Why there is limited sharing in Buddhism

Yes, good householder: If either harming others or oneself (e.g. requires to overstep virtue).

Bhante Thanissaro - from: The Buddhas Teachings

Generosity

Generosity is the voluntary giving of a gift. This includes not only material gifts, but also gifts of your time, energy, knowledge, or forgiveness. When the Buddha was asked where a gift should be given, he replied simply, “Wherever the heart feels inspired.” In other words, generosity should be an act of free and voluntary sharing, with no external constraints. The giving of such a gift is a simple and direct lesson in one of the most important principles of kamma: that we can exercise freedom of choice in the present moment and not be slaves to our stinginess.

But even though the Buddha placed no constraints on where a gift should begiven, he was more specific in his advice when asked how and where to give a gift so as to gain the best results. Among his recommendations:

• Choose the gift and the recipient so that you feel joy and satisfaction, before, while, and after giving the gift.
• Give a gift so that it harms no one—in other words, you don’t harm the recipient, and you don’t harm yourself in the giving.
• Show respect and empathy for the recipient, and nurture a sense of conviction that the act of giving is worthwhile.
• Give to a person free from passion, aversion, and delusion, or to someone who is practicing to abandon passion, aversion, and delusion.

The goodness that comes from this sort of gift, the Buddha said, cannot bemeasured. However, even the goodness of this sort of generosity is a small thing compared to the goodness of virtue.

See also the best guide to give not in ways which increase bonds: Giving at the proper time/occasion.

[Note that this isn't given for stacks, exchange, trade... but toward release from those bonds]

It's a general precept in all sects of Buddhism that the dharma should be given freely to any who ask. But at the same time, Buddhism has never been a proselytizing faith — a faith that actively tries to convert people — because it holds that people will only come to the faith when they are ready to hear. Rituals, ceremonious, displays, tourist-like things, etc., are a bridge: they expose the faith to those who may not be ready to hear the dharma.

Ritual and ceremony are art, not practice. But art is nice, too.

There are nuances here. It is not up to any teacher to determine who is ready to hear the dharma, nor is every teacher so awake as to avoid missteps on the path. We should all tread lightly, and graciously.

There was this Vedanta monastery near where I used to live... A beautiful place; I'd go up there whenever I needed a break from the real world. One day they were having a ceremonial feast-day — lots of people milling around with the monks — and I ran into this one guy who told me (in a short conversation) that he was 'looking for the Truth'. He said it with absolute conviction, almost ferocity, so I didn't have the heart to tell him anything I knew he'd reject out of hand. When he loses that craving for 'Truth' he'll be ready to hear. We should all respect that.

On his awakening Buddha's compassion to teach was extended to saintly people who he saw as taintless and could understand his teaching not to everyone. Even in Buddha time the higher teaches was exclusively to the monks who have gone forth.

Quoted below is Ven. Sariputta telling the Anathapindika the householder in his death bed that the teaching on detachment is not given to lay people clad in white.

A learner with undeveloped virtue may or most likely will misunderstand the higher teaching and could loss his / her innate goodness. So there is real danger teaching to everyone the higher teaching of non-self, impermanence alike.

I dare say, website like this and many websites which elaborate and allow unbound discussion on the higher teaching of Buddhism is off-putting to most teachers, and most likely will not get approval had it been present in Buddha time. Website like this are probably doing more damage than good to many.

.... ....

"Then, householder, you should train yourself in this way: 'I won't cling to form... feeling... perception... thought-fabrications; my consciousness will not be dependent on thought-fabrications.' ... 'I won't cling to consciousness; my consciousness will not be dependent on consciousness.' That's how you should train yourself.

"Then, householder, you should train yourself in this way: 'I won't cling to the dimension of the infinitude of space... the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness... the dimension of nothingness; my consciousness will not be dependent on the dimension of nothingness.' ... 'I won't cling to the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception; my consciousness will not be dependent on the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception.' That's how you should train yourself.

"Then, householder, you should train yourself in this way: 'I won't cling to this world; my consciousness will not be dependent on this world... I won't cling to the world beyond; my consciousness will not be dependent on the world beyond.' That's how you should train yourself.

"Then, householder, you should train yourself in this way: 'I won't cling to what is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, attained, sought after, pondered by the intellect; my consciousness will not be dependent on that.' That's how you should train yourself."

**When this was said, Anathapindika the householder wept and shed tears. Ven. Ananda said to him, "Are you sinking, householder? Are you foundering?"

"No, venerable sir. I'm not sinking, nor am I foundering. It's just that for a long time I have attended to the Teacher, and to the monks who inspire my heart, but never before have I heard a talk on the Dhamma like this."

"This sort of talk on the Dhamma, householder, is not given to lay people clad in white. This sort of talk on the Dhamma is given to those gone forth."

"In that case, Ven. Sariputta, please let this sort of talk on the Dhamma be given to lay people clad in white. There are clansmen with little dust in their eyes who are wasting away through not hearing [this] Dhamma. There will be those who will understand it."

Then Ven. Sariputta and Ven. Ananda, having given this instruction to Anathapindika the householder, got up from their seats and left. Then, not long after they left, Anathapindika the householder died and reappeared in the Tusita heaven. Then Anathapindika the deva's son, in the far extreme of the night, his extreme radiance lighting up the entirety of Jeta's Grove, went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, bowed down to him and stood to one side.

https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/MN/MN143.html

Teaching of the Dhamma (the teachings of the Buddha) to those who need it, by those who are qualified to do so, is considered the best gift anyone can give to others.

From Iti 100:

"There are these two kinds of gifts: a gift of material things & a gift of the Dhamma. Of the two, this is supreme: a gift of the Dhamma.

"There are these two kinds of sharing: sharing of material things & sharing of the Dhamma. Of the two, this is supreme: sharing of the Dhamma.

"There are these two kinds of assistance: assistance with material things & assistance with the Dhamma. Of the two, this is supreme: help with the Dhamma.

"There are these two kinds of mass-donations: a mass-donation of material things & a mass-donation of the Dhamma. Of the two, this is supreme: a mass-donation of the Dhamma."

However, only those who can appreciate the Dhamma (teachings) should be taught it. There is no use trying to teach the Dhamma to one who cannot appreciate it.

From SN 9.3:

Now at that time Venerable Kassapagotta, having withdrawn for his day’s meditation, tried to advise a tribal hunter. Then the deity haunting that forest approached Kassapagotta wanting to stir him up, and recited these verses:

“A tribal hunter wandering the rugged hills
is unintelligent, unthinking.
It’s a waste of time to advise him;
this mendicant seems to me like an idiot.

The tribal hunter listens without understanding,
he looks without seeing.
Though the teaching is spoken,
the fool doesn’t get it.

Even if you lit ten lamps
and brought them to him, Kassapa,
he wouldn’t see anything,
for he has no eyes to see.”

Impelled by that deity, Venerable Kassapagotta was struck with a sense of urgency.

Furthermore, the Patimokkha, the rules for Theravada Buddhist monks and nuns, restricts teaching to only people who are respectful to the teacher - details can be found in this answer.

So, these are the limitations to sharing in Buddhism:

• The Dhamma should be taught only by one who is qualified to teach it
• The Dhamma should be taught only to those who can appreciate it
• The Dhamma should be taught only to those who are respectful to the teacher