Types of Generosity: Understanding Charitable Giving : หน้า 99/115

GENROSITY Types of generosity (Danavatthusutta) There are different motives why charitable giving is done: • Giving to gain favor – Giving because we expect something in return. It is not a genuine form of merit making. For example, a politician looking to gain more popularity and votes from his constituents makes charitable contributions to schools, churches, hospitals, etc., to show that he is a benevolent person. Another example is someone who wishes to gain the fondness of a woman by bringing gifts to the woman’s family. This form of giving produces limited merit. To gain maximum merit, the giving has to be done with pure intention. • Giving to support – This form of generosity is done out of kindness and love. Parents providing food and shelter to their children; teachers giving education to students; wealthy individuals giving scholarships to poor students, are some examples. • Giving to pay homage – This form of generosity is to express appreciation, respect and gratitude to those who have been good to us, especially our parents, teachers and monks. This act of generosity could be in the forms of money or gifts, or in the forms of caring for them when they are ill or at the times of need.