不給功德設限 Don't Set Limits on Merit（中英文字幕 English subtitle）-- 美佛寺性仁法師 Venerable Xingren

你懂得布施嗎？
Do you know how to give?
宣講於洛杉磯美佛寺 2023.01.25
逢年過節，我們華人都會到寺院來祈福，到寺院作些布施和供養，添點香油錢，以求得到諸佛菩薩的加被和保佑。我們許多人，包括我們在座的許多學佛同修，我們大家在布施供養三寶的時候，我們有一個很不好的習慣，告訴知客或者寺裡面的當事人，這個錢是指定做甚麼的。如果有指定的特殊用途，那就只能作這個，不能作為他用。大家知道嗎？在寺院裡面，有這麼一個不成文的規定，施主的捐款都會嚴格按照要求來執行，專款專用。我跟大家舉一個簡單的例子。比如，你捐款的用途是用來買油的，寺院就不能用來買醋、買鹽巴。一般來說，寺院施主捐的油會很多，很少有人會捐醋，或者捐鹽巴，那僧人就沒得醋吃，沒得鹽巴用。打油的錢，不能用來買醋或者買鹽巴，這個錢只能用來買油。如果指定用途是出家法師買衣服的，法師的衣服盡管已經是足夠了，但法師只能用它來買衣服。法師的住處如果漏水了，修補房子需要用錢，但不能用。這個錢只能給他買衣服穿，房子漏了，那就讓它漏吧！聽起來感覺有點死板。但是大家千萬不要笑。這個就是佛陀制定的戒律，佛陀制定的戒律就是這樣的。我們不能違背施主的意願，不能錯因果，不能背因果。所以我在這裡建議大家，你如果相信三寶，你如果相信因果，你如果相信這個道場，當你布施供養的時候，千萬不要指定特殊用處。供養法師的錢，不要一定要指定做甚麼。需要做甚麼，就讓寺院和常住法師自行決定。這樣你布施的時候離四相，達到四相皆空，無我相、無人相、無眾生相、無壽者相。無我無人觀自在，這個才是真正的布施。你供養的心是大慈大悲之心。捨出去就算了，人家怎麼用那是人家的事，那是人家的因果。你捨了之後，還弄一根繩子綁著，還加上你的附加條件，還加上你強烈的那種我執我愛，那這個功德就有局限了。我跟諸位同修講，為甚麼有些人布施一點小錢，功德就會無量無邊？而你經常作布施，布施很多很多錢，而最後得到的是一點點人天的福報而已？這到底是為甚麼呢？大家有想過這個問題嗎？你知道這當中的差別嗎？明白這兩者之間的原理和關係嗎？一個是著相，一個是不著相。著相布施，那將來得到的就是福報。不著相布施，那才是真正的功德。當你明白這個道理之後，你下次作布施的時候，我想你肯定不會指定特殊用途，你再也不會給你的功德設限，讓寺院和常住法師隨意支配。感恩大家，阿彌陀佛！

[@ggsherry1990]

感恩师父开示 阿弥陀佛

[@AmericanBuddhistFellowship]

During the Chinese New Year and festivals, we Chinese people will come to temples to pray for blessings, to make some alms and offerings, and to donate some money for sesame oil, in order to get blessings and protection from Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Many of us, including many of our Buddhist practitioners here, have a very bad habit when we donate and offer to the Three Jewels, telling the receptionist or the host in the temple what the money is designated for. If there is a special designated purpose, then it can only be used for this purpose and cannot be used for other purposes. Do you know? In temples, there is an unwritten rule that benefactors' donations will be strictly used according to their requirements, and the funds are earmarked for their own use. Let me give you a simple example. For example, if the purpose of your donation is to buy oil, then the temple cannot use it to buy vinegar or salt. Generally speaking, for temples, benefactors donate a lot of oil, and few people donate vinegar or salt, so monastics don't get vinegar or salt. The fund to buy oil cannot be used to buy vinegar or salt, it can only be used to buy oil. If the designated purpose is to buy clothes for monastics, although the monastics have enough clothes, they can only use it to buy clothes. If the monastics' residence leaks, and it will take money to repair the house, they still cannot use the fund. This fund can only be used to buy clothes for them. If the house leaks, let it leak! It sounds a bit rigid. But everyone, don't laugh. This is a precept established by the Buddha, and the precept established by the Buddha is like this. We cannot go against the will of our benefactors, and we cannot let it go wrong, as we will be responsible for the consequences. So I suggest to everyone here, if you believe in the Three Jewels, cause and effect, and this temple, when you make offerings, don't designate them for special purposes. Don't specify what to do with the money you offer to the monastics. Let the temple and the resident monastics decide what needs to be done. In this way, when you give alms, you will leave the four forms and achieve the state of the four forms being all empty, no form of self, no form of others, no form of beings, and no form of longevity. Detachment of self and others will lead to the full liberation. This is the real giving, and your mind to make offerings to is the mind of great mercy and compassion. Just give it away. How they use it is their business, and it's their cause and effect. After you give it away, if you still tie it with a rope, add your additional requirements, and add your strong self-attachment and your own desires, then this merit has limitations. Let me ask you, fellow practitioners, why do some people get immeasurable merit when they donate a small amount of money, while you often give alms and give a lot of money, but you just get a little bit of human and heavenly blessings in the end? Why is it? Have you ever thought about this question? Do you know the difference? Do you understand the principles and relationship of the two? One is attached to forms, and the other is detached from forms. Giving with attachment to forms will get you blessings in the future. Giving without attachment to forms is the truly meritorious. After you understand this principle, the next time you make a donation, I think you will definitely not designate it for a special purpose, and you will never set limits on your merit and will let the temple and resident monastics use it at will. Namaste, Amitabha!