Title: World Giving Index Names Myanmar As The Most Charitable Nation (The U.S. Is Second) : Goats and Soda : NPR
Headings: You'll Never Guess The Most Charitable Nation In The World
Goats and Soda
You'll Never Guess The Most Charitable Nation In The World
Where People Are Most And Least Charitable
Myanmar ranked highest in the Charities Aid Foundation’s 2016 World Giving Index, which measures charitable activities in 145 countries. These are the highest and lowest-ranked countries in the index.
Highest-ranked
Lowest-ranked
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Content: volunteered time to an organization; helped a stranger or someone you didn't know who needed help? When the results to all three questions were averaged, Myanmar came out on top. Still, why Myanmar? The answer lies in the strong influence of the particular form of Buddhism (called Theravada) practiced there, according to Paul Fuller, lecturer in Buddhist Studies at the University of Cardiff. Throughout the country, he explained in an email, "The notion of 'generating merit' is very pervasive." The belief is that whatever you do here, in this life, will have consequences for your next life, he explains. Thus, the more merit you acquire now, the more you increase your chances of your next life being a good one. Acquiring merit in different ways — such as meditation or ethical acts — is important in all forms of Buddhism. But in Myanmar, special emphasis is placed on acts of giving.