The Second Treatise on the Perfections – 2617
From what has been said above, it should be well noted how a material object is
an important contributory factor for the arising of volitional generosity. It will
be seen that the various types of generosity which will be described henceforth
include many that relate to objects of offerings.
As a resume of this chapter, it should be remembered that volition is
dāna
because it
[1527]
prompts generosity; the material thing is
dāna
because it is a
suitable thing to give.
3. Characteristics, Functions, etc., of Generosity
1. Generosity has the characteristic (
lakkhaṇa
) of charity (
cāga
).
2. Its function (
kicca-rasa
) is the destruction of attachment to the objects
offered; or it has the property of faultlessness (
sampatti-rasa
).
3. Its manifestation is absence of attachment, a sense of freedom from
attachment that appears in the mind of the supporter, or knowing that
generosity is conducive to good destinations and wealth; on thinking of
the effects of generosity, the supporter senses that his act of generosity
will result in an attainment of rebirth in the human or Deva realm and
an attainment of great wealth.
4. The proximate cause of giving is having the objects offered in one’s
possession. Without having anything to give, there can be no act of
generosity, only imagining that one gives. Thus objects to be offered are
the proximate cause of
dāna
.
4. How Many Types of Generosity are There?
The subject to be dealt with under this topic is quite vast and it entails
considerable exercise of mental alertness and intelligence to study them.
Gifts in Groups of Two
1. Material Gifts and Gifts of the Teaching
There are gifts of material things (
āmisa-dāna
) and gifts of the teaching
(
Dhamma-dāna
).
Offering of material things, such as alms rice, is known as material offerings
(
āmisa-dāna
). It is also called offerings of support (
paccaya-dāna
) when the
things offered are the requisites of monastics.