I had posed this question in another thread.Some christian sects like the orthodox sects your talking about here, the catholics and even the novus ordo sect all have monastic traditions.
My question is, how does the merit created by supporting and sponsoring these monastic christian contemplatives compare to sponsoring buddhist monastics?
Supporting celibate Buddhist monks and nuns create so much merit, how does it compare to supporting christian monastics?
I know there are vows that talk about giving to those who's practice is contemplation vs. giving to those who's practice is recitation. This may be relevant here..
Is it safe to say that giving to monastics of other traditions brings less merit?
Or a merit that will ripen on other ways? (the karmic seed might ripen and propel a person to heaven since they have aided someone else going to heaven.)
What do you think?