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Beggars rely on charity and goodwill to survive, with religious orders taking a vow of poverty. Many religions have a tradition of charity and almsgiving, with beggars being an important part of religious practice. Becoming a beggar is a profound expression of religious faith and a lifetime decision.
A beggar is someone who relies on charity and goodwill to survive, soliciting donations of money, food, and supplies from the generous public. Basically, a beggar is a beggar, except that the word “beggar” doesn’t have the negative associations associated with begging, and beggars are usually members of religious orders or religious ascetics who have taken a vow of poverty. This is in stark contrast to true beggars, who generally do not choose a life of poverty for themselves.
The beggar tradition in many religions is ancient. Beggars exist in most religions for several reasons. The first is that many religions have a tradition of charity and almsgiving, and therefore pious individuals need to have subjects for their charity. Many religions also reserve a special place for ascetics who devote their lives to religious contemplation, and pious people may receive special commendation for supporting members of their religion who have taken a vow of poverty. Beggars, therefore, are an important part of religious practice.
When someone becomes a beggar, they take a vow of poverty, agreeing to own no property behind basic clothing and a begging bowl, and even a begging bowl is prohibited in some religions. Any property that the beggar controls is typically given to the Church or Temple when this vow is made, and the beggars also agree to waive any claim to the inheritance. Once a beggar has taken his vows, he may live with other beggars in a monastery, or he may become a wanderer, traveling to talk about religion and faith. Other beggars may choose to live in seclusion to contemplate religious matters.
Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam all have a place for beggars, and many have specific times of the year when beggars should be celebrated and supported. In Christianity, various mendicant orders including the Franciscans and the Carmelites are alive and well all over the world, relying on charity as they have for centuries. Some of these Christian mendicant orders are allowed to maintain communal lodgings, although the property usually officially belongs to the Church.
Becoming a beggar is a profound expression of religious faith. As a general rule, rejecting a beggar’s life after embracing him is frowned upon, making this choice a lifetime decision for religious believers. The beggar life is certainly not for everyone; relying on charity can be very difficult, especially for people used to an orderly life and access to a wide variety of goods and services.
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