The Practice of Giving: How to Practice Giving "Thusly"?
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In DN33, Sariputta discusses eight reasons to give, ranging from least to most skillful. Examine these carefully. They are quite subtle:
DN33:3.1.94: Eight reasons to give. A person might give a gift after insulting the recipient. Or they give out of fear. Or they give thinking, ‘They gave to me.’ Or they give thinking, ‘They’ll give to me.’ Or they give thinking, ‘It’s good to give.’ Or they give thinking, ‘I cook, they don’t. It wouldn’t be right for me to not give to them.’ Or they give thinking, ‘By giving this gift I’ll get a good reputation.’ Or they give thinking, ‘This is an adornment and requisite for the mind.’
Examining the first seven, we see gifts that emphasize personal benefit. Although these gifts may benefit others, they are somewhat unskilled in that the giving is not whole-hearted.
Examining the last, we see "adornment and requisite for the mind." When we give "as an adornment", we give in proportion to others so that we do not induce dependency on the giving. When we give as a requisite for the mind, we give to benefit the recipient in accordance with Buddhist principles. Giving alms food fulfills this. Yet even quietly seeing and picking up litter fulfills this in giving the gift of cleanliness. When we give in this way, we provide benefit effortlessly to all giving as needed without paying attention to the giver, the recipient or what is given.
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Does anyone have any advice in how to practice giving thusly?
I think one needs to closely analyze the meaning of "thusly". It's valid to think of it as practicing charity with a serene, equanimous, AND wise mind. It doesn't mean one just carelessly gives to everyone, even if that means giving to evil people so that they'll have the means to carry on with their evil way. Remember the merits of giving is proportional to not only the mind state of the giver, but also that of the receiver:
[The Buddha:] "I tell you, Vaccha, even if a person throws the rinsings of a bowl or a cup into a village pool or pond, thinking, 'May whatever animals live here feed on this,' that would be a source of merit, to say nothing of what is given to human beings. But I do say that what is given to a virtuous person is of great fruit, and not so much what is given to an unvirtuous person. And the virtuous person has abandoned five factors and is endowed with five". ~~ AN 3.57 ~~
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When something doesn't make any sense even after you considered it carefully for a long time, it might actually be because it doesn't make sense and not because you are unable to make sense of it. Doesn't matter who taught it to you.
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