what is dana in buddhism

Dana in Buddhism: Story and Significance.

• Dana Ceremonies. Dana is performed by Buddhists through different gift ceremonies. ...
• Sangha Dana. Sangha Dana is the ceremony of giving gifts to the Bhikkhu Sangha. ...
• Sangha Dana Pictures. To perform Sangha Dana, Bhikkhu Sangha is to be invited first. ...
• Significance of Gift Ceremony. ...
• Quality of the Recipient of Gifts. ...
• Types of Dana. ...

Full Answer

What is Dana or generosity in Buddhism?

The word Dana is a Sanskrit and Pali word which means giving something unconditionally with an open heart. It is an ancient practice in Buddhism for cultivating generosity. Generosity is encouraged in most religions of the world But Dana or generosity in Buddhism is the basic foundation of Buddhist practice.

What is the perfection of giving (Dana)?

Dana is a Sanskrit and Pali word meaning generosity or giving. In Buddhism, it also refers to the practice of cultivating generosity. Ultimately, the practice culminates in one of the Perfections ( paramitas ): the Perfection of Giving ( dana-paramita ). This can be characterized by unattached and unconditional generosity, giving and letting go.

What is dāna and why is it important?

What is Dāna? We have the precious opportunity to benefit from the teachings of awakening thanks to dāna. “Dāna” (pron. dahna) is a Sanskrit and Pali word meaning “generosity” or “giving.” In Buddhism, it also refers to the practice of cultivating generosity.

What is Sangha Dana and why is it important?

Sangha Dana is the ceremony of giving gifts to the Bhikkhu Sangha. Giving gifts to a Sangha is more fruitful than giving to a monk. Giving is one of the essential primary moves in Buddhists practice. Hence, Sangha Dana is a significant religious event for Buddhists.

Why is Dana important?

In Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, dāna is the practice of cultivating generosity. It can take the form of giving to an individual in distress or need. It can also take the form of philanthropic public projects that empower and help many.

How do you give Dana?

Practice of cultivating generosity (Dāna) is an integral aspect of Buddhist practice. Giving with an open and generous heart allows the giver to practice renunciation and letting go of his/her attachment towards possessions, which facilitates the letting go of various ways the mind holds onto self-view.

What are the 3 gems in Buddhism?

Triratna, (Sanskrit: “Three Jewels”) Pali Ti-ratana, also called Threefold Refuge, in Buddhism the Triratna comprises the Buddha, the dharma (doctrine, or teaching), and the sangha (the monastic order, or community).

What is Love called in Buddhism?

Maitrī (Sanskrit; Pali: mettā) means benevolence, loving-kindness, friendliness, amity, good will, and active interest in others. It is the first of the four sublime states (Brahmaviharas) and one of the ten pāramīs of the Theravāda school of Buddhism.

What is the Buddhist gift?

Gifts are whatever is most needed by the particular person, and range from the simplest material ones (food, clothing, shelter) to the more self-demanding (helpful communication, education, personal time, even one's life) to the subtler and ultimately more valuable (fearlessness, Buddhism itself).

What did Buddha say about giving?

According to the Buddha, the ideal conditions of giving are to give a pure gift, with pure intentions to a pure recipient. A pure gift would be giving a gift that is proper: meaning proper for the time, person, circumstance, etc. and is earned by honest means.

What is the 3 universal truths?

The Three Universal Truths: 1. Everything is impermanent and changing 2. Impermanence leads to suffering, making life imperfect 3. The self is not personal and unchanging.

Does nirvana mean death?

Nirvana does not mean death. Nirvana is when a person, characteristically an enlightened Buddhist monk, has spent all their karma and will no longer be reborn. One cannot attain nirvana while alive, though. The last stage in the attainment of nirvana, called parinirvana, happens only at the time of death.

What are the 5 precepts in Buddhism?

