One day, King Prasenajit of Kosala came to the Buddha and asked, "Venerable One, to whom should I give my charity?"

The Buddha replied, "Great King, give to those who are truly in need, and to those who will help you to abandon evil and cultivate good, to remove suffering and to develop firm faith in the practice."

King Prasenajit asked, "Venerable One, to whom will my charity bear the greatest fruit? To whom should I give my charity to plant the seeds of great merit?"

The Buddha replied, "Great King, who you should give to, and who will bring you the greatest fruit, are two different questions.

"Great King, give to those who are virtuous and who keep the precepts, and do not give to those who are not virtuous and who break the precepts. Venerable One, now I will ask you some questions, and you should answer them according to your heart.

"Great King, if your country is at war with another country, and you must recruit soldiers, would you accept those who have never been to war, who have not been trained, who do not know any martial arts, who cannot shoot arrows, who cannot fight with weapons, who are physically weak, cowardly and afraid of death, and who may flee from the battlefield? Even if they are born into royal families, would you accept them and let them fight on the battlefield against the armies of other countries?"

King Prasenajit replied, "Venerable One, if I accepted such soldiers, would I not be sending them to their deaths? My army would also be immediately defeated, and I would not want such people to be my soldiers. Even if they are born into royal families, they do not meet the requirements for being soldiers, and I would not accept them."

The Buddha replied, "Great King, if the children of priests, commoners, and slaves, who have never been to war, who have not been trained, who do not know any martial arts, who cannot ride horses and shoot arrows, who cannot fight with weapons, who are physically weak, cowardly and afraid of death, and who flee from the battlefield when they see the armies of other countries charging at them, would you accept them as soldiers?"

King Prasenajit replied, "Venerable One, I do not need such people. They are useless on the battlefield, and they will only be lambs to the slaughter. No matter what their family or social status, I would not accept them as soldiers if they did not meet the requirements."

The Buddha replied, "Great King, if there are children of royal families, priests, commoners, and slaves, who are skilled in martial arts, who can shoot arrows with great accuracy, who are skilled in riding horses and shooting arrows, who are proficient in using weapons, who are experts in fighting, who are physically strong, brave and fearless, who charge into battle, fight bravely, and are invincible, would you accept them as your soldiers?"

King Prasenajit replied, "Venerable One, my army needs such people. I want as many of them as possible! No matter what their family, home, or social status, I will reward them according to their merits if they have made achievements."

The Buddha said, "Great King, it is the same with charity. Give to those who are virtuous and who keep the precepts, and they will be like brave and victorious soldiers, and will bring you great merit. Do not give to those who are not virtuous and who break the precepts, and they will be like cowardly soldiers, and will bring you no merit."

King Prasenajit was deeply moved by the Buddha's teaching, and he vowed to keep the precepts and practice diligently, so that he could become a truly meritorious person.

The Buddha said, "O King, in the same way, no matter what family, clan, or class they are born into, if some people leave their families and clans to become monks and have cut off the five fetters and acquired the five perfections, then offering alms to them will bring great merit.

Which five fetters are cut off? They are greed, hatred, delusion, restlessness, and doubt. These are the five fetters that are cut off.

Which five perfections are acquired? They are morality, concentration, wisdom, liberation, and liberation from knowledge and views. These are the five perfections that are acquired.

Morality is the perfection of acting in accordance with the precepts. Concentration is the perfection of focusing the mind on a single object. Wisdom is the perfection of understanding the true nature of reality. Liberation is the perfection of freedom from suffering. Liberation from knowledge and views is the perfection of freedom from all concepts and attachments.

These are the five perfections that are acquired."

"O King, if you give alms to the enlightened one who has cut off the five fetters and has acquired the five perfections, you will receive great merit.

Before a war, the king will recruit soldiers who are strong, skilled in riding and shooting, proficient in using weapons, and proficient in fighting. He will not recruit those who are weak, cowardly, or unskilled, regardless of their social status. If they have the ability and the potential to serve the country and make contributions, the king will use them.

