1.E: Buddhist Expression of Charity

[Full title: The Concept of Dāna and its Understanding in the Indian Context (E): Buddhist Expression of Charity]

In buddhist literature, the concept of dāna was well-perceived, but it was quite different from the dharmaśāstrīya point of view. The idea of donating and receiving a gift was at the zenith of the philanthropic buddhist doctrine of dāna. Dāna formed the base of the relationship between the monk and the householder. Pāli literature mentions dāna as amisādānam (the gift of temporal blessings) and dhammadānam (the gift of spiritual blessings).^[1] Here dāna was used more in the sense of charity or almsgiving instead of formal or ritualistic gifts. As we discussed earlier, Dharmaśāstras refer to dānaa s a saṃskāra where the focus was on the donor, the donee, the types, time and place of dāna, instead of the virtue of giving the gift.

They were more concerned about the internal transformation of both the donor and the donee.^[2] In buddhist doctrine dāna was designated more towards house owners. There were three different ways described in those works through which they could acquire merits (puṇya), such as dāna, sīia (ethical practice) and bhāvanā.

According to the buddhist doctrine, the best way of gaining merit is dāna. Dāna should be given because of compassion (anukampā) according to buddhist doctrine and theory.^[3] In contrast the Mahābhārata and others have mentioned that the desire for merit (puṇya), fear, free choice, profit, saṃskāra, etc. can be the reason for giving charity.^[4] May be there were reasons for such glorification of dāna in this case of Buddhism, as for their survival, the buddhist monks were highly dependent on dāna. Besides, the grief of the poor can be eased to some extent through regular or occasional charities.

There are extensive descriptions of the types and norms of dāna in early buddhist as well as vedic and post-vedic literature. For example, as discussed above, the buddhist literature talks of dhammadāna that is the gift of spiritual blessings.There are ten domains of meritorious actions (ten punnakiriyavatthu), these are dāna (charity), sīla (morality), bhāvanā (meditation), apacayanā (giving due respect to others), veyyavaca (rendering service and assistance), patti- dāna (sharing merits), pattanumodhana (rejoicing at and appreciation of merits of others), dhammassavana (listening to the dhamma), dhammadesana (teaching the dhamma to others), ditthijukamma (right belief). And there are two types of dāna, according to the buddhists, viz.,

1. Cetanā dāna:

Cetanā, volition, is a cetasika that arises with every citta, as we see or hear. Cetanā accompanies thinking which occurs at this instant. Every type of cetanā performs the function of coordinating the different tasks of the accompanying dhammas, no matter whether the citta is kusalacitta, akusalacitta, vipākacitta or kiriyacitta. ‘volition’, will, is one of the seven mental factors (cetasika) inseparably linked with all consciousness, namely sensorial or mental impression (phassa), feeling (vedanā), perception (saññā), volition (cetanā), concentration (samādhi), vitality (jīvita), advertence (manasikāra).

2. Vātthu dāna (vāstu, site, ground, field, plot, or land):

The gift of the dhamma excels all gifts; the taste of the dhamma excels all tastes; delight in the dhamma excels all delights. The eradication of craving (attainment of arhatship: the state of having achieved enlightenment) overcomes all ills (saṃsāra dukkha).^[5]

The Chinese traveller Xuan Zang, who visited India in the seventh century CE during the reign of Haṣavardhana, recorded the king’s generous sharing of his wealth with his people. Persian historian Albiruni mentions the practice of charity among Indians, as he observed during his stay in India (c. 1017 CE to 1033CE). He wrote, “It is obligatory with them (Brahmanicals) every day to give alms as much as possible.”^[6] The Mitākṣarā, a commentary on the Yājñavalkyasmṛti by Vijñāneśvara, composed under the patronage of the Cālukya dynasty in 11^th century CE includes a discussion on dāna in the section on ācāra (ethical behavior).^[7] Only when the gift was accepted mentally, vocally, or physically is the act of dāna considered complete.

In this context, P.V. Kane cited from this commentary i.e Mitākṣarā that one should accept a deerskin by touching it on the hairy side, the cow by its tail, an elephant by the trunk and the horse by its mane, a female by touching her head and land by enjoying its produce.^[8] It was further enumerated by the law books that pratigraha meant not just acceptance but had to be reciprocated with unseen spiritual results (puṇya).^[9]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Vijay Nath, op. cit., p. 17.

[2]:

Ellison Banks Findly, Dana-Giving and Getting in Pali Buddhism, p. 182.

[3]:

Ibid., p. 199.

[4]:

Vijay Nath, op. cit., p. 26.

[5]:

Ashin Janakabhivamsa, Abhidhamma in Daily Life, eng. trans. Ko Lay, revised Sayadaw U Silananda.

[6]:

Alberuni, India, ed. and eng. trans. E.C. Sachau, vol. II, chap. LXVII, On Alms and how a man must spend what he earns, pp. 149-150.

[7]:

Maria Heim, Theories of the Gift in Medieval South Asia: Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain, p. 6.

[8]:

P.V. Kane, op. cit., pp. 841-42.

[9]:

Ibid., p. 842.