「During the Dharma-ending age, lay believers who do not donate money or make financial offerings to monastics and temples will incur severe karmic retribution, such as illness or poverty.」

This claim arises from an understandable desire to support religious institutions, but it distorts the fundamental Buddhist principle of dana (generosity). In Buddhism, karmic retribution is driven by intentional unwholesome actions, not by a passive non-donation or lack of financial means. Generosity must be a voluntary act motivated by joy and compassion. Using fear of retribution to compel donations misrepresents Buddhist karma and turns pure spiritual practice into coercive extortion.

The canonical scriptures emphasize that severe retribution is caused by deliberate misdeeds—such as slandering the True Dharma, stealing Sangha property, or harming practitioners—rather than simply omitting financial donations 【Source 1, 2, 3】. Furthermore, the Mahāsaṁnipāta Sūtra explicitly warns that monastics who improperly take or extort offerings out of greed face catastrophic karmic consequences 【Source 3】. Authentic offerings are meant to cultivate a clean, joyful mind, not to pay off a threat 【Source 3, 4】.

You might say to a friend: 'True Buddhist giving is rooted in joy and wisdom, never in fear or coercion. The sutras teach that bad karma comes from harming others or exploiting the Dharma, not from being unable or choosing not to donate money. Keeping pure intentions, acting with kindness, and living ethically are themselves noble forms of practice that bring peace.'