Buddhist Hour
Script No. 437
Broadcast live on 3MDR 97.1FM
9 PM to 10 PM
On Friday 21 July 2006 CE 2550 Buddhist Era

This script is entitled:
"Lifetimes of Learning "
Class 4

This evening we'll continue exploring The Perfection of Generosity ( dana-parami), the first of the Ten Perfections.

We will usually start by examining why we practice something before we talk about how to practice it. If we don't understand the need to do something, learning how to do it is pointless.

Using wealth as an example, there is something very clear about a bank account - we can see exactly how much money is in it and we recognise the purchasing power of the amount of money instantly.

As it starts getting low we see it, we can work out how much money to put in it to cover our needs. This process is so clear that we can plan our financial security into our old age. We track and respond to the balance in our account very closely because we recognise the dependence we have on it.

The Buddha taught that our life itself and everything that comes to us depends on another type of savings - it is the savings of our actions made by us in the past, our past kamma savings. Everything we receive, both the good things and the unpleasant or unfortunate, come to us from the kamma made by us in the past - including the money in our bank account.

We may know about the Buddha's teachings on kamma but because we don't perceive the law of kamma directly as we live our life, it is very difficult to absorb its true significance. Unfortunately for us we cannot print a statement of the contents of our kammic savings account. We don't have the pin number.

But the Buddha and beings who have clear vision, insight and knowledge about the way things work can see with their minds this type of kammic savings account does exist ( alaya consciousness) and that for all beings, from the day we are born in whatever birth we have, we are drawing on its savings in many, many areas. Since we cannot see this situation ourselves, beings such as Buddha, Jesus and other great spiritual Masters advise us and teach us to do many good things in our life to accumulate the vast stores of good kamma we need to help secure our future happiness and wellbeing.

At some point along the Buddhist Path practitioners see for themselves how the Law of Kamma works. At that point practicing generosity is not something they do from time to time, when it comes to mind. There is a continual awareness and knowledge of the dependence we all have on making many, many good actions every day to ensure our kammic savings account grows larger as we get older rather than become nearly empty as we reach old age.

As we have never been able to view the balance of our kammic savings accounts for ourselves we rely on the conventional view of reality to determine our choices and decisions.

Our conventional view of reality may say that we acquire our wealth through our paid work, for example. We may feel it to be obvious that if we work more or work harder or work better, increasing wealth will come.

The Buddha taught that the wealth we receive comes from past causes, past generosity. If work was the true cause everybody would get wealth from work all the time. That's what cause means - it means the results never vary. That is the proof that our paid work, whatever the amount, whatever the quality, whatever the type, is not the true cause of wealth. If something is a true cause, when the cause is made, the result must occur all the time, the same for everybody.

Buddha says the reason why we receive wealth in the first place, no matter how we received it, comes from something totally different to what is happening when we get the money. Why we get the money comes from something else, how we get the money is we work and get paid for it.

The Buddha is describing another level of reality which we do not perceive due to our minds not knowing the true nature of reality. He is talking from the point of view of knowing absolute reality.

Many other persons in the world, who also don't know about their kammic past, work extremely hard yet live in pervading poverty. Actually they are doing much the same things as we are to get wealth, but from the absolute point of view, because of lack of past generosity, or because of other negative causes made negatively affecting the wealth of others, they have far too few kammic causes (seeds) available to them to germinate into sufficient wealth.

So from a Buddhist viewpoint we have to understand and look after the conventional reality as we already do, but the reason we are not getting great happiness and joy and everything else we may want to experience is because we are not looking after the absolute reality as well. We need to understand and look after both, especially because they operate in conjunction with each other.

Mr. Tan Aun Phaik quotes a sutta in his book titled Dana,

"Once when Maha Sariputta Maha Arahant visited the Buddha, the former asked the Supreme Master this question: 'O Blessed One.... (Listed here for easy reading)

(1)'.... Why do some people who carry out a lawful business turn out to be a failure?

(2) 'Why do some people fail to achieve what they intended to achieve from their business?

(3) 'Why do some people succeed in achieving in business what they had intended to achieve?

