It is said that Buddhists are confused because they do not know how to conduct offerings in the way that the advertising clips instruct.
During the COVID-19 outbreak, Buddhists have visited temples online and held online church services, which are necessary, while maintaining religious activities while ensuring disease prevention. .
Online offerings are also meaningful, because Buddhists cannot go to the temple, but want to make offerings so that the temple has money to take care of Buddhist affairs.
But at this time, when everything is normal, is it still appropriate to advertise the "online temple visit" and "online offering" apps again? That is the question that needs to be asked.
It is also necessary to have an objective view, that is, there are many people who want to visit the temple, with sincerity and religious belief, but they do not have time. They can quietly transfer money to a temple's account with sincerity to help the temple take care of Buddhist affairs, which is also a good thing.
Having an online offering application, integrated into the monks, nuns and Buddhists management software system is also a must. Buddhists can make offerings to all pagodas nationwide, but ensure transparency, the money of kind-hearted people is used for the right things, in the right way, and in accordance with the world.
But with advertisements about offering apps, stating prices, offering packages with discounts are very dangerous variations. Giving specific advertising information about how much money to donate is too foreign to religious beliefs, it is a sign of exploiting superstition to make money.
How much money to offer depends on each person's sincerity. There is no way to spend money to buy peace and luck. If you spend a lot of money, you will have more peace and luck.
Lao Dong Newspaper has had many investigative reports on activities that show signs of spreading superstition for personal gain, such as injustice against bondholders, extortion, offering stars to relieve debts, and are supported by the social community.
For "online offerings", there also needs to be the voices of dignitaries in the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, religious and cultural researchers, to guide Buddhists and people to behave properly. regulations of the Church, in accordance with the law, in accordance with religious beliefs and basic teachings of Buddhism.
The authorities also need to control "online offering" advertisements to clarify what is real and fake, and there may be individuals and organizations taking advantage of temples to do illegal business.
In the digital age, "visiting temples online" or "making offerings online" is also a way to exploit technology applications in religious activities, but the boundary between religious beliefs and spreading superstition has to be blurred. The benefits are too slim.
