusiastic volunteers, ranging from labouring and gardening to specialized consultants. If you would like to offer help to the monastery, or if you have any specialized skills, please let us know.