The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.
10th April, 2022
Question: How much dāna should we do to influence our rebirth?
Than Ajahn: Well, dāna has no influence on your rebirth. The things that have influence on your rebirth are your cravings (your desire).
The more cravings you have, the more rebirth you will have. Dāna will only give you the quality of your rebirth. If you do a lot of dāna (charity), you’ll have a good rebirth, you will be reborn rich and well. If you don’t do charity, you will be reborn poor.
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Question: I was taught that wishing everyone good silently and doing mettā bhāvanā are good actions that will purify one’s mind. But Ajahn said that those activities including chanting are not of that big doing. I read the Buddha’s teachings saying that wishing others well with mettā thoughts are more important than giving dāna. Is this wrong?
Than Ajahn: It’s wrong, because giving dāna is the actual action of wishing people well. You wish them well by your actions, not just by using thoughts. For example, when someone is celebrating birthday, you don’t go to his/her party and just say, ‘Happy Birthday,’ without bringing any birthday cake or any present.
You have to bring a present to make the person happy. Of course, the person may be happy when you say happy birthday, but the person will be happier if he/she gets a birthday cake or a present from you. So, if you want to make people really happy, you have to do it using your actions, not just using thoughts alone.
The thought of wishing others well gives very little happiness compare to when you wish them well through your actions.
“Dhamma in English, Jun 19, 2018.”
By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
YouTube: Dhamma in English.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_BnRZmNgECsJGS31F495g
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