ALWAYS & ALWAYS. 1- Blessings for the Triumph of Almsgiving. At one time, the Blessed One was staying at Sàvatthi, Jetavana, in the garden of Anathapindika. Then Sumanà, the king's daughter, accompanied by five hundred young girls, went to pay homage and said to the Blessed One: Here, Lord, there are two disciples of the Blessed One who are equal in faith, equal in virtue, equal in wisdom, one is giving, the other is not giving. After the breakup of the body and death, both of them are reborn in heaven or reborn in the human realm, what is the difference between the two? There is a difference, Sumanà! The person who gives alms, when being a god or being a human, surpasses the person who does not give in five respects. These are longevity, beauty, peace, fame, and superiority. The one who gives alms, Sumanà, when he becomes a god or a human, surpasses the person who does not give in these five respects. DISCLAIMER: In life, it often happens that the same job, at the same time, and the people doing that job have equal talents, but some people succeed brilliantly and some people succeed very modestly. , even fail. For those who are not successful, most comfort themselves by arguing that we are not in time or complaining that "the scheme is in man, success is in heaven". Few people suspect that the underlying factor that governs each person's success or failure is their own blessings, due to the practice of giving in the past and in the present. According to the wisdom of the World-Honored One, if two people practice with the same faith in the Three Jewels, morality and wisdom, but there is a difference in the conduct of giving, then of course the person who practices giving more will reap the benefits. meritorious, far superior to those who have little or no practice in giving. This transcendence occurs on the five aspects of longevity, beauty, happiness, name, and superiority. Therefore, Buddhists who practice precepts-concentration-wisdom must go hand in hand with and further develop the virtue of giving. The pinnacle of giving is the perfection of giving, which is equal, unconditional, and selfless. Practicing giving will make a practical contribution to bringing happiness and happiness to others and to adorning one's own merit. The blessing of a long and healthy life, good-looking and lovely beauty, a happy life, a bright title, everything that is inherently good is even better (upper) is everyone's dream. Therefore, Buddhists who live and practice according to the Buddha's teachings always practice giving and making offerings so that their present and future lives will be happy and peaceful as they wish. 2- Almsgiving & Offerings as Dharma Once, the Blessed One was staying at Sàvatthi, at Jetavana, Anàthapindika's garden. At that time, Nanda's mother, the Velukandaki landlady, made an offering consisting of six parts as an offering to the Sangha. At that time, the Blessed One, with his pure supernatural eye, saw Nanda's mother making an offering consisting of six parts and said to the bhikkhus: There are three parts, bhikkhus, for the giver and three for the person. receive alms items. What are the three parts belonging to the giver? The Male-stilts, the giver, before giving alms, the mind is pleased; while giving alms, the mind is purified; After giving alms, feel joyful. These are the three parts of the giver. What are the three parts of the recipient of alms? Here, the Male-stilts, those who receive alms-giving, have been separated from greed or are practicing the act of detachment; has been away from the yard or is practicing the practice of separation of the yard; has been divorced or is practicing the practice of seclusion. These are the three parts of the recipient of alms. So, This, bhikkhus, is an offering of six parts. Monks, the merit of a sixfold gift is immeasurable: "It is a source of good fortune, a source of good birth, a food of peace, of the heavenly world, a fruit of pleasure and fruit, leading to a heavenly realm, leading to bliss. , joyful, happy and peaceful”. DISCLAIMER: Giving and making offerings is a popular practice among Buddhists. However, it is not easy for both the giver and the giver to achieve giving and making offerings in accordance with the Dharma. Donors who practice giving and making offerings must first of all come from joy, completely self-consciously and voluntarily. Generating the mind of giving and making offerings must stand on the basis of pure faith. Because, if there is a lack of faith, that noble deed will go astray, only fostering pride because we see that we are the one who gives grace. Because "gaining is not equal to giving", Therefore, it is not necessarily a lot of money to practice pure charity. On the other hand, the practice of giving and making offerings must achieve joy and happiness when bringing joy to others. These are the three basic factors that givers need to develop