The enlightened one is like a soldier who is strong, skilled, and proficient. He is able to help others and make a difference in the world. If you give alms to him, you will receive great merit."

"In the same way, the people of the world, regardless of their social status, should respect and give alms to those who strictly observe the precepts, keep their hearts stable and unscattered, and open their wisdom. In the deserted places, they should build more huts and prepare more dry food that can be stored for a long time, so that the lost people can have a place to take shelter from the wind and rain, and have food to fill their stomachs. In the places without trees, they should dig ponds, irrigate the land, plant trees and forests, and benefit the future generations. In the dangerous places, they should build roads to facilitate the public to walk. The beautiful food, clothes and housing should be given to those who are kind and upright, and to those who are pure and unstained. The beautiful food, clothes and housing should be given to the saints who teach the public to do good and evil, to eliminate troubles and pain, to open wisdom, and to lead the public to eternal liberation from the troubles of reincarnation. They should give alms to those who are kind and upright, and to those who are monks and nuns, with a respectful, pious and pure heart. Just like lightning and thunder, countless clouds gather, and then the rain falls to moisten all things on the earth. The wise and talented people use their own prepared food and food to give alms to those who are kind and upright, to give alms to those who observe the precepts, to give alms to those who teach the public to do good and evil, to eliminate troubles and pain, to open wisdom, and to lead the public to eternal liberation from the troubles of reincarnation. These wise and talented people, as they give alms and food, say happily, "To you, to you." Their words are like the thunder before the rain, and the food and food they give are like the rain from the sky. Their respectful and pious alms are like the rain of merit from the sky, which will benefit many kind and upright people, and many monks and nuns. Those who give alms and food to others will receive ten times, a hundred times, a thousand times, ten thousand times, and immeasurable rewards and merits. The more people who give alms and food to others without seeking anything, without clinging to their alms and food, without distinguishing between high and low, and without distinguishing between love and hatred, joy, anger, sorrow and joy, the greater their merit will be."

At that time, the Buddha spoke in verse:

"The king, when he goes to war,

Does not support the timid.

He selects those who are skillful in archery,

And who are young, brave, and strong.

In the same way, the wise man,

Although he may be born in a humble station,

If he is patient, compassionate, and virtuous,

Is worthy of honor and respect.

The wise man who is well-read,

Should be happy to build small huts,

To dig tanks in places without water,

And to build roads in dangerous places.

He should give food, drink, solid food,

Clothes, and dwellings,

With a mind of faith and joy,

To those who are upright and virtuous.

Just as the lightning garland is received,

And the clouds are adorned with hundreds of birds,

So the rain falls on the earth,

And wets all, high and low.

The wise man who has faith and is well-read,

Accumulates wealth by giving food and drink

To those who beg.

His heart is happy, and he distributes,

Saying, "Give, give."

This is his thunder, like the rain from heaven,

A great rain of merit,

That falls on all beings."

Pali original scripture

SN.3.24/(4). Issattasuttaṃ

　　 135. Sāvatthinidānaṃ. Ekamantaṃ nisinno kho rājā pasenadi kosalo bhagavantaṃ etadavoca– “kattha nu kho, bhante, dānaṃ dātabban”ti? “Yattha kho, mahārāja, cittaṃ pasīdatī”ti. “Kattha pana, bhante, dinnaṃ mahapphalan”ti? “Aññaṃ kho etaṃ, mahārāja, kattha dānaṃ dātabbaṃ, aññaṃ panetaṃ kattha dinnaṃ mahapphalanti? Sīlavato kho, mahārāja, dinnaṃ mahapphalaṃ, no tathā dussīle. Tena hi, mahārāja, taññevettha paṭipucchissāmi. Yathā, te khameyya, tathā naṃ byākareyyāsi. Taṃ kiṃ maññasi, mahārāja, idha tyassa yuddhaṃ paccupaṭṭhitaṃ saṅgāmo samupabyūḷho. Atha āgaccheyya khattiyakumāro asikkhito akatahattho akatayoggo akatūpāsano bhīru chambhī utrāsī palāyī. Bhareyyāsi taṃ purisaṃ, attho ca te tādisena purisenā”ti? “Nāhaṃ, bhante, bhareyyaṃ taṃ purisaṃ, na ca me attho tādisena purisenā”ti. “Atha āgaccheyya brāhmaṇakumāro asikkhito …pe… atha āgaccheyya vessakumāro asikkhito …pe… atha āgaccheyya suddakumāro asikkhito …pe… na ca me attho tādisena purisenā”ti.

