(Minghui.org) Every time Master has talked about making donations or providing financial support to projects run by practitioners, he has made it clear that it’s a serious matter and we have to be very careful to handle the money well.
I’d like to share some of my thoughts about such donations.
Be Clear on How the Donation Will Be Used
Master said,
“When you donate to or financially support someone, you must know and be perfectly clear on what he is doing with the money. Otherwise you cannot do it. If you give someone money, it amounts to supporting him in his actions, and you stand to be at fault as well. Therefore, the old forces won’t regard you as having been duped. Instead, they will see you as being in cahoots with the other party and supporting him. So you absolutely must be careful with these things.” (“Fa Teaching Given at the 2015 New York Fa Conference,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. XIII)
I noticed that when some practitioners were asked to make donations or lend money to certain projects, they seemed embarrassed to ask about the purpose of the project, as if they didn’t trust the practitioners who asked for donations. Such a mindset was taken advantage of by people with ill intentions.
I’ve seen instances where the borrowers were later asked about how their donations were used in the project, and they either glossed over it or just said that “it was needed for the project.” Some even got angry when asked about the details.
It’s not that we can’t make donations to practitioner-run projects. But we need to be responsible for ourselves and our fellow practitioners. We need to make sure the money we donate is used right. In fact, everything we have is all given by Dafa and are precious Dafa resources that we can’t waste.
Strict Financial Management
Master also taught us,
“If the financial activities of a Dafa project are not solidly managed, and if someone’s motives are really not right, then the sins will be enormous, because what you did is not just a personal stain, but is undermining the way of Dafa disciples.”
“If you want to set up a company or start a project, even if you think of it as just a Dafa disciples’ project, you have to establish a strong accounting system before you start! Otherwise, don’t do it! You need to have a rigorous system for managing things! Once Master has brought up something, it has to be adhered to. It might just be a matter of time before the old forces hurt you. So I have to tell all of you that you must handle things well.” (“Fa Teaching Given at the 2014 San Francisco Fa Conference,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. XIII)
I noticed that some projects kept accepting donations from fellow practitioners even though their financial management was very chaotic. Much of that money ended up being used by the project owners to cover their own personal expenses and even the expenses of their family members who don’t practice Dafa. They squandered much more than what was actually needed for the project’s operation.
Have a Clear Understanding about How the Money Will Be Returned
When they asked for financial support, some practitioners did sign an I.O.U. saying they’d repay the loan. But such a non-binding “contract” between practitioners doesn’t really have much power, especially when the borrower has no resources. If that’s the case, we need to give it a second thought as to whether we should still lend the money.
I also would like to remind those who try to scam money from Dafa practitioners to stop. That is illegal and will also put you in danger.
Above is my limited understanding. I welcome fellow practitioners to point out anything improper.
Editor’s note: This article only represents the author’s understanding in their current cultivation state meant for sharing among practitioners so that we can “Compare in studying, compare in cultivating.” (“Solid Cultivation,” Hong Yin)
Views expressed in this article represent the author's own opinions or understandings. All content published on this website are copyrighted by Minghui.org. Minghui will produce compilations of its online content regularly and on special occasions.
Category: Improving Oneself