in order to achieve giving and making offerings as dharma. For the Sangha, those who receive alms, they have to work even harder to perfect themselves because "gifts are always property, and giving is debt". If you do not cultivate, repair your body and mind, eliminate defilements, then "faith is difficult to reach". The more you receive, the more debt you owe the benefactor if you don't create merit to dedicate to the benefactor. Therefore, along with the pure gift of the donor, the person receiving the alms and offerings must achieve a pure feeling, that is, receiving with a pure mind, the mind of the recipient has been and is ending greed. , hatred and delusion. Therefore, In order for the giving and making offerings to be like the Dharma, to achieve great benefits and immeasurable merit, the benefactor and the giver must accomplish "the six-part gift" as taught by the Buddha. 3- Correlation between Giving and Receiving Once, the Blessed One was staying at Vesàli, in an auditorium with a pointed roof. Then in the morning the Blessed One put on his robe, took his bowl, went to the householder Ugga's residence, and after arriving, sat down on the seat prepared. The householder Ugga went to pay homage, sat down to one side, and said to the Blessed One: World-Honored One, I have heard the following from the Blessed One's mouth: "Whoever gives what is agreeable receives what is agreeable." Therefore, I have cooked porridge from sala flowers and many kinds of delicious dishes; I have many kinds of fabrics woven from Kàsi which is very pleasant. May the Blessed One accept it out of compassion for us. The Blessed One accepted and said to Ugga this verse of rejoicing: "Whoever gives what is agreeable, receives what is agreeable, to the righteous one, kindly give alms, clothes and beds, eat and drink things, know that the Arhat is considered a field of merit, so true people, giving things that are difficult to give, are given up liberation, not doing anything. When the mind is preoccupied, the giver is agreeable and receives what is agreeable. DISCLAIMER: Giving to others is actually a perception familiar to Buddhists. Therefore, in addition to their compassion, tolerance and generosity towards others, Buddhists practice giving with the aim of cultivating blessings for themselves. Grace, ready to give without asking for anything in return is a very foreign and difficult category for selfish and stingy people. It is even more difficult for them when they have to give desirable things, things that they love. For the most part, the things given are often superfluous and useless things, but being able to "discharge" like that is also very precious to them. Buddhists are not like that, giving people is a duty, a sacred gesture. Therefore, they are willing to give what sentient beings need, including desirable things, even giving their own lives, which are an inviolable property. Giving what I like and cherish is really the most complete and difficult way to do it. To achieve such a noble way, not everyone can do it, but must have wisdom, understanding the nature of life as impermanent and not-self. It is the wisdom of not-self that illuminates the ordinary act of giving that gradually leads to the perfection of giving, a gift that is demandless, unconditional, and non-discriminatory. Although there is no demand, no conditions and no discrimination while giving, the blessings of the giver are still full. The cause and effect in giving is very equal and reaches its peak if the practitioner of giving reaches the level of the perfection of generosity. So, give all to have all is the ideal, the motto of the Buddha's son.L 4- Giving with a Big Mind Once, the Blessed One was in Campà, on the shores of Lake Gaggara. At that time many lay people in Campa and the venerable Sariputta went to pay their respects, and said to the Blessed One: It is possible, venerable sir, that there are such people here who give alms, who do not receive great results and do not receive great benefits. But, World-Honored One, there are such people here who give generously, and receive great results and great benefits. World-Honored One, what is the cause, what is the cause, for such a person to give such a gift, not to receive great results, not to receive great benefit, and for what cause, what is the cause and reason for such a person to give such a gift, to receive such a great result, to receive such great results? Great benefit? Here, Sàriputta, there is a person who gives with a mind of desire, a person who gives with a mind attached (for the result), who gives with the thought 'I will enjoy this in the next life'. Thus he gives alms, When the body breaks up, after death, one can live with the gods in the heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings. When karmic force is terminated, divine power, fame, and authority cease to return to this state. But