The Five PreceptsRefrain from taking life. Not killing any living being. ... Refrain from taking what is not given. Not stealing from anyone.Refrain from the misuse of the senses. Not having too much sensual pleasure. ... Refrain from wrong speech. ... Refrain from intoxicants that cloud the mind.

Can Buddhists eat meat?

Many Buddhists interpret this to mean that you should not consume animals, as doing so would require killing. Buddhists with this interpretation usually follow a lacto-vegetarian diet. This means they consume dairy products but exclude eggs, poultry, fish, and meat from their diet.

How many wives can Buddhist have?

Under Burmese Buddhist law, a man has the right to take more than one wife, but a wife cannot legally take more than one husband.

Can Buddhist have tattoos?

There are no rules or laws in Buddhism against having tattoos. Many people do believe that it's the heart's intentions that matter the most when looking to get a tattoo as a Buddhist. Buddhism has evolved over the years, however, the four noble truths remain the pillars of Buddhism around the world today.

How many gems of Buddhism are there?

Three JewelsIn Tibetan Buddhism there are three refuge formulations, the Outer, Inner, and Secret forms of the Three Jewels. The 'Outer' form is the 'Triple Gem', (Sanskrit:triratna), the 'Inner' is the Three Roots and the 'Secret' form is the 'Three Bodies' or trikaya of a Buddha.

What is the Noble Triple Gem in Buddhism?

' In fact, so important are the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, they're referred to as the Triratna, or the Triple Gem of Buddhism. To proclaim devotion to these three things is to be a Buddhist.

What are the three jewels and why are they important?

Also called the Triple Gems or Triratna, the Sanskrit word for three jewels. Buddha, dharma, and sangha are primary acts of the Buddhist faith that create the learning journey towards nirvana.

The Paramis and generosity

Dāna is the first of what are called the Six Paramita or Perfections: generosity, ethics, patience, joyful effort, concentration and wisdom. Through our conscious efforts, every being “perfects” each of these virtues on the path to awakening.

Reciprocating the generosity of Teachers

Anyone who has studied closely with an enlightened teacher has been greatly humbled and inspired by their teachers’ tremendous dāna combined with compassion: our teachers tirelessly exert themselves to relieve us from our ignorance and suffering and help us move along the path of awakening — even as we kick and scream, drag our feet, and generally get in our own way!.

The greatest gift is applying the Teachings

There is no question that the greatest gift to a teacher is diligent application of the teachings. That said, our generosity to our dharma teachers and meditation centres here and now is a precious opportunity for us to be a part of making the teachings available to beings everywhere, on an ongoing basis.

Number

Maximum number of Dāna are given away during last rites ( rituals performed for Death ceremony ).

in Hindu Law

Hindu law breaks the giving and receiving of gifts down by caste, as it does other activities.

What are the qualities of a donor?

He believes in the possibility of the moral and spiritual perfection of man. In short, he is not a materialist, and he has faith in the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha. He is not merely a giver (dayako), he is a lordly giver (danapati). The commentary explains the concept of "lordly giver" in the following words: "He who himself enjoys delicious things but gives to others what is not delicious is a donor who is a slave to the gifts he gives. He who gives things of the same quality as he himself enjoys is one who is like a friend of the gift. He who satisfies himself with whatever he can get but gives delicacies to others is a lordly giver, a senior and a master of the gifts given."

Who was the brahman in the basket of conduct?

In one of these lifetimes he was a brahman named Sankha who saw a Paccekabuddha, or non-teaching enlightened one, walking barefoot on a desert path. Sankha thought to himself, "Desiring merit, seeing one eminently worthy of a gift of faith, if I do not give him a gift, I will dwindle in merit." So the brahman, who had a very delicate constitution, presented his sandals to the Paccekabuddha even though his own need for them was greater (Division I, Story 2).

What determines the kammic fruitfulness of a gift?

