Fifty Thousand Dong And The Winning Lottery List

The atmosphere of that Lunar New Year still lingered with the scent of incense and the distant sound of fireworks. In the minds of many, the first days of spring were the most sacred moments, when people returned to their spiritual roots to entrust their dreams for the long year ahead. There was a young Buddhist, a small-scale trader whose life was far from prosperous, who joined the bustling crowds at Phat Quang Pagoda. She did not come to pray for wealth or status, but simply wished to offer her whole heart of devotion to the Buddha during the sacred hour of New Year's Eve.

She recalled that in previous years, her business had always been rocky, sometimes gaining and sometimes losing, never enjoying lasting stability. But that year, after listening to the dharma and sharing a simple vegetarian meal at the pagoda, an extraordinary sense of peace filled her heart. As she was preparing to leave, she noticed the donation box placed neatly beside the altar, and a strong thought arose within her. Even though she did not have much money in her pocket, even though she was still worrying over every expense, she decided to take out the small amount remaining in her wallet and place it into the offering box. She did not know the exact amount—perhaps only a few thousand dong, perhaps ten thousand—but at that moment, it was everything she could give away with complete trust.

Time passed quickly. The harsh sun of summer and the long rains of autumn came and went. Then, one afternoon near the end of the year, as she sat reviewing her accounts and looking back over the road she had traveled, she suddenly realized something wondrous. That year, everything had gone remarkably smoothly, far more fortunate than in previous years. Difficult contracts resolved themselves naturally, and hidden risks dissolved with ease. She remembered her teacher's words: "Tell me what you dream of, and I will tell you what kind of person you are." And conversely, by observing how we act in sacred moments, we can understand how cause and effect (karmic law) is operating.

This story offers a profound lesson about the power of dreams and the act of generosity. The teacher told another story about someone reading the news on social media. Upon seeing a poor family—an ailing old man, an exhausted mother, and hungry children in the midst of the New Year—instead of scrolling past indifferently, that person felt a deep pang of sorrow. He silently wished: "If only I had a great deal of money to give these people, so they could be warm and well-fed." That dream did not remain a mere thought; it became concrete action. One day, as he was about to board the bus to the pagoda with exactly one hundred thousand dong in hand—just enough for the fare and a small gift of food—he encountered someone in similar hardship. Without hesitation, he tore the bill in half, gave fifty thousand dong to the other person, and accepted returning home because he no longer had enough for the fare.

At first glance, that action seemed like a loss, trading a personal goal—going to the pagoda—for helping another. But according to cause and effect (karmic law), the seed of "wanting money to help others" combined with the action of "sharing while still in need oneself" created an invisible force. The teacher said with a smile that this person's name had already been written on the list of lottery grand prize winners. Though perhaps not today, surely in some future life, or perhaps even in this one, wealth will arrive to fulfill that original wish. This is not superstition, but the law of cause and effect (karmic law): a wholesome dream combined with wholesome action accumulates blessings from merit, leading to good results.

The Meaning of the Story

The story emphasizes that dreams are not merely idle fantasies, but seeds of cause and effect. If we dream wrongly—wishing for others to die, or longing for selfish indulgence—we will harvest painful results. Conversely, if we nurture noble, wholesome dreams—wishing to have money to help others, wishing for peace in our country, wishing for everyone to practice the path—and turn those dreams into concrete actions, however small, we are weaving a bright future for ourselves. The Buddha's teachings (Dharma) tell us that a true disciple never stops dreaming, for they see across countless future lives, and every wholesome dream is a step forward on the path of liberation and happiness.

Compiled from a dharma talk by Venerable Thich Chan Quang.