here, Sàriputta, there is a person who gives with a mind without desire, gives with an unattached mind, gives without thinking 'I will enjoy this in the next life', giving only with the thought ' good instead of almsgiving”. He gives alms to dignify his mind. Because of such generosity, after the breakup of the body, after death, one is reborn with the gods in the Brahma world. When karmic force ceases, divine power, fame and authority cease, he becomes a non-returner, not returning to this state. DISCLAIMER: Almsgiving is an important, popular, and easy-to-practice practice for Buddhists to improve and increase their own blessings. Almsgiving has many types, dharmas, different goals and aspirations. Therefore, the same practice of giving, but depending on the purpose and desire of each person, there are different results, blessings and rewards. It is well known that giving will bring good results now and in the future. However, in addition to seeking blessings, giving is also a form of equanimity practice, aimed at ending clinging and attaining detachment from greed. Therefore, the meditator who practices generosity must strive to reach the pinnacle of the perfection of generosity. The perfection of giving is a form of giving that transcends subject and object. Here, there is a complete absence of discriminating attention on the giver, the giver, and the giver simultaneously transcending the result, whereby the merit becomes immeasurable. According to the wisdom of the World-Honored One, if you give with a conscious mind and have conditions, you will reap limited blessings. It is the full and full blessing of the Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings, belonging to the Desire Realm. But if giving without mind, without conditions, only "beneficial, giving" will be reborn in the Brahma world, belonging to the Realm of Form. And it is worth noting here that when the end of the blessings in the heavens, the conscientious giver is reborn in the human realm, while the mindless giver will attain the Third Holy Fruit of Ananda, becoming a non-returner. , no longer lost. Therefore, the practice of giving to achieve great benefits and great results, the mind must be large, without seeking, without attachment, without mind; because it is only without mind that merits and rewards can be obtained. Monks, a good man with faith creates many blessings. What is three? Because of the presence of faith, bhikkhus, a good man with faith produces much merit. Due to the presence of alms, Monks, a good man with faith produces much merit. Due to the presence of those who are worthy of offering, monks, a good man with faith creates much merit. Due to the presence of these three dharmas, bhikkhus, a good man with faith produces much merit. DISCLAIMER: Unlucky is not part of the popular concept among folk. Those who have experienced in life must clearly see the importance of blessings, because no matter how talented and poor, it is not necessarily successful. Everyone's blessings are like trees with roots, stems, and fruits. Therefore, the blessing tree needs to be watered, fertilized and cultivated in order to be healthy and bear fruit. Faith is the root of the blessing tree, helping it to stand firm against all the storms of life. Right faith is believing in cause and effect, being sure of deeds, One's words and thoughts in the present will have an effect in the future, either far or near, or good or bad depending on the present karma. Deeply believe in the Three Jewels, because the Three Jewels will illuminate your life to sublimate in the direction of goodness. It is this belief that is the root of blessings, the foundation for people to do good, create merit, and give up and avoid evil. The tree of merit grows by giving and making offerings. Always open your arms to the poor and respectfully serve the elders and virtuous people. Respect is always expressed in association with giving and worshiping. It is these specific actions that will cultivate the roots of blessings, nurture the stems and branches, and the luxuriant fruit and virtues. More important is giving to the right object, making offerings to those who are worthy of full precepts. Like a tree that is properly cared for with favorable weather conditions will grow stronger and certainly bear fruit. Likewise, a blessing tree, if planted at the right time, at the right job, and with the right object, will give the desired result. "If you are blessed with virtue, you can enjoy it as much as you can" has affirmed the importance of merit. Therefore, cultivating the root of blessings with all three aspects of faith, giving and receiving is worthy of a practice, an indispensable thing in the spiritual training of the Buddha's children. QUALITY Once, the Blessed One was staying at Kosambi, and he called for the bhikkhus: "Monks, there are these four pure offerings. how is four? There is