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The practice of giving is universally recognized as one of the most basic human virtues, a quality that testifies to the depth of one's humanity and one's capacity for self-transcendence.
- Bhikkhu Bodhi
From the dictionary:
GENEROSITY: a willingness and liberality in giving; a freedom from pettiness in character and mind. [from the Latin: 'generosus' = noble ~also consider: 'magnanimity' = great + soul
Dana simply means Giving. As a noble act in society and in the universe, I can't find proper words to express
the greatness of this noble act here on this site.
Of course, we sometime see companies and individuals donating to charity,
giving monetary bonuses to others for the purpose of reducing their taxible income - well this is 'conditional charity' & is morally a very wrong thing to do.
Give, donate unconditionally from the deepest sincerity of your heart to those who need, whether it may be
alms to monks, money to the needy or for a public welfare project - just anything without hoping for something
in return is the noblest act one can do.
Below are excerpts from Dana - The Practice of Giving,
Bhikkhu Bodhi
In the teaching of the Buddha, too, the practice of giving claims a place of special eminence, one which singles it out as being in a sense the foundation and seed of spiritual development. In the Pali suttas we read time and again that "talk on giving" (danakatha) was invariably the first topic to be discussed by the Buddha in his "graduated exposition" of the Dhamma. Whenever the Buddha delivered a discourse to an audience of people who had not yet come to regard him as their teacher, he would start by emphasizing the value of giving. Only after his audience had come to appreciate this virtue would he introduce other aspects of his teaching, such as morality, the law of kamma, and the benefits in renunciation, and only after all these principles had made their impact on the minds of his listeners would he expound to them that unique discovery of the Awakened Ones, the Four Noble Truths.
Below are excerpts from Buddhamind, http://www.buddhamind.info/leftside/lifesty-2/siha.htm
Generosity can be developed at many levels and its value as a transformative practice can not be underestimated. It can be contemplated as a simile of the third Noble Truth - non-desire, freedom from attachment, letting go. It acts as a balance to greed and selfishness.
There are 5 benefits, or blessings, from the practice of generosity:
• everybody will like you.
• all your friends will be good people.
• you will have a good reputation.
• you will have lots of self confidence.
• you will have a heavenly rebirth.
(Anguttara V. 34)
Those who gives alms offer a fourfold blessing:
• they help toward long life
• they help toward good appearance
• they help toward happiness
• they help toward strength.
Therefore long life, good appearance, happiness and strength will also come to the giver, whether amongst heavenly beings or amongst humans.
(Anguttara IV. 57)
Links to Dana sites:
1.
Dana Sutta - Giving, Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Anguttara Nikaya VII.49
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/anguttara/an07-049.html
2.
Dana - The Practice of Giving, Selected essays edited by Bhikkhu Bodhi
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/bps/wheels/wheel367.html
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