VietNamNet Bridge – Finishing a vegetarian meal at Dong Quang Pagoda in Ha Noi, I stand in queue with other people to put money in the donation box. How much money we donate depends on us.

Illustrative image -- File photo

The pagoda organises vegetarian feasts such as this several times a year on special occasions of the Buddhist calendar such as the Buddha's birthday. It is open to all on a first-come first-served basis. After the meal, people put money in a donation box voluntarily as they don't pay for food, but support the pagoda and show gratitude to people who prepared the meal.

Chief monk Thich Bao Nghiem, said his pagoda, said Dong Quang Pagoda was not an exception. "All pagodas organise vegetarian meals with the aim of providing feasts to people. We don't sell food. We open the pagoda's gate to everyone," he said.

"Buddhism gives prominence to tolerance, mercy and salvation. Anyone interested can join the vegetarian feast and leave money as he wishes. Of course, poor people can come and have food for free," he said.

Inspired by the way vegetarian feasts are organised at pagodas, Duong Khanh Dat, a Buddhist, has opened a vegetarian food shop to spread Buddhism's philosophy and to encourage people to turn veggie.

The small shop in Cau Giay District, Ha Noi, is always crowded, especially on the first and 15th day of a lunar month. On these days, people often visit pagodas and have veg food.

Customers choose the food themselves. When they finish the meal, they leave money in a donation box, giving as much as they want.

If they want to understand more about Buddhism and the advantages of being veggie, they can take CDs and books displayed at the shop for free.

Dat was born in a poor family in the northern province of Thai Nguyen. He had to do different jobs to earn a living and to fund his studies.

While working as a butcher for two years, he started feeling guilty and afraid of slaughter. He began eating veg food and became a Buddhist. He went to live at Phu Lien Pagoda in his homeland to assist the monks and to learn to cook veg food.

Three years ago, he opened Phuoc Hau veg shop in Cau Giay District. It receives more than 100 customers a day.

"I believe in people's honesty and kindness. If they have money, they will pay suitably for the meal. If they don't have money, it's okay. I just want more and more people to turn veggie," he said.

"I did not open the food shop to make profit. The income is just enough for buying ingredients, hiring two workers and paying bills. It's not very profitable," he said.

Nguyen Thuy Nga, an officer, said she often visited the Phuoc Hau shop on the first and 15th day of the lunar month. She usually leaves VND40,000 (around US$2) in the donation box. That sum is equal to what she often pays for a meal at other food shops.

Huy Hung, a retired man, has become a regular customer of the shop ever since it was established. He often pays VND100,000 ($5) for his meal. He can easily get three meals for this amount, but he donates the money to support the shop's owner.

Ha Manh Cuong uses a similar method to attract customers to his Singapore frog porridge restaurant on Hue Street in Ha Noi.

Normally, a set of Singapore frog porridge costs VND50,000 ($2.5), but customers can enjoy the food for three days and any donation will do.

However, Cuong has dared to launch the programme only for three days as a promotion to pay tribute to customers and advertise his restaurant.

"I'm a businessman, so I can't run the restaurant the way Dat runs his veg food shop," he said.

"During the promotion programme, people always pay less than the real value of the food they order. I sold food for a loss, but it's okay because it's an acceptable cost for advertisement.

"Frankly, I don't believe in people's honesty that we can run such a model of restaurant in which people will come, eat and voluntarily pay for food in accordance with the menu rates. That is fiction."

by Minh Thu

VNS