almsgiving, the Male-stilts, pure from the giver, not pure from the receiver; there is pure alms from the receiver, not pure from the giver; there is giving that is neither pure from the giver nor pure from the receiver; There is pure generosity from the giver as well as purity from the receiver. Here, bhikkhus, the giver is ethical, according to good dhamma, and the receiver is unwholesome, according to evil dhamma. This is pure giving from the giver, impure from the receiver. Here, bhikkhus, the giver follows the evil precepts, and the receiver has the precepts, following the good. Such is giving to the pure recipient, the impure giver. Here, bhikkhus, the one who gives an evil precept follows an evil dhamma and the one who receives it is also an evil precept, according to an evil dhamma. Thus is giving, the giver is not pure and the receiver is also not pure. Here, bhikkhus, the giver has morality, according to kusala dhamma, and the receiver also has morality, according to kusala dhamma. Thus, giving to the giver is pure and the receiver is also pure. There are, bhikkhus, the four purity of this offering. DISCLAIMER: Giving and making offerings is one of the important practices of Buddhists. However, for giving and making offerings to be truly beneficial, in the sense of pure giving, both the giver and the receiver must strive to improve themselves. The dialectic between the giving and receiving of pure gifts shows that not every person with material possessions can properly give and at the same time it is impossible that if someone gives, he can be impartial to receive. The giver must observe where what is given comes from, is it pure or not? The recipient should also ask himself in his conscience whether he is worthy, is there any suitable part to receive such alms and offerings to dedicate the blessings to the benefactor? If this relationship is lame, that is, between the giver or the receiver is not pure, the donation will not be successful, even only the form of exchange remains. value exchange like countless other exchanges in life. So, in order to have pure gifts, the giver and the receiver only need to adhere to the principle of "having precepts, following good dharma". When a person lives under the protection of dharma precepts and at the same time endeavors to do good deeds, he is already full of merit worthy of giving and receiving. In any case, sincerity and one-pointedness are still the most basic and crucial conditions for performing pure giving. Giving is a noble gesture, an expression of equanimity. However, in order for that generosity to achieve full blessings, efforts must be made to achieve pure giving, i.e. the giver, the giver and the recipient must be pure and single-minded. Therefore, living "with precepts, following the good dharma" in order to dignify and reward oneself through pure giving has always been the motto of the Buddha's children.L 7- CAUSES OF RICH AND Poverty Once, The Blessed One was in Sàvatthi, at Anàthapindika's monastery. A young man, Subha Todeyyaputta, went to pay homage, and said to the Blessed One: What is the cause, what is the relationship between human beings, we see some people with small assets and some with great assets? Young man, listen and think carefully, I will say: Here, young man, there is a woman or a man who does not give alms, offering to a recluse or a brahmin food, drink, or clothing. , vehicles, crouching tools, medicine, lamps, torches, houses... Due to that karma, after the breakup of the body and death, one is reborn in the evil realm, the evil beast and the lower realm. If he is reborn as a human, he must suffer poverty and have small possessions. But here, young man, there is a woman or a man who gives alms and offers to a recluse or a brahmin food and drink, clothing, vehicles, costumes, medicine, lamps, torches, and houses. … Due to that karma, after the break up of the body and death, he is reborn in a good destination, in the heavenly world. If he is reborn as a human, he will be rich and have great wealth. DISCLAIMER: Almsgiving and making offerings are good causes to produce blessings and riches for this life and future lives. Therefore, those who are well off, have great wealth in the present life is the most specific and obvious manifestation of the merits of giving and making offerings. On the contrary, those who do not practice the practice of giving and making offerings are not blessed with good fortune, so they are now very poor and have little property even though they are in flood and labor all year round. Among the objects that receive alms and offerings, the recluses and practitioners are the most deserving. Because, their personality has reached perfection, full of virtues, blessings and dignified. They are the ultimate field of merit for sentient beings to plant merit. Natural, Because of that, people who give alms and make offerings only aim at those