Sadhu for asking further Nyom
Danilo .
Let my person try to give some samples, since it is a broad topic, especially in internet.
If someone, for example, wishes to give an recording and audio tool here, thought his wish is pure toward the Sangha (dwelling independent of debts toward the world by right conduct of receiving just what is given without strings) but he has neither the own skill not the merits/money (condition, paccaya) to give, is he able to?
No. He is only able to think "oh may the Sangha, for the wellfare of many be gifted" or "oh, may I be able to fill up the grap one day"
He could, of course sacrify time, either to accumulate the money or material of exchange to buy it free, or invest in merits, skills, to be able to write a program himself. Althought that there is much danger to make a lot of misconduct on the way, not to speak of posdible increase debt toward others, teacher for wordly gains, for expample, a monk not after gain in the world would not encourage you to take or make debts for the sake of giving, since even on one side would be win, there would be lose for you, increasing of debts to the world on the other side.
But for example, if one thinks "I will give up smoking, and the money obtained, I will use", then his whole way to fullfil his wish, in the way of using right means, skillful actions to obtain the desired, is dobble edged of merits.
Owned by him, and obtained by own rightouse effort, such is of great merits.
If he steals for expamle, for such, it's of fourfold demerit. Like killing a chicken to feed the monks: First his own deed. Secound that he made it out of wrong view that killing is good for good. Third that he possible involves the monks, receiving it unknowenly and increases, by their receiving his own wrong view, and forth, because others, knowing about it, would be endangered to act likewise or use it as means to blame the monks.
If a monk would encourage, order or approve such, it would be even multiply to eithfold demerit.
The same counts for debts. In regard of credits: given the are some giving away robs and ask for exchange to wear there tradmark on your body and you would accept such, ask for the rob and from now on in contract to weare a, lets say "I love google" banner. Althought you might be able to bear it, others would be pulled to google and fall into debts there even without having made merits.
Or if you could obtain a rob with a Lamborghini logo for free and be bound not to remove it, it would be, that if a monk removes it after, might cause you to violate your contract, or if informed about it, either not able to receive it, since such would give a wrong impression if he wears "running messages" for worlds trade, or make a transgression by himself if removing it.
Sometimes debts are made in regard of credit or honor, either toward Mara or Nibbana, sometimes by requirement of material things.
So if willing to increase debts to make a gift, it's good to prove it in regard of it's strings and in which directions they pull. If, for example asking another monk, the monks, a good Sangha... if such and such tool would be avaliable for Sanghas use, there is less to fear (at least mental), if asking a trader or bandit, such could lead to much demerits, suffering and debts into wrong direction.
For example, Moritz wished to buy a word-app free for a year, to use it on this Sangha tablet my person uses. Even to be able to receive it, my person would have been required to get in contract with google play.
Or another sample: Crome, which was installed on this tablet. Sort ago my person was going after the programs suggesting to click for update. Now, thought, well it should be ok since given, my person faces warings "you need to register to google play to run it", meaning they had obiviously a § that alows them to chance from free to more and more bound.
And that's the whole issue with 99,5%of what is avaliable for free but also is bought, if looking into MS contracts. This internet world is so much bound to each other, that it is not easy to keep one self and others with ones share unbound or lead to it.
Another sample is the search engine for zze. As pointed out sometimes, there are solution which could be rightly obtained and given, but as soon as pointing out them, it's easy to fall into a transgression, for example "letting use money", on a mental level, getting involved in wordly issues.
So it's at least something you need to figure out by yourself in detail, either be observing reactions when giving certain thing, or later use (it might be that something is acceptable, but not useable at least: for example one gives a lamp with batteries and wonders later why not used, since the batteries are empty).
Also in smart ways of asking, like: "If somebody does such-and-such, gives such-und-such, would it be possible to receive, would it be conductive for the practice, would it make things easier or even a burden for the receiver?" Or: "How and when could one receive food, what would be obstacles?..."
Giving and receiving, of what is conductive for both, is nothing that can be made by fools in goid way, but requires a lot of wisdom on both sides to fall not in debt personally or by damaging others by doing it.
Wheras the world installs apps which optimize1 not to sacrifice ones possessions but use what ever "free", the optimal Dhamma-app would optimize to never use anything of others, third part, not given, repaid, energy (life) and simply block the use of such, if bound not given for Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha, liberation and Nibbana.
