28.04.2015 Views

Buddhist-Meditation-Systematic-and-Practical

Buddhist-Meditation-Systematic-and-Practical

Buddhist-Meditation-Systematic-and-Practical

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

15. Giving Alms<br />

If a beggar asks for alms, then one should give to him to<br />

the best of one's ability. It is not proper to consider first<br />

whether or not he is a <strong>Buddhist</strong> or whether you are rich<br />

or poor. Do not think about what a beggar's religion is,<br />

just give to him. While giving alms to a non-<strong>Buddhist</strong>,<br />

but through my almsgiving, some day he may become a<br />

<strong>Buddhist</strong>. Some beggars not only ask for money, but<br />

carry with them the image of their god <strong>and</strong> know his<br />

mantra. Therefore, one should think: "He is willing to<br />

take my offering so he should also take my refuges." At<br />

the same time be careful of some beggars who have<br />

obtained certain powers with their mantras, <strong>and</strong> while<br />

giving to them, protect yourself by taking the refuges.<br />

Thus, we see that refuge-taking at the time of<br />

almsgiving to beggars has two advantages, one for the<br />

beggar <strong>and</strong> one for the practitioner.<br />

One should not be small-minded about giving alms, but<br />

contribute to all impartially.<br />

16. Travelling<br />

Suppose one is travelling <strong>and</strong> encounters obstacles; for<br />

example, when one is walking <strong>and</strong> sees potentially<br />

dangerous objects on the path, such as broken glass,<br />

banana peels, or stones, then one should remove them<br />

<strong>and</strong> with good will think: "May the Buddha remove all<br />

778

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!