Anatman ties individuals with all living beings. Emphasis on ones own ego produces nothing but selfishness, harmful desire, this-world attachments, conceit and pride. An irrepressible optimism, that the future is full of positive possibilities, helps in adversity. Even a sense of resignation assists to see one through great difficulty. Related to the concept of Karma, merit making is a basic Buddhist practice.
Bad deeds bring negative results.
Giving refers primarily to the material support offered by laymen and laywomen to the monastic community of monks and nuns. The Middle Path accentuates the humanity of the Buddhist ethic. The Five Precepts and Ethical Conduct. The Five Precepts and standards of ethical conduct encompass the minimum moral obligations of a lay Buddhist. In time, these traits become the positive, expected norms by which people live.