There are for example wonderful tools avaliable, but since they are so strongly bound to third part, they require steady maintaining, update, service... and tousands of dangers, where as ZzE for example, simply html - pages do not require much, althought even the simple tools earlier given, are out of range. If giving something that needs a lot of maintaining or interaction in the world, it either needs to be clear that one binds himself long or that it might be soon no more useable for those abstaining from what is not given, or would require them to reduce more and more their main task why they went forth.
Again to generosity given for everyone free to take:
As even at times of the Buddha, there have been social institutions, non-profit, feeding everybody who comes, the Buddha rebuked those using such use of institutions, since not given personally toward the Sanghas members, not for liberation from the world, but allowed to make use of such "in emergency", for two or three times.
Now on internet there are even no real social non-profits avaliable, no cast off, and the usual to give at first place is not easy to see, not to speak of the hard controlled possibilities to make merits if one would wish to do so.
At least to conduct proper is not a question of legal (keeping wordly laws), since they all allow misconduct on certain scale, in mutual agreement or for the loos of others like animal or nature. In some countries and extrem in internet, its possible to make contracts "against good conduct", look at disclaimer of software. Such would never be possible for a building or even a lighter outside of this moral-less and strong careless realm of feeding.
Is stays a fact that even a spoon of rice from a poor person from his own single meal given with pure mind toward the worthy one it uncountable of more benefit as if one gives a billion heavy monastery with an impure heart, still after gains in the world and wrong view, not to speak of even the giant demerits of "Robin hoods" and encourager of doing bad for a good. In this scale here, they are not improper called killer of the Buddha rather then only chicken killer.
But all that is of course also a perfect field for defilements into the other direction, who easily tell "you would, if your would not be pure" or "just wait, maybe later, now you have to look for your own happiness first" or to even blame "it's because the bad others that I am restricted from doing merits".
So one should be sure that such as no possibility to do good, and by right means, is absolutly not sure. Sometimes one needs to give up a certain object and look if something different can be done. And if waiting for help, than it could be long or without having old fruits riping. Ones way out requires sacrifice of own, but never that of others, thats their merit or demerit and walking right, there is nothing to worry that those capable to join good work, join, if not, it's not bad to use all of the possibilities to make merits if leaving the doors open for others to take on it as well.
If the explaining was not conductive to point out what is not clear, it's the best way to find out by simply starting to do, just by the perfect means given to Ven. Rahul (
Instructions to Rahula at Mango Stone ), simple and not only limeless but also independent of the realms of existence.
In regard of Dhamma-Dana, it's not so that easier *click* *click* is most helpful, but to give access for those wishing to make merits, to active get involved. A concentration and working camp is different of a museum, show-stage, restaurant, yet at the same time it's not wrong if leaving it well adjusted like a museum behind, if ones task is done, not wrong to give a show of good ways like on a stage, and not wrong to serve other all around, but if any of the last requires wrong means, it's because the mind does not focus on good actions but on products, "realities" which are not Nibbana (freedom of any debt), release. If the tools handed over by the elders and great givers are used good, and kept in good condition, even if very slowly, many generations after are able to benefit by the left behind Dhamma Vinaya, mental and sensual visible right means, for their own liberation. The means for the Aschrams development, have been an left over kitchen knife, some throw away and burned pieces of wood and a rust bucket, and without anyone having fallen into depts, there are now two nice dwelling places and all what is required and since no debts can be left behind any time, since no strings attached, can be used by Noble Ones if passing by, or those following them.
Who ever thinks to give into would be good, can do, if not expecting something back with most benefit.
The same is here. What ever one is able to sacrifice toward Nibbana can be left behind here. Every thought of strategy beside only this, will bind back if not doing in the sphere in which one has gained certain liberality already. It's total wise just sacrifice of what is takes as own already and not wishing to gain to give at first place. By giving at first place the better tools will be gained naturally. Nobody meets at the tripple Gems to become bound to wordly matters, and if such is happening, and increase, then it's outside, if not pulling toward giving up struggle with the raw and after the refined, step by step.
There will be thousands of allurement on the way, when ever old creditors/lender will touch via eye, ear, nose... intelect "Come, it was much easier the way you used to gain pleasure. Why burden you self, come, eat."
Ultimative there are no others who can bind us, it's just because we give credits to the
giver of not lasting things, and by receiving this pleasure, having got used to it over long long time, don't see the backwards, we have to come again and again, not because someone else forces us, because of indebt (upadana) to the sense and their objects, nurishing, entertaining, holding on them (upadana). Yet it is by proper use of proper food, proper entertaining, with proper aspiration that desire and debt toward food, entertaining can be abounded totally.