One who gives to charity
will attain the following benefits:
1. He is admired and
adored by many people.
2. Virtuous doneess
will approach him for alms.
3. His good fame will
spread far and wide.
4. He can join the
gathering of any class of people without fear and hesitation.
5. He will be reborn in
a celestial abode on his death.
Moreover, he will be the
first to be honoured by noble sanghas. The sanghas will approach him first for
collecting alms. So he will have the chance to be the first to offer alms-food
first and the first to listen to the discourses.
Furthermore, the doner
will enjoy special benefits such as longevity, good looks, great strength,
great wisdom, fame and followers, happiness and free from sorrow, free from
miseries and danger, free from diseases. He will be honoured by devas and men;
he will have a chance to live happily together with his loved ones.
Charity softens the hearts
of both the donor and the done. It can make uncultured persons cultured. It can
settle all matters successfully. It can make others listen to one’s words. It
can directly or indirectly bring about the worldly riches of a Universal
Monarch, King of all human-beings (cakkavatti), King of gods (Sakka) or Brahma
and the supra-mundane benefits of gaining Savakaparami-nana (Ariya lay-devotees
of Buddha), Pacceka-bodhinana (Lesser-Buddha who knows Ariya Truths Himself but
can’t preach others to know), or Samma-sambodhinana (Buddha). It can help in
attaining Jhana, Magga, Phala, and realizing Nibbana.
The benefits mentioned
above are just a few and general. The benefits of alms-giving are so numerous
that they cannot be mentioned in detail. No one except the Buddha can
understand all the benefits of giving to charity
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