BUDDHISM IN KERALA: Generosity is the first Mental Perfection

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Generosity is the first Mental Perfection

Friends:

Generosity is the first Mental Perfection:

Generosity means willingness to give and share whatever.
Generosity means magnanimous and open-handed liberality.
Generosity means freedom from small and stingy pettiness.
Generosity means practicing charity for the poor and unfortunate.
Generosity means kind big-heartedness towards those worthy of it.
Generosity means warm-hearted and altruistic unselfishness.
Generosity provides the kammic cause for later wealth..
Giving causes Getting... No Giving causes Poverty!

The Blessed Buddha explained the treasure of generosity like this:
When a disciple of the Noble Ones whose mind and
mentality is all cleared of disgracing miserliness,
living at home, is freely generous and open-handed,
delighting in being magnanimous,
responsive to every request and,
is enjoying the giving of any alms.
Such is this treasure called generosity.
AN VII 6

Just as a filled pot, which is overturned,
pours out all of its water, leaving nothing back,
even and exactly so should one give to those in need.
Whether low, middle or high, like the overturned pot,
holding nothing back…!
Jataka Nidana [128-129]

The Generosity of Giving,
The Kindness in Speech,
The Benefit of Service,
The Impartiality of treating all Alike,
These 4 threads of Selfless Sympathy,
Upholds this world, like the axle do the cart!
AN II 32

Giving food, one gives and later gets strength.
Giving clothes, one gives and later gets beauty.
Giving light, one gives & later gets vision & intelligence.
Giving transportation, one gives and later gets ease.
Giving protecting shelter, one gives and later gets all...
Yet the one who instructs in the True Dhamma,
- The supreme Teaching of all the Buddhas -
Such one gives a quite divine ambrosia!
SN I 32

These are these five rewards of generosity:
One is liked and charming to people at large,
One is admired and respected by wise people,
One's good reputation is spread wide about,
One does not neglect a householder's true duty,
and with the break-up of the body - at the moment
of death - one reappears in a happy destination,
in the plane of the divine worlds!
AN V.35

There are these two kinds of gifts:
Material gifts and gifts of Dhamma.
The supreme gift is that of Dhamma.
There are these two kinds of sharing:
Material sharing and sharing of Dhamma.
The supreme sharing is that of Dhamma.
There are these two kinds of help:
Material help and help with the Dhamma.
This is the supreme of the two:
Help with this subtle Dhamma …
It 98

Sabbadānam dhammadānam jināti.
The gift of Dhamma exceeds all other gifts.
Dhammapada 354

The Bodhisatta once as king Sivi gave both his eyes
to a beggar who was Sakka the king deity in disguise,
who desired to test him. He remembered "While I was
wishing to give, while I was giving and after this giving
there was neither contrariety, nor opposition in my mind,
since it was for the purpose of perfect awakening itself!
Neither were these eyes, nor the rest of my body,
disagreeable to me. Omniscience was dear to me!
Therefore I gave both my eyes."
                                                           The Basket of Conduct
                                                           Cariyapitaka I-8
                                                           Full story: Sivi Jataka no. 499

The Bodhisatta once as the Wise Hare gave his roasted body
as alms to a beggar by jumping into a fire:
He remembered: "There came a beggar and asked for food.
Myself I gave so that he might eat. In alms-giving there was
none equal to me. In alms, I had thereby reached the absolute
ultimate perfection." From then and the rest of this world-cycle
the moon will display a characteristic 'hare-in-the-moon' sign!
Sasa-Jataka no. 316

Giving of things, treasures, external possessions, job, position,
wife, and child is the first perfection of giving.
Giving the offer of one's organs, limbs, and senses is the
second higher perfection of giving.
Giving the sacrifice of one's life is the third ultimate perfection
of giving only performed by future Buddhas!
                                                           The clarifier of sweet meaning 89
                                                           (Commentary on Buddhavamsa)
                                                           Madhuratthavilasini [59]
                                                           Venerable Buddhadatta: 5th century.

Generosity is the first mental perfection (parami):
Clinging and egoism creates internal panic and social tension.
Giving and sharing creates internal elation and social harmony...
What is gladly given, returns more than thousandfold!
Giving requires Relinquishing! Giving is Anti-Clinging!
Giving is the opposite mental state of Greed...