The Art of Charitable Giving for Maximum Merit : หน้า 101/115

Objects not suitable for giving • Alcoholic drinks and intoxicants, including cigarettes, liquors, and illegal drugs • Shows and entertainment • Sexual companions (both for people or for animal) • Matchmaking, finding a partner for a man/woman • Pornographic or erotic materials • Weapons • Poisons or addictive drugs Thus, don't go thinking that whatever you give will bring you merit. The art of giving – for maximum merit To reap maximum merit, purity must be present in all stages of giving: • Before giving -- having genuine belief and willingness; give wholeheartedly without restraint • During giving -- having strong faith in the act of giving; give with respect and joy • After giving -- feeling happy after giving, and not regretting for what you have given away Not all giving is created equal. There is an art to charitable giving that maximizes merit results. To optimize the results, we should take the following into consideration: • The object is pure -- the object that one gives must be obtained through honest means (not stolen from others or through cheating). Giving a small piece of bread obtained through honest means has a far greater merit than giving an extravagant banquet which is paid by money obtained through dishonest means. • The intention is pure -- with full faith in the favorable outcome of a good deed or merit (not for showing off or for winning popularity). • The recipient is pure -- The more pure the person who is receiving our gift, the more merit we will accrue. A gift to a virtuous person gains more merit than one who is not. If the recipient is a layperson, he should be one who keeps the Precepts. If he is a monk, he should be a monk who keeps the Vinaya (monastic codes of conduct) and follows strict monastic disciplines and precepts.