What
Buddhists Believe
Venerable K. Sri Dhammananda Maha Thera
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Real
Charity
You perform real charity if you can
give freely without expecting anything in return.
The
essence of true charity is to give something without expecting anything in
return for the gift. If a person expects some material benefit to arise
from his gift, he is only performing an act of bartering and not charity.
A charitable person should not make other people feel indebted to him or
use charity as a way of exercising control over them. He should not even
expect others to be grateful, for most people are forgetful though not
necessarily ungrateful. The act of true charity is wholesome, has no
strings attached, and leaves both the giver and the recipient free.
The meritorious deed of
charity is highly praised by every religion. Those who have enough to
maintain themselves should think of others and extend their generosity
deserving cases. Among people who practise charity, there are some who
give as a means of attracting others into their religion or creed. Such an
act of giving which is performed with the ulterior motive of conversion
cannot really be said to be true charity.
The Buddhism views charity
as an act to reduce personal greed which is an unwholesome mental state
which hinders spiritual progress. A person who is on his way to spiritual
growth must try to reduce his own selfishness and his strong desire for
acquiring more and more. He should reduce his strong attachment to
possessions which, if he is not mindful, can enslave him to greed. What he
owns or has should instead be used for the benefit and happiness of
others: his loved ones as well as those who need his help.
When giving, a person
should not perform charity as an act of his body alone, but with his heart
and mind as well. There must be joy in every act of giving. A distinction
can be made between giving as a normal act of generosity and dana.
In the normal act of generosity a person gives out of compassion and
kindness when he realizes that someone else is in need of help, and he is
in the position to offer the help. When a person performs dana, he
gives as a means of cultivating charity as a virtue and of reducing his
own selfishness and craving. He exercises wisdom when he recalls that dana
is a very important quality to be practised by every Buddhist, and is the
first perfection (paramita)practised by the Buddha in many of His previous
births in search for Enlightenment. A person performs dana in
appreciation of the great qualities and virtues of the Triple Gem.
There are many things
which a person can give. He can give material things: food for the hungry,
and money and clothes to the poor. He can also give his knowledge, skill,
time, energy or effort to projects that can benefit others. He can provide
a sympathetic ear and good counsel to a friend in trouble. He can restrain
himself from killing other beings, and by so doing perform a gift of life
to the helpless beings which would have otherwise been killed. He can also
give a part of his body for the sake of others, such as donating his
blood, eyes, kidney, etc. Some who seek to practise this virtue or are
moved by great compassion or concern for others may also be prepared to
sacrifice their own lives. In His previous births, the Bodhisatta had many
a time given away parts of His body for the sake of others. He had also
given up His life so that others might live, so great was His generosity
and compassion.
But the greatest
testimony to the Buddha's great compassion is His priceless gift to
humanity?the Dhamma which can liberate all beings from suffering. To the
Buddhist, the highest gift of all is the gift of Dhamma. This gift has
great powers to change a life. When a person receives Dhamma with a pure
mind and practices the Truth with earnestness, he cannot fail to change.
He will experience greater happiness, peace and joy in his heart and mind.
If he was once cruel, he becomes compassionate. If he was once revengeful,
he becomes forgiving. Through Dhamma, the hateful becomes more
compassionate, the greedy more generous, and the restless more serene.
When a person has tasted Dhamma, not only will be experience happiness
here and now, but also happiness in the lives hereafter as he journeys to Nibbana.
-ooOoo-
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Source: Buddhist
Study and Practice Group, http://www.sinc.sunysb.edu/Clubs/buddhism/
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Layout: Chan Duc - Nguyen Thao
Update : 01-11-2002