The purity of the recipient is another factor which helps determine the kammic fruitfulness of a gift. The worthier the receiver, the greater the benefits that will come to the donor; hence it is good to give to the holiest people available. The Buddha teaches that the worthiest recipients of gifts are the ariyas, the noble ones, such as the Buddha himself and those of his disciples who have reached supramundane paths and fruits; for it is their purity of mind, attained by wisdom, that makes the act of giving capable of yielding abundant benefits. Therefore, to earn the maximum merit, we should give as much as we can, and as often as possible, to the noble ones. Gifts to a bhikkhu who strives for the state of a noble one, or to a Buddhist meditator who lives by the Five Precepts, will also yield bountiful results.

What is the practice of giving?

The practice of giving is universally recognized as one of the most basic human virtues, a quality that testifies to the depth of one's humanity and one's capacity for self-transcendence. In the teaching of the Buddha, too, the practice of giving claims a place of special eminence, one which singles it out as being in a sense ...

Who said giving with understanding and discretion is wise?

Giving with understanding and discretion is praised by the Buddha (viceyyadanam sugatappasattham). If a gift contributes to the well-being of the donee it is wise to give. But if the gift is detrimental to the welfare of the donee one should be careful to exercise one's discretion.

Does giving appear in the Eightfold Path?

Strictly speaking, giving does not appear in its own right among the factors of the Noble Eightfold Path, nor does it enter among the other requisites of enlightenment (bodhipakkhiya dhamma). Most probably it has been excluded from these groupings because the practice of giving does not by its own nature conduce directly and immediately to the arising of insight and the realization of the Four Noble Truths. Giving functions in the Buddhist discipline in a different capacity. It does not come at the apex of the path, as a factor constituent of the process of awakening, but rather it serves as a basis and preparation which underlies and quietly supports the entire endeavor to free the mind from the defilements.

What is Dana Paramita?

Dana paramita is sometimes translated "perfection of generosity." A generous spirit is about more than just giving to charity. It is a spirit of responding to the world and giving what is needed and appropriate at the time.

What is the meaning of "dana paramita"?

Paramitas. Giving with pure motivation is called dana paramita (Sanskrit), or dana parami (Pali), which means "perfection of giving .". There are lists of perfections that vary somewhat between Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism, but dana, giving, is the first perfection on every list. The perfections might be thought of as strengths or virtues ...

What do monks wear to give alms?

In Japan, when monks carry out traditional alms begging, they wear huge straw hats that partly obscure their faces. The hats also prevent them from seeing the faces of those giving them alms. No giver, no receiver; this is pure giving.

What does attachment mean in the world?

But, sorting the world into subjects and objects is a delusion. Attachment, then, comes from a habit of mind that sorts the world into "me" and "everything else.". Attachment leads to possessiveness and a tendency to manipulate everything, including people, to your own personal advantage.

What did Buddha teach about giving?

The Buddha taught that when we give to others, we give without expectation of reward. We give without attaching to either the gift or the recipient. We practice giving to release greed and self-clinging.

What is the importance of giving to Buddhism?

Giving is essential to Buddhism. Giving includes charity, or giving material help to people in want. It also includes giving spiritual guidance to those who seek it and loving kindness to all who need it. However, one's motivation for giving to others is at least as important as what is given.

Does Buddhism say to avoid attachment?

In Buddhism, to avoid attachment doesn't mean we can't have any friends. Quite the opposite, actually. Attachment can only happen when there are at least two separate things -- an attacher, and something to attach to. But, sorting the world into subjects and objects is a delusion.

Overview

Hinduism

Dāna (Sanskrit: दान) means giving, often in the context of donation and charity. In other contexts, such as rituals, it can simply refer to the act of giving something. Dāna is related to and mentioned in ancient texts with concepts of Paropakāra (परोपकार) which means benevolent deed, helping others; Dakshina (दक्षिणा) which means gift or fee one can afford; and Bhiksha (भिक्षा), which means alms.

Buddhism

Jainism

Sikhism

See also

Further reading

External links