Understanding the Importance of Merit in Giving : หน้า 135/207

3. Conscientious donor. The donor should at least abide by the Five Precepts. And it is important that he should be joyful before, during and after the offering, and not feel regret about it. 4. Virtuous recipient. If the recipient is an enlightened monk, the merit will be enormous and instantaneous; the effects of that merit will be realized in the present lifetime. But if the recipient monk is not yet enlightened, he should at least be striving towards that goal. If he is a layperson, he should adhere to the precepts. In addition to the criteria for giving, the Lord Buddha also provided several illustrations. Some illustrations that He imparted to the monks confirmed that the outcome of giving depends on the four criteria, and that their effectiveness has to do with how well each of the criteria were met in each instance. The more virtuous the recipient, the more merit as a result. And if the recipient is single-mindedly striving toward enlightenment, the benefit to the generous person will be immense and immediate. I want you to read the Tripitaka, the Suttantapitaka, such as Kuttakanikaya Vimaanavattu, to see if my observation is correct... The section from Good Question, Good Answer by Venerable Praphavanaviriyakhun as quoted in this chapter gives insight and encouragement to readers to make merit and to cultivate this habit in their own children while the children are young. And at the final hour of our lives, no matter how educated we are or how much money we have, only our spiritual merits can help us. **Merit is not for sale. If you want it, you will have to acquire it yourself through your own actions.**