MERITS FROM ALMS-GIVING

 MERITS FROM ALMS-GIVING   

There are immeasurable kinds of merit obtained from alms-giving that our Lord Buddha talked about, some of which will be discussed here. 

We can select what is appropriate for us. 

Whoever shares and gives alms of rice or any staple food, he will be happy and healthy all throughout his life. 

It will be the same to those who offer clothing. In their new lives, they will not worry about a lack of clothing and will have a nice and beautiful complexion too. 

Merits from offering light, for example, candles, torch-lights, electricity, incense sticks, and so on, will help us to have beautiful and bright eyes; moreover, we may not need glasses at all in our next lives. 

It is said that, "Whoever offers vehicles, he offers happiness." 

Whoever offers vehicles and transport facilities to other people, they will be comfortable when travelling no matter where they go. This kind of merit starts from the offering of a pair of footwear to the monk, to his teachers, as well as to his parents. The reward of merit will be greater if the donor continuously makes merit in his following lives. For example, the reward can be translated to high-tech vehicles like a motor car or an airplane. 

During Lord Buddha’s time, there was no airplane yet. He explained that the merit from offering transportation may give rise to a result during meditation. He might attain a supernatural power in which he can go anywhere with his Jhana (a state of serene contemplation attained by meditation). In other words, he can simply fly like a bird with his supernormal power, if he wants. 

[Admin: Refer to the story where LP Waen was seen in the sky by a pilot]

We can summarise by saying "Whoever offers happiness to other people, he will receive happiness in turn". This means that we will receive whatever we do to and offer to others. 

We as Buddhists believe that we will be reborn again and again as part of the cycle of rebirth, so we all should make merit for a better life in the future. 

Whoever offers a Buddha’s image as part of his daa, in his life, in the following lives, he or she will be as beautiful as the image of Lord Buddha. 

Now, if we give the dana of the Buddhist Canon, religious books, including text books and learning material for school kids, we will be intelligent like Phra Sariputta, one of the most distinguished disciples of Lord Buddha. 

From my experience, I met somebody who is totally illiterate but very good at collecting money. He was asked to donated 10 baht (about 40 U.S. cents then) for poor students to buy books, rulers and pencils for their studies. This man refused to donate any money. If this man refuses to donate to the education of the underprivileged, he may continue to remain illiterate in his next lives as well.  

Those who have beautiful arms and beautiful hands, they willingly gave directions to a place and helped travellers when they were asked.

Whosoever wants to have nice and beautiful skin, he or she ought to offer soap, skin lotion, and sanitary facilities. 

If we donate money and materials and build facilities in the Wat as well as for the public, in our next lives we will have big and beautiful houses with good facilities. 

Whoever contributes by building bathrooms and toilets for the Wat, and for the public, as well as donates medicine to the sick, and contributes by building public hospitals, he will be healthy and have a happy life in time to come. 

In the Buddha's time, one of the Buddha's disciples named Phra Bakkula, was always healthy and never fell ill even once in his life. Lord Buddha said that Phra Bakkula used to donate toilet facilities for the public, built hospitals and provided the monks with medicaments in the time of Kassapa Buddha. 

If anybody wants to have beautiful hair, he or she ought to donate money earned from selling his or her long hair. In the next life, that person will get beautiful hair. In the Buddha's time, a woman had no money for giving alms. She sold her hair and spent the money to donate alms. She wished to have beautiful hair in her next life, and she got what she wished for. 

If we want to have beautiful and strong teeth, we should offer toothpicks, tooth-brushes and tooth-paste as alms. 

Whoever wants to have beautiful eyes, should donate his or her cornea to hospitals upon death.  

Lord Buddha, in one of his former lives, while still a Bodhisatta, gave up his eyes. 

This is why, when he was Prince Siddhartha, he owned such bright, beautiful and perfect eyes. 

Now, regarding donating blood, kidney or any other parts of one's body, organs as are in demand by medical institution these days. We should know that the merit done will lead us to being reborn with a fit body and robust health in our future lives. 

Thus all dear Buddhists, we all should do more good deeds and practice Buddhism. We should refrain from doing what is forbidden (break the 5 precepts). On the other hand, what is suggested by Lord Buddha is to remember to practice as much as possible. 

We will all definitely be rewarded with both happiness and prosperity.

August 4, 1991.

Phra Ajaan Plien Panyapatipo

Wat Aranyawiwake (Baan Pong)

Intakhin, Maetaeng, Chiangmai,

Photo cr. Buddha Bodhivana Monastery