Tithing in Hinduism

Hinduism is a religion without a central church and there is little in it by way of dogma.So there is no compulsion for Hindus to give either to religious or secular charitable organizations .

However,one of the niyamas/observances or practices is dana/charitable giving.This impulse to give has to come from inside and the ideal is to give generously and without thought or expectation of reward. 

Another niyam of Hinduism is observing sacred vows or vratas.One of the vratas observed is Dashama Bhaga Vrata: meaning  “One-tenth-part vow” in Sanskrit.It is a promise a person makes to a God, or Gods to donate regularly for a specified time, or for the rest of their life ,one tenth of one’s gainful and gifted income.

Together these 2 niyams lead to Dashamamsha (One- Tenth- Sharing in Sanskrit) or Makimai (in Tamil),where people donate a tenth of their income to the Gods in temples or religious institutions.The Dashamamsha is not seen as an offering to God but as God’s share of the bounty.Giving as soon as the income is received is believed to sanctifiy the remaining portion and reap the greatest punya.Dashamamsha is an acknowledgement of God’s part in the person’s good fortune. 

Dashamamsha brings a greater awareness of God’s power in the world and the givers are uplifted to a purer  spiritual consciousness and abundance naturally floods into their lives. Read more of this post