“What are the factors of Sanghikadāna, offerings made to the Sangha as a whole?
How are we to perform this type of donation?”

The Dakkhināvibhanga Sutta of the Majjhimanikāya mentions seven types of Sanghikadāna:

Offerings to both Sanghas headed by the Buddha.
After the parinibbāna of the Buddha, offerings to both Sanghas.
Offerings to the Bhikkhu Sangha only.
Offering to the Bhikkhunī Sangha only.
Offerings to selected bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs as the Sangha’s representatives.
Offerings to selected bhikkhus as the Sangha’s representatives.
Offerings to selected bhikkhunīs as the Sangha’s representatives.

When making such offerings, one should focus one’s mind on giving to the Sangha. So the Buddha classified seven kinds of Sangha. This Sanghikadāna brings the greatest benefits for all. Before making the offerings, the donor should meditate on the nine virtues of the Sangha. He or she should banish the idea of personal references or personal attitudes towards any individual monk, regarding the whole Sangha as the recipient.

How is this attitude possible? A donor must not choose individual monks according to personal preference. He or she must suppress any likes and dislikes. The intention to offer to the Sangha must focus on the virtues of the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha. Avoiding personal preferences, one should regard any monk as the representative of the Sangha. One should reflect thus: “He is a son of the Buddha, a representative of the Sangha, and therefore represents all the virtues of the Buddha’s first five disciples, the sixty Arahants who were the first missionaries, the one thousand Arahants of the Uruvela Forest, and other Arahants like Venerables Sāriputta, Moggallāna, and Mahākassapa.” Thus the supporter concentrates his mind on the virtues of the whole Sangha and, in this way, donates Sanghikadāna.

The commentary says, “Even in offering to immoral monks who only wear the robes around their necks, if one focuses the mind on the Sangha, it amounts to offering to the eighty great Arahants lead by the Venerables Sāriputta and Moggallāna.” The good results one gets are the same. This is possible because the Noble Sangha, the true sons of the Buddha, by their powerful virtues, permeate influences and honour even today. The offering is beneficial not because of the monks’ immoral nature, but because of the purity of the Sangha.

Thus, a donor must focus his mind on the purity and power of the Buddha’s Noble Sangha. So even when offering to immoral monks, such good influences and benefits prevail if the mind is skilfully directed. So offering robes to immoral monks, amounts to offerings made to Arahants, past and present, who have completely eradicated the defilements. This Dhamma support gives Sanghikadāna the greatest benefits. In offering food, dwellings, etc., the donor must pay regard to the Sangha only. So he becomes a supporter of the Sangha — all the greatest disciples of the Buddha.

In making offerings to the Buddha image, although the Buddha had passed away, the act amounts to the same nature and result. So building Buddha images, pagodas, etc., gives the title “Supporter of the Buddha.” The mind should be directed towards the support and offerings to the Omniscient Buddha himself who has passed away. So the title “Supporter of the Buddha” does not mean the image, but the Buddha himself.

With the devotional mind on the Buddha himself one can now set one’s attitude correctly in making Sanghikadāna even to ordinary monks. For example, take the case of those who have many children. Although some children may die, other children remain, so when the parents die, the remaining children inherit their property. Likewise, all types of monks today inherit the Dhamma nature of the past noble sons of the Buddha. They act as recipients, representatives, and heirs. So in the acts of offering and sharing of merits, one must hold the Sangha in mind and dedicate the offering to the Sangha as a whole (Sanghagatā). The cultivation of this crucial “Sanghagatā citta” is vital. While one invites some monks, and physically offers donations to them, one focuses the mind on the Sangha, which is “Sanghagatā” decision. One must, of course, offer food to a particular monk, but the attitude should be on the Sangha. Present-day monks will use the property or take the food very respectfully if they know that it is Sanghikadana. Improper use makes them serious offenders as it taints the whole Sangha.

The first type, offering to both Sanghas headed by the Buddha, can be attained by offering to the Buddha and his followers by declaring “Buddhappamukhassa ubhatosanghassadema.” The attitude must be correct. Now that the Buddha has attained parinibbāna, to perform this first type of Sanghikadāna, one must place a Buddha’s image containing holy relics, with a begging bowl, in a suitable place. Then after making offerings to the Buddha’s image, food and requisites must be offered to bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs. Images with relics to represent the Buddha are used to maintain the highest honour and respect among the donors. This is a special case. Ordinary Buddha images can take the place of the Buddha though there may be no true relics present. The attitude, if noble, produces the same result.

As regards the second type of Sanghikadāna, the meaning should be clear and no further explanation is necessary.

The third type of Sanghikadāna can be obtained by offerings made in front of a Buddha’s image with holy relics. The procedure is the same.

As regard the offerings for the Bhikkhunī Sangha, today it is impossible as no bhikkhunīs exists.

The above four types of Sanghikadāna are always performed by inviting monks in general for alms. The invitation must be made with the Sangha in mind.

Regarding the fifth, sixth and seventh types of Sanghikadāna, they are classed under the main type called “Uddissaka Sanghikadīna.” The cases are as follows. A donor has insufficient means to feed hundreds of monks in a monastery. Hence he asks the chief monk to send a few monks for his alms-giving in the house. The chief monk then selects representatives of the monastery. The donor must neither choose nor select monks; neither can he name them. The term “Uddissaka — selected”, means selection made by the chief monk to represent the whole Sangha.