Same Bowl of Rice, Worlds Apart in Merit

Mahānāma offered a meal to a pratyekabuddha — the highest merit-field. But his attitude was impure, disrespectful, not given with his own hands, and regretted afterward. Result: fourteen lifetimes of wealth — but only crude, joyless enjoyment. Same act of giving; fruit's quantity was large but quality was terrible. Dropping money on the ground for someone to pick up versus handing it with both hands, respectfully — same amount, worlds apart in merit. The Buddha's conditions: give with joy, give with your own hands. Every condition says one thing: the quality of the heart determines the quality of the fruit.