(4) 'Why do some people's businesses prosper beyond their expectations?;

The Buddha answered:

(1) 'In this matter, Sariputta, suppose a person comes to a Bhikkhu and said, 'Venerable Sir, say what you require as a support for your way of life, and I will fulfill your needs.' [And the Bhikkhu made known the requirements.] However, that person does not fulfill what he had offered to help. The result of such an action will be: In the future, whatever trade he practices will turn out a failure.

(2) 'Again, Sariputta, suppose a person comes to a Bhikkhu and said, 'Venerable Sir, say what you require as a support for your way of life, and I will fulfill your needs.' However, that person did not give the Bhikkhu what he intended to give [perhaps, giving a poor substitute]. The result of such an action will be: In the future, whatever trade he practices will not turn out as he intended.

(3) 'Again, Sariputta, suppose a person comes to a Bhikkhu and said, 'Venerable Sir, say what you require as a support for your way of life and I will fulfill your needs.' That person gives what he intends to give. The result of such an action will be: In the future, whatever trade that he practices will turn out as he intended.

(4) 'Again, Sariputta, suppose a person comes to a Bhikkhu and said, 'Venerable Sir, say what you require as a support for your way of life and I will fulfill your needs.' That persons gives more than what he intended to give. The result will be: In future whatever trade he may practice, it will prosper beyond his expectation.

'These, Sariputta, are the reasons, the causes why....'. (Phaik, 1990)

Is it any wonder, according to the Pali Suttas:

'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 of renunciation.’ (Bodhi, 1990) 2.

Our Centre runs flowers stalls four times a year to raise funds. Our Teacher John Hughes wrote if people really understood the benefits of giving flowers our flower stalls would be sold out of stock by 9.00am in the morning.

From a Buddhist viewpoint there is another indispensable aspect of generosity which relates to our future happiness and wellbeing.

Bhikkhu Bodhi writes:

‘Viewed as the quality of generosity, giving has a particularly intimate connection to the entire movement of the Buddha's path. For the goal of the path is the destruction of greed, hate and delusion, and the cultivation of generosity directly debilitates greed and hate, while facilitating that pliancy of mind that allows for the eradication of delusion.’ (Bodhi, 1990)

If we just practiced generosity without any other purpose than accumulating causes for worldly wealth and comfort, we could be born rich over and over or live in sensual heavens for long periods of time. Once all this good kamma has been used up however, our real situation is the same as it always was. Clouded by ignorance we are still caught in the processes that produce all our sufferings.

Therefore our practice of generosity should be directed towards helping us to become free from suffering by reducing our craving and selfishness.

So what is the difference between practicing generosity and practicing the Perfection of Generosity? To practice generosity as a Perfection means to practice generosity for the purpose of removing greed and craving.

Venerable K. Sri Dhammananda writes:

‘People crave for pleasant experiences, crave for material things, crave for eternal life, and when disappointed, crave for eternal death. They are not only attached to sensual pleasures, wealth and power, but also to ideas, views, opinions, concepts and beliefs. And craving is linked to ignorance, that is, not seeing things as they really are, or failing to understand the reality of experience and life. Under the delusion of self and not realising anatta (not self), a person clings to things which are impermanent, changeable, perishable. The failure to satisfy one's desires through these things causes disappointments and suffering.’ (Dhammananda, 1999)

Nina Van Gorkom writes in her essay Generosity: The Inward Dimension:

‘The giving away of useful or pleasant things is an act of generosity. However, if we only pay attention to the outward deeds we do not know whether or not we are being sincerely generous. We should learn more about the mind which motivates our deeds. True generosity is difficult. While we are giving, our thoughts may not all be good and noble. Our motives for giving may not all be pure. We may give with selfish motives - expecting something in return, hoping to be liked by the receiver or our gift, wanting to be known as a generous person. We may notice that there are different thoughts at different moments, some truly generous, and others having different motives.’ (Gorkom, 1990)

Firstly we need to consider how to greatly increase the effect created by our generosity so that we make many powerful causes for our future happiness and wellbeing and secondly, by having the right attitude how this practice of generosity can reduce our stinginess, greed and craving.

