Mobile VersionGenerosity # 1A person who gives will not only be named abeneficial person, he will be praised and helped by all.“A tree that yields fruit and shade not only will be called a beneficial tree, it will receive great care.A person who gives will not only be named a beneficial person, he will be praised and helped by all.”The reason why we have to know generosity before moving onto higher virtues is because:- Generosity is the first step on the ladder towards heaven because it is an easy virtue to put into practice.- Generosity is a way of providing for yourself in the future without having any untoward side effects, helping you for as many lifetimes as you have to traverse the cycle of existence.- Generosity uplifts you directly in the direction of Nirvana by helping one to cultivate the perfections in other ways.- It is a supreme way of helping you to break free of the cycle of existence.For anyone to break free of the cycle of existence one needs to have a basis of faith and wisdom in one’s mind. Being generous gives fruits that are quick to take effect and which will allow one’s faith to grow further while making it convenient to cultivate wisdom in other ways.In conclusion, ignorance and pain follows in the footsteps of poverty.However generosity protects us from poverty and thus saves us from pain and ignorance too.This is why we cannot overlook the importance of practicing generosity.Giving in order to repay a debt of gratitudeDefinition of generosityThe Pali word ‘dana’ means literally means ‘to give’.Here we take generosity to mean:‘Wholeheartedly sacrificing your own possessions for the benefit of other people with the intention to honor the virtue of that per son, or to assist a person of similar social standing, or to help someone who is worse off than us.’Generosity is the foundation of human virtue. It is an indispensable prerequisite and a ‘pillar of society’. Without generosity of our parents in raising us, we would not have been able to survive beginning from the first moment we were born.If a husband and wife do not share their possessions, their marriage will not last.If our teachers do not give, teach us knowledge, we will be unintelligent.If we are angry and never forgive each other, the world would be a disaster.Therefore, generosity is a first priority of our lives; without the generosity of others we would not survive. We would not know how to do things, and world peace could never happen.Giving spiritual knowledge is considered the ultimateof all generosities and creates the most merit to the giver.Gategories of generosity1. Concerte generosity: Giving useful material objects2. Abstract generosity: This is divided into two kinds:- Giving worldly knowledge (vidhayadana) such as vocational skills- Giving spiritual knowledge (dhammadana) such as Dhamma.3. Forgiveness: This refers to when you are angry at someone and you decide to put an end to all the anger and forgive them for all the trespasses they have against you.Giving spiritual knowledge is considered the ultimate of all generosities and creates the most merit to the giver. This is because teaching other people the knowledge of the eradication of defilements will be useful not only in this life time but in future life times. Other ways of giving will not last for so long a time.“The giving of spiritual knowledge conque3rs all other types of giving.”Abstract generosity: This is divided into two kindsReasons for Giving1. Giving in hope of getting something in return:Rather than giving for the sake of giving, they give to keep good relationships with the people around them and increase their favor in the eyes of others. This is the sort of giving which politicians like to do in order to win votes. this technique is also used by shops wanting to boost their sales by giving away free gifts. The merit from such giving is very little compared to the following two.2. Giving in order to help others:Giving help and support out of compassion i.e. parents raise their children, teach students, or wealthy people give donations to help poor children.3. Giving in order to repay a debt of gratitude:We owe debts of gratitude to many people around us, like parents and teachers, so we should repay our debt of gratitude to them by showing respect through our speech, action, and thought. Also we should give material thing to them. For example, when they are sick we help pay for the doctor, medicine, and help to look after them. Moreover, we should give respect to those who teach us the way to reach peace in life and stay away from sufferings. We should give these spiritual teachers the four basic requisites so they can continue practicing Dhamma and help in teaching others to the best of their ability.
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