Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammā-sambuddhassa

...Householder, of these ten enjoying sensuality and evident in the world, the one enjoying sensuality earning money righteously and considerately and with the money enjoying sensuality and sharing it with others doing merit, partaking it, not enslaved not bound not swooned, wisely seeing the danger and the escape from it is the chief, foremost and the noble. Householder, just as from a cow milk is begot, from milk curd, from curd butter, from butter ghee, from ghee the cream of ghee and the cream of ghee is the foremost. In the same manner, householder, of these ten enjoying sensuality and evident in the world, the one enjoying sensuality earning money righteously and considerately and with the money enjoying sensuality and sharing it with others doing merit, partaking it, not enslaved not bound not swooned, wisely seeing the danger and the escape from it, is the chief, foremost and the noble.

Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammā-sambuddhassa

And how is a religious donation purified by both the giver and the recipient? It’s when both the giver and the recipient are ethical, of good character.

Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammā-sambuddhassa

Kaladana Sutta

"There are these five seasonable gifts. Which five? One gives to a newcomer. One gives to one going away. One gives to one who is ill. One gives in time of famine. One sets the first fruits of field & orchard in front of those who are virtuous. These are the five seasonable gifts."


In the proper season they give —
   those with discernment,
   responsive, free from stinginess.
Having been given in proper season,
with hearts inspired by the Noble Ones
   — straightened, Such —
their offering bears an abundance.
Those who rejoice in that gift
   or give assistance,
they, too, have a share of the merit,
   and the offering isn't depleted by that.
So, with an unhesitant mind,
one should give where the gift bears great fruit.
   Merit is what establishes
   living beings in the next life.

"Da sind diese fünf wohlangebrachten Geschenke. Welche fünf? Jemand gibt einem Neuankommenden. Jemand gibt einem Abschiednehmenden. Jemand gibt einem der krank ist. Jemand gibt in Zeiten von Hungersnot. Jemand legt die ersten Füchte der Felder und Obstgärten vor jene, die tugendhaft sind hin. Das sind die fünf wohlangebrachten Geschenke."


Zur rechten Zeit geben sie —
   jene mit Einsicht,
   offenherzig, frei von Knausrigkeit.
Zur rechten Zeit gegeben,
mit einem Herz inspirirt von noblen Leut’
   — gerichtet, So —
tragen ihre Gaben Reichhaltigkeit.
Jene die Mitfreud mit so einem Geschenk
   oder dabei Hilfe erweisen,
auch diese haben Anteil an dem Verdienst,
   und ist die Gabe damit nicht ausgelaugt.
So sollte man mit unzögerlichem Geist geben,
dort wo es große Früchte trägt.
   Verdienste sind es die Lebewesen
   in ihrer nächsten Existenz etablieren.