Glossary
adosa = goodwill
alobha = non-attachment
amoha = knowledge
arahat = one who has broken the spokes
ariya = noble one
citta = consciousness of the senses, awareness of an object
dana = generosity
maha = great
puthujjana = worldling
Dr Mehm Tin Mon explains maha kusala citta in "The Essence of Buddha Abhidhamma " (1995, pp. 36 – 40) as follows:
maha kusala citta
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1. Somanassa - sahagatam nana - sampayuttam asankharikam ekam
2. Somanassa - sahagatam nana - sampayuttam sasankharikam ekam
3. Somanassa - sahagatam nana - vippayuttam asankharikam ekam
4. Somanassa - sahagatam nana - vippayuttam sasankharikam ekam
5. Upekkha - sahagatam nana - sampayuttam asankharikam ekam
6. Upekkha - sahagatam nana - sampayuttam sasankharikam ekam
7. Upekkha - sahagatam nana - vippayuttam asankharikam ekam
8. Upekkha - sahagatam nana - vippayuttam sasankharikam ekam
1. one consciousness, unprompted, accompanied by joy, and associated with knowledge
2. one consciousness, prompted, accompanied by joy, and associated with knowledge
3. one consciousness, unprompted, accompanied by joy, and dissociated with knowledge
4. one consciousness, prompted, accompanied by joy, and dissociated with knowledge
5. one consciousness, unprompted, accompanied by indifference, and associated with knowledge
6. one consciousness, prompted, accompanied by indifference, and associated with knowledge
7. one consciousness, unprompted, accompanied by indifference, and dissociated with knowledge
8. one consciousness, prompted, accompanied by indifference, and dissociated with knowledge
maha-vipaka citta and
maha-kiriya citta
The eight maha-vipaka citta as well as the eight maha-kirya citta are named in the same way as the eight maha-kusala citta. When one wishes to differentiate between the three classes of citta, one may say like this:
(1)somanassa – sahagatam nana – sampayuttam asankharika maha – kusala citta
(2)somanassa – sahagatam nana – sampayuttam asankharika maha – vipaka citta
(3)somanassa – sahagatam nana – sampayuttam asankharika maha kiriya citta
When we practise dana we have non-attachment (alobha) to the alms and goodwill (adosa) for the welfare of the person who receives the alms. Moreover, if we also have knowledge (amoha) of kamma and kamma-result at the time of giving, we have all three wholesome roots to accompany our citta. Wholesome roots will always give rise to sobhana citta.
If we offer alms without being prompted by anyone and if we also feel glad at the time of offering, the cusala citta will be somanassa - sahagatam nana - sampayuttam asankharika maha - kusala citta.
If young children, without knowledge of kamma and kamma-result pay homage joyfully to a monk or a Buddha's image after being prompted by their parents, somanassa - sahagatam nana - vippayuttam sasankharika maha - kusala citta will arise.
Maha-kusala citta arise when ordinary worldlings (puthujjanas) and ariyas with the exception of arahats perform meritorious deeds such as dana.
Maha-kusala citta are the kamma-results of maha-kusala citta of past lives.
Maha-kiriya citta arise in arahats when they perform wholesome deeds. Arahats have no attachment to anything. They expect no rewards from their wholesome deeds. So their kiriya-citta are just functional and will not bear any kamma-results in future lives. Arahats do not have any future life.
The following text is an excerpt from Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh's teaching titled
"THE SECOND PRECEPT: GENEROSITY" (http://members.tripod.com/~Neurotopia/Zen/Teachings/15.html)
Aware of the suffering caused by exploitation, social injustice, stealing, and oppression, I vow to cultivate loving kindness and learn ways to work for the well-being of people, animals, plants, and minerals. I vow to practice generosity by sharing my time, energy, and material resources with those who are in real need. I am determined not to steal and not to possess anything that should belong to others. I will respect the property of others, but I will prevent others from profiting from human suffering or the suffering of other species on Earth.
In the First Precept, we found the word "compassion." Here, we find the words "loving kindness." Compassion and loving kindness are the two aspects of love taught by the Buddha. Compassion, karuna in Sanskrit and Pali, is the intention and capacity to relieve the suffering of another person or living being. Loving kindness, maitri in Sanskrit, metta in Pali, is the intention and capacity to bring joy and happiness to another person or living being. It was predicted by Shakyamuni Buddha that the next Buddha will bear the name Maitreya, the Buddha of Love.
"Aware of the suffering caused by exploitation, social injustice, stealing, and oppression, I vow to cultivate loving kindness and learn ways to work for the well-being of people, animals, plants and minerals." Even with maitri as a source of energy in ourselves, we still need to learn to look deeply in order to find ways to express it. We do it as individuals, and we learn ways to do it as a nation. To promote the well-being of people, animals, plants, and minerals, we have to come together as a community and examine our situation, exercising our intelligence and our ability to look deeply so that we can discover appropriate ways to express our maitri in the midst of real problems.