of high morals and ignore the poor. It is the generation of generous, non-discriminatory, and non-clinging generosity that is the pinnacle of generosity and creates immeasurable merit. However, many people still wonder about the non-causal realities such as those who are inhuman, do illegal business, create unwholesome karma but still live richly, have great influence and fortune. It should be known that, that wealth is the result of giving and making offerings in their previous lives, not by doing illegal business in this life. At the same time, those who are gentle and do honest work but are still hungry is because they lack the blessings of giving and making offerings, not because they are honest and honest, but suffer losses and poverty. Giving and making offerings is the basic practice that determines merit in this life and the next. Especially anyone can do this practice. Because if you don't have property to give and make offerings, you will have a heart of rejoicing and giving, and the merits of two people will still be equal. Therefore, give alms and freely give in order to improve your own blessings to be full, rich and have great wealth as taught by the Buddha. stayed at Sàvatthi, Mr. Anathapindika's garden. Then the householder Anathapindika went to pay homage and said to the Blessed One: How many classes of people, venerable sir, deserve offerings in the world? And where is the need to give and make offerings? Householder, there are two classes of people who are worthy of offerings in the world: the learned and the uneducated. For these two classes of people are worthy of offerings in life. And hey owner, Here (the Ky Vien monastery) it is necessary to give alms and make offerings. “Educated and Uneducated; both in life; are all worthy of offerings; for the giver; must keep the body upright; both words and thoughts; merit filling the giver; This is a great fruit.” DISCLAIMER: Almsgiving is opening hearts, giving the poor people food, clothing, medicine, etc., or creating livelihoods for the homeless and unemployed. Offering is the offering of items to those who practice the holy life with respect and sincere intentions. All good blessings in the present and in the future are due to this cultivation of the merit of giving and making offerings. Being made offerings to the virtuous, the higher the holy life, the greater the blessings. The householder Anàthapindika (Level of Solitude), the outer disciple who remained faithful to the Blessed One, not only made offerings to the Buddha and monks, but also made offerings to all the recluses, Brahmin. But when he wanted to determine which class of people was most worthy of offerings, the Blessed One affirmed that there were two classes of learned and unlearned. Because these are the saints who have gradually eradicated afflictions and cravings, attained the fruition from Tu Da Hoan, Tu Da Ham to Anaham (Study) and especially the Arahants (Uneducated). complete end of fetters, escape birth and death, decorative merit is the ultimate field of merit in life. The World-Honored One also determined that the abode that needed to be donated was the practice monasteries of monks such as monasteries and monasteries. For that is the birthplace of learned Saints and Uneducated Saints that nowhere else can be achieved. Along with determining the right place and object of offerings, Buddhists must dignify themselves by practicing towards the purity of the three karmas. According to the wisdom of the Blessed One, The donor needs to transform the three karmas of body, mouth, and mind for purity, then the new blessings will be truly full. This is exactly like the dharma offering, or the perfect practice of both aspects above, that will create immeasurable blessings for the benefactor.L 9- The Plower Once, the Blessed One was in Magadha, in the village of Ekanàlà. Now it was time for sowing, and the Brahmin Kasi Bharadvaja, setting about five hundred plowshares, was distributing food to the workers when the Blessed One came. The brahmin Kasi Bharadvaja, seeing the Blessed One standing begging for food, saw this and said: 'Sammon, I plow and sow seed, and after plowing and sowing, I eat. And you, do you plow and sow, otherwise what do you eat? Brahmin, I also plow and sow seed, and after plowing and sowing, I eat. But we never saw his yoke, his plow, his plowshare, his staff, or his oxen. He said he was a farmer but never saw him plowing. Tell us you really do farm. Brahmin: Faith is the seed, austerity is the rain of hooks, wisdom is to me the plow and the yoke, to me the plow handle, the mind-base the rope, mindfulness to me the plowshare and the staff. stab... take us forward gradually, safe from the yoke, go to without going back, where we go without sorrow. Thus plowing this field, leading to immortal fruit, after plowing this field, all suffering is freed. DISCLAIMER: Not today, but since