The Importance of Temple Cleanliness for Financial Support : หน้า 54/105

it would be very embarrassing for monks to have to ask for help in that manner. If this is how the original sponsor of the temple comments, and you are thinking to build additional temple buildings, you will forever be asking for money in vain. If the gates to the temple are strewn with litter not to speak of the main chapel, and the path towards the living quarters too, even those originally intending to make merit by donating 100 Baht, may decide to give only 10 Baht, and most likely will not return to the temple again because it is unclean. The temple will forever lose these patrons. On the other hand, if laypeople visit a temple that is clean, seeing a main chapel that is beautiful, and feeling at ease when sitting there in an environment that is soothing to the mind. Should the layman have extra money, he might very well ask the Abbot, “How about another building?” without having to be prompted. That is how money seeks one out. This is, how financial support goes hand in hand with temple cleanliness. If a temple can attract financial support simply through the act of daily sweeping and picking up litter, imagine what can be achieved if you have cleanliness of mind! *The Benefits of Sweeping the Temple* 1. Sweeping can be a sort of moving meditation that allows us to ponder and calm the mind. Thereby, little by little, we can learn about the Dhamma within ourselves. 2. Those who see monks diligently sweeping the temple will have a higher level of respect for monks and Buddhism. 3. Even the our guardian deities rejoice in our merit for