Giving in Buddhism

The practice of generosity, known as dana, _is ubiquitous in Buddhism. Buddhist monks, and centres, rely mostly on _dana for survival and reciprocate such benevolence by providing instruction, education and guidance to ordinary people. In Buddhist philosophy, we exist in a vast network of life, continuously the recipients of the Maitrī (loving-kindness) of others. Learning to give in all ways to all beings is an ethical obligation. The principle of dana is best applied by identifying with the needs, plight and suffering of others, where the act of giving is a practical expression of sympathy and compassion. It can range from the simplest material (food, water, clothing, shelter) to more abstract or moral forms of giving (helpful communication, education, personal time) to achieve the highest possible form of giving, which is selflessness and fearlessness– Buddhism itself. In fact, the Buddha advocated the treatment of others with sympathy and compassion as a necessary precondition to spiritual progress or enlightenment, which is the ultimate goal of Buddhism. In the Buddhist tradition, the objective of selfless giving to alleviate suffering in the world is to give away all forms of attachment, including attachment to the idea of “I am a generous person”. In other words, what one is asked to give away in the Buddhist tradition is oneself, an idea that stems from a famous phrase attributed to Buddhist monks: “Behold, I do not give lectures or a little charity, When I give, I give myself.” 

The Four Truths express the basic orientation of Buddhism: we crave and cling to worldly i.e., impermanent states and things, known as dukkha, which are painful and incapable of truly satisfying us. This keeps us caught in saṃsāra, the endless cycle of repeated rebirth, dukkha and death again. The only way to escape this endless cycle and achieve the state of nirvana, _or Enlightenment, is by following the _Noble Eightfold Path. The path consists of eight practices: right view, right resolve, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right samadhi (meditative awareness). In other words, it is only possible to escape saṃsāra through repeated meditation and good deeds. The quality of one's rebirth depends on the merit or demerit gained by one's karma (i.e., actions). A notable aspect of the karma theory in Buddhism is merit transfer. A person accumulates merit not only through her intentions and ethical actions, but also through the exchange of goods and services with others – dana— _and, in some traditions, is able to transfer one's own good _karma to living family members and ancestors. The title ‘Buddha’, which literally means ‘awakened’, is conferred on those extremely rare individuals who have discovered the path to nirvana, _or “peace of mind” and moral perfection, by escaping the cycle of rebirths and suffering, and extends such a discovery to others through _dana and a good_ karma._ In most traditions, there is one Buddha per age– an infinitesimal number in the sea of souls.

Examples of humanitarian giving or dana abound in the history of the Buddhist community, known as the_ sangha_, in Asia. Up until the birth of the modern era in the West, Buddhism was a vigorous agent for social good in communities across Asia where the Sangha, both monastic and lay, was responsible for the establishment of schools, hospitals and other institutions. Some remarkable examples of Buddhist social activism and humanitarian giving continue in Buddhist communities in the present day. Both the traditional Buddhists in Asia and the ‘new Buddhists’ in the West tend to take up the altruistic and pacifistic stance of their tradition, ranging from the peace activism of Thai Buddhists to the Sarvodaya movement (of conflict-resolution) in Sri Lanka.  

Contributor: Maha Tazi