Family Day By Day : หน้า 138/216 Explores the true intentions behind giving, emphasizing generosity over greed and the importance of virtuous donors and recipients in cultivating boonya.
Part Five: Truth for the Family
b. Upright intention. The objective of giving
is to say goodbye to misery, selfishness, and
greed. It is not done to gain riches, fame, or
recognition. The true intent is to share and
gain boonya. Gaining boonya is not greed
because boonya consists of pure energy and
can only arise with wholesome deeds. It is
actually replacing greed with generosity.
c. Conscientious donor. Ideally the donor will
at least abide by the Five Precepts (described
later). It is important that s/he should be
joyful before, during, and after the offering.
It is also important to not feel any regret
afterwards.
d. Virtuous recipient. If the recipient is an
enlightened being, the boonya is enormous
and instantaneous; the effects of that boonya
will be realized rapidly. But if the recipient
is not yet enlightened, s/he should at least
be striving toward that goal. If s/he is a
householder, then they should adhere to the
precepts.
2. Adherence to Self Discipline. This means to keep
our actions and speech under control so that we do
not injure ourselves and others. We should observe
at least the Five Precepts. When special opportunities
arise to create extra energy, such as the day before a
holy day or during meditation retreats, we can choose
to observe the Eight Precepts to gain additional
Family Day By Day 136
Criteria for Giving and Boonya