　　 “Taṃ kiṃ maññasi, mahārāja, idha tyassa yuddhaṃ paccupaṭṭhitaṃ saṅgāmo samupabyūḷho. Atha āgaccheyya khattiyakumāro susikkhito katahattho katayoggo katūpāsano abhīru acchambhī anutrāsī apalāyī. Bhareyyāsi taṃ purisaṃ, attho ca te tādisena purisenā”ti? “Bhareyyāhaṃ, bhante taṃ purisaṃ, attho ca me tādisena purisenā”ti. “Atha āgaccheyya brāhmaṇakumāro …pe… atha āgaccheyya vessakumāro …pe… atha āgaccheyya suddakumāro susikkhito katahattho katayoggo katūpāsano abhīru acchambhī anutrāsī apalāyī. Bhareyyāsi taṃ purisaṃ, attho ca te tādisena purisenā”ti? “Bhareyyāhaṃ, bhante, taṃ purisaṃ, attho ca me tādisena purisenā”ti.

　　 “Evameva kho, mahārāja, yasmā kasmā cepi kulā agārasmā anagāriyaṃ pabbajito hoti, so ca hoti pañcaṅgavippahīno pañcaṅgasamannāgato, tasmiṃ dinnaṃ mahapphalaṃ hoti. Katamāni pañcaṅgāni pahīnāni honti? Kāmacchando pahīno hoti, byāpādo pahīno hoti, thinamiddhaṃ pahīnaṃ hoti, uddhaccakukkuccaṃ pahīnaṃ hoti, vicikicchā pahīnā hoti. Imāni pañcaṅgāni pahīnāni honti. Katamehi pañcahaṅgehi samannāgato hoti? Asekkhena sīlakkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekkhena samādhikkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekkhena paññākkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekkhena vimuttikkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekkhena vimuttiñāṇadassanakkhandhena samannāgato hoti. Imehi pañcahaṅgehi samannāgato hoti. Iti pañcaṅgavippahīne pañcaṅgasamannāgate dinnaṃ mahapphalan”ti. Idamavoca bhagavā …pe… satthā–

　　 “Issattaṃ balavīriyañca, yasmiṃ vijjetha māṇave.

　　 Taṃ yuddhattho bhare rājā, nāsūraṃ jātipaccayā.

　　 “Tatheva khantisoraccaṃ, dhammā yasmiṃ patiṭṭhitā;

　　 Ariyavuttiṃ medhāviṃ, hīnajaccampi pūjaye.

　　 “Kāraye assame ramme, vāsayettha bahussute;

　　 Papañca vivane kayirā, dugge saṅkamanāni ca.

　　 “Annaṃ pānaṃ khādanīyaṃ, vatthasenāsanāni ca;

　　 Dadeyya ujubhūtesu, vippasannena cetasā.

　　 “Yathā hi megho thanayaṃ, vijjumālī satakkaku;

　　 Thalaṃ ninnañca pūreti, abhivassaṃ vasundharaṃ.

　　 “Tatheva saddho sutavā, abhisaṅkhacca bhojanaṃ;

　　 Vanibbake tappayati, annapānena paṇḍito.

　　 “Āmodamāno pakireti, detha dethāti bhāsati;

　　 Taṃ hissa gajjitaṃ hoti, devasseva pavassato.

　　 Sā puññadhārā vipulā, dātāraṃ abhivassatī”ti.