พระอาจารย์อธิบายว่าการสมาทานศีลก่อนทำทานหรือนั่งสมาธิทำให้ได้บุญมากขึ้น เพราะดวงศีลพัฒนาใจให้รองรับความบริสุทธิ์แห่งบุญได้ดีขึ้น พร้อมชี้ว่าทานที่ประกอบด้วยศีล สมาธิ และปัญญาจะมีอานิสงส์มากกว่า และอธิบายกลไกผ่านหิริโอตตัปปเจตสิกที่สว่างขึ้นเมื่อมีศีลPra Ajarn explains that undertaking the precepts before giving or meditating yields more merit, because the sphere of morality develops the mind to receive the purity of merit better. Giving joined with morality, concentration, and wisdom yields greater fruit — and he describes the mechanism through the factors of moral shame and dread, which brighten when one has morality.
Someone asked: Pra Ajarn once said that when giving, one should first aspire and undertake to gain more merit — why?
Morality Supports Purity, So the Mind Receives Merit Better
Having morality purifies body, speech, and mind, leading to purification and liberation within. Simply put, monks gain much merit from giving because they have much morality — much morality, much . But if that monk breaks the precepts, there's no morality. Undertaking pure precepts means resolving that we'll give safety to ourselves and others, and bringing about the purity of morality; then the sphere of morality grows clear and bright, refining us to purity, liberated into subtler dimensions. Merit is of one quality, true — but the quality of our mind that receives the purity of merit differs. If we undertake precepts first, the sphere of morality develops the mind into an instrument that receives merit more finely and purely.
Giving Joined With Morality, Concentration, and Wisdom Yields Greater Fruit
Having developed to that point, then give, and the fruit of giving will be of great benefit, because the giving is lifted by morality. If one also meditates, the giving is further lifted by the power of renunciation; and joined with wisdom, the fruit is greater still. Giving without wisdom reaches only the Cātumahārājika heaven, but with wisdom reaches Tāvatiṃsa. For instance, when invited to make robe-offering merit, if we just hand over the funds without caring to hear the benefits, we become an earth-deva or tree-deva; but if we listen with joyful understanding of the benefit within the Sangha, we reach Tāvatiṃsa as one endowed with wisdom.
Life Rests on Just Three Things: Morality, Concentration, Wisdom
Raising quality higher comes down to just three: morality, concentration, and wisdom. Our life rests on these three. Train daily until it becomes easy, and life advances; whatever good we do, the merit is clean and pure. It must be trained until easy — otherwise, when about to do it, it feels complicated and hard, and one gives up. Giving, keeping precepts, meditating, learning, and practicing repeatedly in daily life — in this life, learning just these three is enough. Make it easy, and life flourishes now and in the future; if we develop it this life, the next is easier still.
The Mechanism Lies in the Factors of Moral Shame and Dread, Brightened by Morality
The mechanism lies in the s. The factors arising with include faith, , moral shame, and moral dread — and it is at moral shame and dread that morality is needed. In one without morality, the spheres of moral shame and dread aren't bright and draw little merit; but with morality they're very bright and draw much merit — a mechanism that drives the mind toward quality. We do good precisely to develop the mind toward the noble and good, raising the mind's quality to be clear and bright — for there are 121 states of consciousness that are ours, each with a level from 1% to 100%, like being in first grade. We must raise the quality of the mind at the level we dwell in.