'almsgiving', liberality, offering.
"He who gives alms, bestows a fourfold blessing: he helps to
long life, good appearance, happiness and strength. Therefore long life, good
appearance, happiness and strength will be his share, whether amongst heavenly
beings or amongst men" (A.IV.57).
"Five blessings accrue to the giver of alms:
Seven further blessings are given in A.VII.54.
Liberality, especially the offering of robes, food, etc., to
the monks, is highly praised in all Buddhist countries of Southern Asia as a
fundamental virtue and as a means to suppress man's inborn greed and egoism.
But, as in any other good or bad action, so also in offering gifts, it is the
noble intention and intention that really counts as the action, not the mere
outward deed.
Almsgiving or liberality (dāna), constitutes the
first. kind of meritorious activity, the two others being morality (sīla) and mental development (bhāvanā); s.
puñña-kiriya-vatthu.
Liberality (cāga) forms one of the 10 recollections (anussati) and almsgiving one of the 10 perfections (s.
pāramī).

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