十个不提供助念者餐食的理由
[33] Ten Reasons To Not Cater Meals For Support-Chanters
It is better to keep the practice fuss-free, with everyone focused on coming for support-chanting (助念) only. Here are ten challenges that might arise if providing food.
[1] Amount: It might be difficult to know how many will be turning up, thus making it difficult to plan for the right amount of food.
[2] Hunger: If there is too little food prepared, some support-chanters might go hungry, affecting their chanting with lack of energy.
[3] ‘Hanger’: If there is too little food prepared, there might be some subtle discomfort due to being ‘hangry’ (hungry and angry). Providing simple drinks for relieving thirst will do.
[4] Drowsiness: If there is too much food prepared, some support-chanters might become too full, affecting their chanting with drowsiness.
[5] Pressure: If there is too much food prepared, there might be some pressure to eat more or too much to prevent wastage.
[6] Cost: Providing food might subtly add pressure to others requesting for support-chanting in future, if they feel obliged to provide food too, which increases planning efforts and funeral costs.
[7] Free: Support-chanting is supposed to be provided voluntarily, free of charge in cash and kind (with the latter including food too).
[8] Timing: Support-chanting should be scheduled before or after mealtimes to allow support-chanters to eat before or after by themselves. Not having a fixed pre-support-chanting mealtime at a wake is more convenient for most support-chanters.
[9] Efforts: If there are meals provided, there might be pressure for family members to socialise and serve, expending more of their time and energy.
[10] Motivation: As taught in ‘The Pure Land Passport’, for keeping intentions sincere, ‘As volunteers, support-chanters must never, from the dying person or the family, take any payment or tokens of gratitude [including food]. This is to keep the motivation of helping pure and unconditional, untainted by any greed or worldly expectations. Needs that involve money, such as transport and meals should be self-provided as far as possible.’
If there is indeed some extra food (originally catered for family members and other visitors), it can perhaps be offered to those who have come earlier, with sufficient time before support-chanting. If there is still some extra food after the support-chanting, it can be offered then too.
相关教理
Related Teachings:
死亡前后与丧礼中后的诵念
Chanting When Dying, After Death, During & After Wakes
https://purelanders.com/wake
净土教理十大系列
Pure Land Teachings’ Top Ten Series
https://purelanders.com/shida
