Many people told me that if they don’t have any money, how can they give alms?

I answer, there are many ways to give, not only financial giving, but also Dharma giving, and even more fearless giving. Use your words to persuade people to do good, and use your body to do one good deed every day. It is said that if you have money, give money, and if you have power, give effort. There is also the intention to do good deeds. This is a kind thought, which can turn bad things into good fortune. As long as good thoughts are sent out, it is a donation.

“Giving” means giving what you have to others:
The first is financial charity, which means saving people’s lives and using property to help the sick and poor.
The second type is Dharma giving, which is to save people’s wisdom and life, and use the righteous Dharma to persuade people to practice good and stop evil.
The third type is fearless giving, which is to relieve the fear of others without worrying about one’s own safety.

“Giving” is to save greed. The “Lotus Living Buddha” believes that “no seeking” is the mantra for truly great offerings, because to overcome greed, it means “no seeking”.

– Excerpted from the collected works of Living Buddha Lotus Sheng-yen Lu –

Giving and making offerings have the meaning of being close to, serving and respecting the one above. It means sympathy, pity, and love for the inferior.

I see that there is a class of idiots in the world who only know how to accumulate money desperately and are greedy, but they don’t know that disaster is approaching. When impermanence comes, nothing can be taken away, only karma remains with them. Therefore, if you practice charity widely, relieve the poor, and make offerings to the Three Jewels, your merits will be immeasurable.

I encouraged myself: “I don’t want to own, I can only give!”

– Excerpted from the collected works of Living Buddha Lotus Sheng-yen Lu #164《一日一小語》- 施者 –

I (Living Buddha Lotus) explain it this way: As true Buddhist practitioners, we must understand the principle of giving, always help the poor and relieve suffering, be compassionate and joyful, and these merits of helping the world do not expect anything in return. In this way, your heavenly heart will naturally emit the red light of merit. With the red light of merit, you will be reborn in the heavenly palace in the future and receive the blessings of the heavenly palace. This is “Celestial Vehicle Buddhism”.

Giving is not just giving up money to help the poor. There is also “dharma giving”, which means teaching the Dharma to save people. There is also “fearless giving”, which is to save people from adversity. In addition, giving to the sick, giving to the hungry, giving to temples, giving to holy monks, giving clothes, etc. are all examples of giving.

Giving verse: “I am able to give what I have given and what I have given. I have gained nothing in the three lives. Now I dwell in the most victorious mind. I make offerings to all the Buddhas of the ten directions.”

– Excerpted from the collected works of Living Buddha Lotus Sheng-yen Lu – 天心裡的宮殿 –