"I vow to practice generosity by sharing my time, energy, and material resources with those who are in real need." This sentence is clear. The feeling of generosity and the capacity for being generous are not enough. We also need to express our generosity. We may feel that we don't have the time to make people happy - we say, "Time is money," but time is more than money. Life is for more than using time to make money. Time is for being alive, for sharing joy and happiness with others. The wealthy are often the least able to make others happy. Only those with time can do so.
"I am determined not to steal and not to possess anything that should belong to others. I will respect the property of others, but I will prevent others from profiting from human suffering or the suffering of other species on Earth." When you practice one precept deeply, you will discover that you are practicing all five. The First Precept is about taking life, which is a form of stealing -- stealing the most precious thing someone has, his or her life. When we meditate on the Second Precept, we see that stealing, in the forms of exploitation, social injustice, and oppression, are acts of killing -- killing slowly by exploitation, by maintaining social injustice, and by political and economic oppression. Therefore, the Second Precept has much to do with the precept of not killing. We see the "interbeing" nature of the first two precepts. This is true of all Five Precepts. Some people formally receive just one or two precepts. I didn't mind, because if you practice one or two precepts deeply, all Five Precepts will be observed.
The Second Precept is not to steal. Instead of stealing, exploiting, or oppressing, we practice generosity. In Buddhism, we say there are three kinds of gifts. The first is the gift of material resources. The second is to help people rely on themselves, to offer them the technology and know-how to stand on their own feet. Helping people with the Dharma so they can transform their fear, anger, and depression belongs to the second kind of gift. The third is the gift of non-fear. We are afraid of many things. We feel insecure, afraid of being alone, afraid of sickness and dying. To help people not be destroyed by their fears, we practice the third kind of gift-giving.
The Second Precept is a deep practice. We speak of time, energy, and material resources, but time is not only for energy and material resources. Time is for being with others -- being with a dying person or with someone who is suffering. Being really present for even five minutes can be a very important gift. Time is not just to make money. It is to produce the gift of Dharma and the gift of non-fear.
[THICH NHAT HANH is a Zen Buddhist monk, peace activist, scholar, and poet. He is the founder of the Van Hanh Buddhist University in Saigon, has taught at Columbia University and the Sorbonne, and now lives in southern France, where he gardens, works to help those in need, and travels internationally teaching "the art of mindful living." Martin Luther King, Jr., nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967, saying, "I do not personally know of anyone more worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize than this gentle monk from Vietnam."]
The full text can be found at http://members.tripod.com/~Neurotopia/Zen/Teachings/15.html
Bhadantacariya Buddhaghosa states in the Visuddhi Magga (VII, 107, Recollection of Generosity):
One who wants to develop the recollection of generosity should be naturally devoted to generosity and the constant practice of giving and sharing. Or alternatively, if he is on who is starting the development of it, he should make the resolution 'From now on, when there is anyone present to receive, I shall not eat even a single mouthful without having given a gift'. And that very day he should give a gift by sharing according to his means and his ability with those who have distinguished qualities. When he has apprehended the sign in that, he should go into solitary retreat and recollect his own generosity in its special qualities of being free from the stain of avarice, etc.
To raise funds for our Temple is a form of practising generosity.
This practice gives rise to kusala cittas that bear kamma-seeds and will give rise to kamma-results. Thus if we can control our mind to be free from the influence of lobha (greed), dosa (hatred) and moha (delusion), we will have kusala citta.
All Members will assist with planning and actioning our Fundraising Five Year Plan 2003-2008.
Our fundraising is part of our daily, weekly and monthly activities. Fundraising is an ongoing process and is fun when planned effectively.
Members will elect a number of projects they will assist with. Some projects will be a time commitment and others can be integrated into their usual activities.
Three Aspects are:
1)Planning
2)Training
3) Action
Projects:
Gift and Flower Stalls: as per timeline
Raffles: quarterly
Movie Nights: quarterly
Camberwell Market: weekly
Chocolates: yearly Winter
Bulbs: yearly February and March.
Auctions: Founder's Day
Bangladesh Stands: Ongoing, Iska Collection Boxes, Market collection,
Garage Sales:
Dana Jars: Four Monthly
Internet Sales
Direct Debit Donations
Blessed Water
International Members
Bequests
Sourcing Items to Sell at the Camberwell Market
Handing out "Moving House" flyers and collecting goods
Word of Mouth
Donated computer sales
Sourcing Items to Raffle
Cosmetic Companies
Sporting Equipment Companies
Reporting back on projects. Including hot selling items.
developing existing projects
developing new projects.
In how many ways can you practice dana?
References
Bhadantacariya Buddhaghosa, (no date), “The Visuddhi Magga”, translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Nanamoli, Singapore Buddhist Meditation Centre, Singapore.
Dr. Mehm Tin Mon, “The Essence of Buddha Abhidhamma”, publisher Mehm Tay Zar Mon, Yangon, 1995, pp. 36 – 40
Thich Nhat Hanh, "THE SECOND PRECEPT: GENEROSITY,
http://members.tripod.com/~Neurotopia/Zen/Teachings/15.html, accessed 20 October 2003
Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd., Abhidhamma class 10, "Language knowledge mandalas of Abhidhamma", 27 August 2002, our reference LAN2 I:/abhi010.rtf
Our reference: LAN2 I:/abhi070.rtf