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In Buddhism, alms or almsgiving is the respect given by a lay Buddhist to a Buddhist monk, nun, spiritually-developed person or other sentient being. It is not charity, but closer to a symbolic connection with the spiritual realm.
The act of giving assists in connecting the giver to the monk or nun and what he or she represents.
In countries where Theravada Buddhism is practiced, nuns and monks go on a daily almsround to collect food. Their training vows forbid the acceptance of money in lieu of or in addition to food.
In many places where Mahayana Buddhism is practiced , it has been impractical for monks to go on a daily almsround. In China, Korea and Japan, monasteries were situated in remote mountain areas in which the distance between the monastery and the nearest towns would make a daily almsround impossible. In Japan, the practice of a weekly or monthly takuhatsu replaced the daily round. In the Himalayan countries, the large number of bikshus would have made an almsround a heavy burden on families. Competition with other religions for support also made daily almsrounds difficult and even dangerous in some cases. For example the first Buddhist monks in the Shilla dynasty of Korea were apparently beaten.
The exquisite paradox in Buddhism is that the more one gives – and the more one gives without seeking something in return – the wealthier (in the broadest sense of the word) one becomes. Giving destroys acquisitive impulses that ultimately lead to suffering. (Source: Wikipedia)
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Panasonic DMC-G3
1/13 second
F/4.7
ISO 160
354 mm (35mm equiv.)
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buddhism
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vientiane
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sokpaluang
alms
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