S. Jootla writes:

‘Giving yields benefits in the present life and in lives to come whether or not we are aware of the fact, but when the volition is accompanied by understanding, we can greatly increase the merits earned by our gifts.’ (Jootla, 1990)

There is a story in the Buddhist texts about a young boy named Priyadarshi. He knew about the Buddha and had great respect and love for him. One day, unexpectedly, he had an opportunity to meet the Buddha face to face. Immediately he wanted to make offerings to the Buddha and pay respect to the great man.

As he looked around for something to offer he realised he had nothing to give. He was not carrying anything to offer yet in his heart his wish to give something to the Buddha was so strong that he bent down and scooped up a handful of dirt from the ground. As the Buddha looked at him Priyadarshi offered the dirt with his heart filled with love, joy and respect.

As the Buddha blessed Priyadarshi he said that his offering would bring him to many lives of great wealth and good fortune because of the way the offering was done. His offering was done with strong volition to give accompanied by heartfelt generosity, gratitude, and joy.

Lily de Silva writes in her essay entitled Giving in the Pali Canon:

‘Another sutta (A.iii,336) maintains that it is not possible to estimate the amount of merit that accrues when an offering is endowed with six particular characteristics. Three of the characteristics belong to the donor while three belong to the donee. The doner should be happy at the thought of giving prior to making the offering. He should be pleased at the time of making the offering, and he should be satisfied after the offering is made. Thus the nobility of thought - without a trace of greed before, during and after the offering - makes a gift truly great. The recipients also should be free from lust, hatred and delusion, or they should have embarked on a course of training for the elimination of these mental depravities. When an almsgiving is endowed with these qualities of the donor and donee, the merit is said to be as immeasurable as the waters in the ocean.’ (de Silva, 1990)

The Buddha's Teachings are practised with our body, speech and mind. Generosity as part of Buddha Dhamma practice is performed with body, speech and mind.

In the Dhammapada, the Buddha taught:

'Should a person perform good,
He should do it again and again;
He should find pleasure therein;
For blissful is the accumulation of good.'

'Think not lightly of good, saying,
It will not come near to me -
Even by the falling of drops a water-jar is filled.
Likewise the wise man, gathering little by little,
Fills himself with good.'
(Trans. Buddharakita)

By now you may be convinced that practicing generosity is important to your future well being and happiness, even more so when you develop the right attitude at the time of giving. But how are you going to get enough time or money or things to give? Where are you going to get all these opportunities to practice such high levels of generosity?

The answer is you've already got them. Your life already has enormous opportunities to give to others regularly. When you have the right attitude to the countless generous actions you are already doing in your life, these actions will be transformed into much stronger causes for your happiness and wellbeing. Turn the mundane, common place things you do many times everyday into the exact things you need to increase your happiness and wellbeing.

It's a matter of remembering to not see your life as just getting things done, recognise that many of the things you are getting done are your acts of generosity to others. Change from looking at your life in the old habitual way of living.

The statements listed below are prompts for you to see different aspects of generosity anew. Some you may already be familiar with. They can be done at home, at work or wherever you meet with others.

Give whatever you can - even if it is one stick of incense.

In your mind offer light to others when you turn on the lights in a room so they can see things clearly.

When you turn on the heater or air conditioner offer the comfort, heat to warm others when they are cold, cool air to cool others when they are hot.

When you pay the gas bill, electricity bill, the water bill, etc. - offer the water you are paying for with the intention to increase the long life, strength, health, cleanliness, beauty, and alertness of the others in your home. That is what they actually receive from the water you are providing.

When someone needs a stamp offer them one so they have ease of communication.

Give regularly to others. Give time, give help, give friendship, and give love.

Take flowers from your garden whenever you visit any person or organisation, even to your doctor or dentist. This makes good kammic connections to health, medicine, and doctors.

When you put flowers on the table offer them to everybody for their enjoyment and pleasure.

When you turn on the news on TV offer the program to the others with the intention that they receive good information.