the time of the Blessed One in the world, the noble and noble life of the monastic has not yet been understood by the vast majority of people to praise and honor. Occasionally, here and there, there are still erroneous views that monks are lazy workers, parasites and burdens of society. The short-sighted view of the Brahmin Kasi Bharadvaja is a typical example. The Blessed One made it clear that he and his ordained disciples were genuine workers. The achievements of the World Honored One's labor are self-improvement, liberation and enlightenment, which have positively affected society, contributing to the good direction to help stabilize and develop society. Although he did not plow the field and sow the seed, he was still a true farmer because he plowed the soil of his heart, planted the seed of the saint, and reaped the fruits of liberation. Therefore, offering food to the Blessed One and his virtuous and virtuous disciples is both a duty and a method of cultivating and improving the personal blessings of Buddhists. However, if monastic disciples do not fulfill their mission, they are clearly not worthy and do not have the right to receive any offerings. Today, when the number of monastics is increasing, The more generous the offerings of the followers, the heavier the responsibility of the monks. The Dharma talk between the Blessed One and the Brahmin Kasi Bharadvaja is still hot and topical, a valuable lesson for Buddhist monks to ponder in order to live and practice more diligently. Blessing Once, the Blessed One was staying at Sàvatthi, in Anàthapindika's garden, calling to the monks: Monks, having accomplished these six things, a bhikkhu is worthy of reverence, respect, and offerings. folded hands is the supreme blessing in life. What is six? Here, bhikkhus, when the eye sees form, there is neither liking nor aversion, equanimity, mindfulness and discernment. When the ear hears sound… when the nose smells incense… when the tongue tastes… when the body touches… when the mind knows the Dharma, there is no liking, no aversion, equanimity, mindfulness and awareness. Having accomplished these six dharmas, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu is worthy of reverence, worthy of respect, worthy of offerings, worthy of clasped hands, the unsurpassed field of merit in the world. DISCLAIMER: Usually, Buddhists, obeying the Buddha's teachings, always pay respects and make offerings to monastic goods, because the monks are the supreme field of merit for everyone to cultivate. However, among the monks, not everyone correctly perceives the Dharma, such as the Law about it, there are still many people who have just entered the religion with the misconception that making offerings is "the dharma of the ear and the offering" (Canh book). without worrying about self-improvement, as To Quy Son once warned. In fact, it is not difficult to cultivate the true merit field for the faithful, but it is not easy, it is to protect the six senses and at the same time this is also the task and the focus of the practice of the monastic. When the six senses are in contact with the six ceilings, If not protected, greed, hatred, delusion, and evil karma are created, but if there is mindfulness, awareness, not grasping, not chasing, the three karmas are pure. It is this pure karma that has the ability to create merit for the faithful; those who sow and cultivate blessings. Protecting rather than closing the senses, still living life in full color, still seeing and hearing or knowing fully but really mastering to not get attached. Love or hate, like and dislike are all stuck. The peacefulness or the faculties maintained is in going beyond ordinary karmic perception to seeing with mindfulness and discernment. It is the mind of "remaining in equanimity", letting go, and not being attached to the object of contact, which is the main factor to form the personality of the Noble One, the foundation of all the fields of merit. Every day, monastics receive reverence and offerings, which are loans and debts. What to do to pay that debt is always the first priority of the novice monk. According to the wisdom of the World-Honored One, a practitioner only needs to firmly uphold the six senses. When the six faculties are maintained, the new karma is reduced, the merits and virtues increase, not only worthy of a blessing field for Buddhists but also the basis for monastics to step up to the Saints, attain liberation and attain enlightenment. peace.END=NAM MO SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).WORLD VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST ORDER=BUDDHIST DHARMA WHEEL GOLDEN MONASTERY=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THE WOMEN OF THE SAKYA CLAN CHAN TANH.AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.17/9/2022.VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THE WOMEN OF THE SAKYA CLAN CHAN TANH.