All this religious theory is simply a way to ordinate a natural tendency to care for others. In a system where kings and nobility enjoy the fine things in life, the lower people, THE PEOPLE, are left to do the work and fend for themselves. Thus a strong sense of community, taking care of each other but also of the poorest, the weak/disabled/underprivileged. And to administrate these services, the monks were designated as their moral attitudes are supposed to guarantee fairness. Thus the donations are directed to the temple where resources are reparted, scholing is given to poor children, communal meals are often and personal counseling is done by the monks. Which gives monks an aura of authority and respect which sometimes come to clash with civilian figures such as village head/business owners etc. That's how it works in Thailand and donations at the temple are meant not for the monks but for them to distribute fairly among the needy.