The Immeasurable and Boundless Merit of Making Offerings to the Three Jewels

Among the precepts for monastics, there is the rule of "eating in a single sitting." When food is served, one must remain seated while eating until the meal is completely finished, after which one rises and departs. It is not permitted to stand up midway to fetch more food, or to walk around and return to eat again. One cannot go to serve food a second or third time; as soon as the body stands up, it signifies that the meal has concluded. During the Buddha's time, monastics ate only one meal at noon, as alms-seeking was time-consuming, and having a single meal saved considerable time for spiritual practice. If one were to seek alms two or three times daily, it would not only waste much time but also invite ridicule from laypeople and non-Buddhists, who would say that monastics spend all their time begging and eating, being gluttonous without engaging in practice. Thirdly, eating more frequently causes the stomach and intestines to constantly churn and digest, leading to an unsettled mind that hinders practice. Excessive eating also depletes one's own merit, preventing progress on the path. Considering these factors, the monastic community established the precept of one meal at noon.

Monastics seek alms also to provide sentient beings with a field of merit to cultivate, offering them opportunities to accumulate blessings and attain liberation. The more sentient beings give, the greater their merit, and the more opportunities they have for liberation, increasing the likelihood of attaining it. Monastics' alms-seeking does not impoverish sentient beings; on the contrary, it causes them to grow increasingly prosperous. Nor does the daily alms-round of monastics lead to the gradual extinction of Buddhism. The decline of Buddhism stems from numerous factors, chiefly the diminishing good roots and merit of sentient beings, leaving them without the fortune to encounter the Dharma and attain liberation. Coupled with Mara’s destruction of the Dharma, Buddhism inevitably declines and ultimately perishes. Sentient beings’ offerings to monastics cannot be refused according to the Buddha’s decree, allowing them to plant seeds of merit and reap blessings. Otherwise, sentient beings would lack merit, forever wandering in the six realms, impoverished and suffering. Being able to cultivate a field of merit oneself should inspire gratitude toward the Buddha and the Sangha, and toward the Three Jewels—otherwise, when could they attain liberation?

The Buddha stated in the sutras that the merit of making offerings to the Buddha is immeasurable and boundless. This is especially true for the first meal after the Buddha’s enlightenment and the final meal before his parinirvana. If one has the opportunity to make such an offering, that person can attain Buddhahood most swiftly, surpassing others. The first meal after the Buddha’s enlightenment was goat milk offered by a shepherdess, and the final meal before his parinirvana was offered by the blacksmith Cunda. At that time, countless people entreated the World-Honored One to offer the final meal, but the Buddha refused them all. Only when the blacksmith Cunda made his request did the Buddha nod in acceptance. The Buddha then prophesied Cunda’s future Buddhahood, fulfilling a past-life vow to accept Cunda’s offering of the final meal before the parinirvana. This illustrates that the merit of having the opportunity to make offerings to the Buddha and the Three Jewels is truly immeasurable.