Dana means giving (gift). It is the first of the ten parami (perfections for ultimate happiness).
Dana is to give generously. Dana can be offered in the form of heartfelt greetings, kind behavior, comforting words, and visible and invisible good deeds enacted physically, verbally, or mentally.
The following are passages from Majjima Nikaya 142:
Fourteen Individual Givings
Ānanda, there are these fourteen gifts to individuals. What fourteen?
- One gives a gift to the Supreme Buddha.
- One gives a gift to a Private Buddha.
- One gives a gift to an Arahant.
- One gives a gift to someone practicing the way to the realization of the fruit of arahantship.
- One gives a gift to a non-returner.
- One gives a gift to someone practicing to realize the fruit of non-return.
- One gives a gift to a once-returner.
- One gives a gift to someone practicing to realize the fruit of once-return.
- One gives a gift to a stream-enterer.
- One gives a gift to someone practicing to the fruit of stream-entry.
- One gives a gift to one outside the Buddha’s path who is free of desire for sense pleasures.
- One gives a gift to a virtuous ordinary person.
- One gives a gift to an immoral ordinary person.
- One gives a gift to an animal.
Returns on a Gift to an Individual
Now, Ānanda, gifts to the following individuals may be expected to yield the following returns.
“Giving a gift to an animal, yields a return a hundred times over.
Giving a gift to an unvirtuous ordinary person, yields a return a thousand times over.
Giving a gift to a virtuous ordinary person, yields a return a hundred thousand times over (100,000).
Giving a gift to an outsider free of desire for sense pleasures, yields a return a trillion times over (1,000,000,000,000).
But giving a gift to someone practicing to realize the fruit of stream-entry yields incalculable, immeasurable returns. How much more so giving a gift to a stream-enterer? How much more so giving a gift to someone practicing to realize the fruit of once-return? How much more so giving a gift to a once-returner? How much more so giving a gift to someone practicing to realize the fruit of non-return? How much more so giving a gift to a non-returner? How much more so giving a gift to someone practicing to realize the fruit of arahantship? How much more so giving a gift to an arahant? How much more so giving a gift to a Private Buddha?
How much more so giving a gift to the Supreme Buddha?
Seven Gifts to the Sangha
One gives a gift to the
- communities of both monks and nuns headed by the Buddha.
- communities of both monks and nuns after the Supreme Buddha has attained final Nibbāna.
- community of monks.
- community of nuns.
- Appoint this many monks and nuns for me from the community.
- Appoint this many monks for me from the community.
- Appoint this many nuns for me from the community.
Therefore, Ānanda, I say that there is no way a gift given to an individual can be more fruitful than giving a gift to the Saṅgha.
The existence of the sangha, which maintains and carries forth the Dhamma is essential.
Therefore, Dhammadana is the highest dana according to Buddha. This is given via Dhamma talks, direct teachings of Dhamma, writing Dhamma letters, donating Dhamma books, supporting Dhamma practice and distributions, etc.
May you cultivate Dana (giving perfection) during life and be happy yourself!
May you accumulate your perfections through dhamma practice!
May you be secured in this life and afterlife through Dana!
Dana (Giving) by Purification
Dhamma Letter No. 27 discussed the analysis of Giving (dana) from Buddha’s discourse. Today’s Dhamma Letter will review the four kinds of dana purification described in the Buddha’s word entitled ‘Four Ways of Purify a Gift’ (Majjima Nikaya 142).
Four Ways of Purifying a Gift (Giving)
- If the giver, not the receiver, is pure in heart, the giver is virtuous and has a good character, but the receiver is not virtuous and has a bad character.
- If the recipient, not the giver, is pure in heart, the giver has no virtue and has a bad character, but the receiver has virtue and a good character.
- If both the giver and the receiver are not pure in heart, this is when both the giver and the receiver are unkind and have a bad character.
- If both the giver and the receiver are pure in heart, this is the time when both the giver and the receiver are virtuous and have good character. These are the four ways of purifying a gift.
When a desireless person gives to the desireless, a gift earned rightfully with a pleasant mind, believing the result of good kamma, that’s truly the best of material gifts.
Therefore, the use and quality of one’s mind in the moment of giving and receiving gifts is essential to its purification. The purer the mind, the better the karmic result with regard to the parami (perfection) of dana.
May you cultivate purification in dhamma during your lifetime!
May your purification lead to wisdom to reach Nibbana (ultimate happiness)!
May you experience happiness through Giving deeds!
With Metta,
Ayyā Kosallā from Dhamma Letter No. 27 & 28