When you are driving and someone wants to cut in front of you, offer them that space. Give to them freely, without annoyance - see this as an opportunity to build your generous heart and be kind to others. Reduce your stinginess where it normally appears to be justified.

Offer a friend a hat when they are working in the sunshine, or whatever it is that they really need. Have the intention, "May this hat protect you from harm and discomfort."

When you clean offer the clean environment you have created to others so that they always have good clean places to live in.

When shopping for the family offer the things you have bought to them for their wellbeing and all the benefits they obtain from those items.

When paying tax, offer the tax you earned from your efforts to all persons living in Australia. Recollect all the things that tax money goes toward such as education and education resources, health care and medicines, roads, transportation systems, law and order, peaceful government, our welfare systems, pensions, and so on. Having recollected those things offer them in your mind to all the persons living in Australia.

Offer food or gifts regularly to Buddhist monks or nuns, to your Mother and Father, other persons, birds and animals - do whatever you can. Give your food scraps to the possums.

Offer things you no longer need to the local opportunity shop or even to our centre. Every week we run a fundraising stall at Camberwell Market selling donated second hand goods. Some of the items donated to us we give away to persons who are in need of them.

On one occasion Members of the Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd sent a few hundred ball point pens to an orphanage overseas because the orphans found it very difficult to obtain them locally. The cost of this gift to us was quite small.

The practice of generosity counteracts meanness and selfishness about possessions. Practicing giving things away, especially the things we like, eases our grasping nature.

The Anguttara-Nikaya iv.239 reads:

’The worthy man (or woman)... gives clean (things), what is choice, proper, at fitting time, and with care; he (she) gives repeatedly; and giving calms his (her) mind; after giving he (she) is glad...these are the eight gifts of a good man (or woman).’ (Hare, 1989)

Give like you were giving to your child. Give like you were giving to your love. Give like you were receiving the gift. Give completely. Give freely. Once given it belongs completely to the other person. It is no longer your property.

If the person then damages or throws away what they received from you, it should not raise any pain or concern in your mind. If it does, maybe you still have an idea that it belongs to you. You may have not given the object freely.

You give someone some chocolates. They put them away. You say to yourself. "They should have shared the chocolates with everyone". In this case you have not offered the gift freely or completely. Your mind still thinks it has a say over the object you gave away, that it still belongs to you.

Generate joy for the person receiving the gift. Be happy for their good fortune. Praise them for making the good causes to receive this gift. See yourself as the connector between them and their good merit. What you are giving them is coming from your merit and then from their merit, yet by you doing the giving, you are able to make good causes, to develop your practice of giving and to make merit.

May the merits of this gift of the Dhamma be shared by all beings so that they may understand the benefits of giving wisely and practicing the Perfection of Generosity.

This script was prepared and edited by Julian Bamford, Anita Carter, Frank Carter, and Alec Sloman.

Carter, A., Carter F., Sloman A. 2006. Lifetimes of Learning, a Do-It-Yourself Approach to Happiness. Volume (Class) #4. Published by the Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd., 33 Brooking Street, Upwey, Victoria 3158.

1. Phaik, Tan Aun. 1990. Dana; Making a Treasure Store of Boons. Published by Perniagaan Juta Ria, Penang.

2. Bhikkhu Bodhi Ed.; Jootla, S.; de Silva, L.; Gorkom, N.; et al. Dana; The Practice of Giving. Published Online by the Buddhist Publication Society (Sri Lanka), www.accesstoinsight.org.

3. Dhammananda, K Sri. 1999. What Buddhists Believe. 10th Edition. Publication of the Yayasan Belia Buddhist Malaysia. 129 Jlan Seang Tek, 10400 Pulau Pinang. p. 77.

4. Translated by Buddharakita. The Dhammapada. Published by Sukhi Hotu Sdn Bhd, I-A2, First Floor, Mayang Plaza, Jalan SS26/9, Tamang Mayang Jaya 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darol Ehsan, Malaysia.

5. Hare, E. M. 1989. Gradual Sayings IV [Anguttara-Nikaya], Pali Text Society, Oxford. p 318.

Word count: 3,417

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