What should rich Buddhists do with their money? Is giving to charity an obligation, or personal act?
All good deeds are personal. Give to those that you can but do not make people who depend on you suffer for it. Should someone with an alcohol problem want money from you, even just to borrow, it is more compassionate to say no. But offer to make them dinner. There is no concept of impersonal charity. One’s good deeds improve your Karma, your community’s Karma and the other persons Karma, and heck the other person is really you anyway. It’s very personal.
