dāna: '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: the affection of many, noble association, good reputation, self-confidence, and heavenly rebirth" (see A. V, 34). 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 volition 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, q.v.) and mental development (bhāvanā); s. puñña-kiriya-vatthu. Liberality (cāga) forms one of the 10 recollections (anussati, q.v.) and almsgiving one of the 10 perfections (s. pāramī).
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Dāna. In Pali this word means literally "giving", which is one of the principal Buddhist virtues. It may take many forms, from simple hospitality to guests to bequeathing something important to a monastery or building a pagoda.
dāna
(Sanskrit; Pāli). Generosity, a key Buddhist virtue which is both a source of great merit (puṇya) and also instrumental in overcoming selfishness and attachment. In Theravādin contexts, it connotes the giving of alms by lay-people to monks, while in Mahāyāna it usually refers to the Perfection of Generosity (dāna-pāramitā). A particularly worthy recipient of a gift is known as a ‘field of merit’ (puṇya-kṣetra).
dāna : [nt.] gift; charity; alms; alms-giving.
Dāna (nt.) [Ved. dāna, dā as in dadāti to give & in dāti, dyāti to deal out, thus: distribution (scil. of gifts); cp. Gr. da/nos (present), Lat. damnum (E. damages); Gr. dw_ron, Lat. donum; also Ags. tīd (=E. tide, portion, i. e. of time), & tīma (=E. time). See further dadāti, dayati, dātta, dāpeti. Defn at Vism 60: dānaŋ vuccati avakhaṇḍanaŋ] (a) giving, dealing out, gift; almsgiving, liberality, munificence; esp. a charitable gift to a bhikkhu or to the community of bhikkhus, the Sangha (cp. deyyadhamma & yañña). As such it constitutes a meritorious act (puññaŋ) and heads the list of these, as enumerated in order, dānamaya puññaŋ, sīlamaya p., bhāvanāmaya p. viz. acts of merit consisting of munificence, good character & meditation (D iii.218 e. g.; cp. cāga, puñña, sīla). Thus in formula dānâdīni puññāni katvā J i.168; PvA 66, 105; cp. cpds. under ˚maya. -- (b) Special merit & importance is attached to the mahādāna the great gift, i. e. the great offering (of gifts to the Sangha), in character the buddhistic equivalent of the brahmanic mahāyajña the chief sacrifice. On 16 Mahādānas see Wilson Hindu Caste 413; on 4 Beal. Chinese Texts 88. -- A iv.246; J i.50, 74; v.383 (devasikaŋ chasatasahassa -- pariccāgaŋ karonto mahādānaŋ pavattesi "he gave the great largesse, spending daily 600,000 pieces"); PvA 19, 22, 75, 127, etc. -- (c) Constituents, qualities & characteristics of a dāna: 8 objects suitable for gifts form a standard set (also enumd as 10), viz. anna pāna vattha yāna mālā gandha -- vilepana seyyāvasatha padīpeyya (bread, water, clothes, vehicle, garlands, scented ointment, conveniences for lying down & dwelling, lighting facility) A iv.239; cp. Pv ii.49 & see ˚vatthu & deyyadhamma. Eightways of giving alms at D iii.258= A iv.236, five ways, called sappurisa -- dāna (& asapp˚) at A iii.171 sq.; eight sapp˚ at A iv.243. Five manners of almsgiving metaphorically for sīlas 1 -- 5 at A iv.246= DA i.306. Five characteristics of a beneficial gift at A iii.172, viz. saddhāya dānaŋ deti, sakkaccaŋ d.d., kālena (cp. kāladāna A iii.41), anuggahitacitto, attānañ ca parañ ca anupahacca d.d. -- (d) Various passages showing practice & value of dāna: Vin i.236; D i.53 (+dama & saŋyama; cp. It 15; PvA 276); ii.356 sq. (sakkaccaŋ & a˚); A iv.392 sq. (id.); D iii.147 sq., 190 sq., 232; S i.98 (dānaŋ dātabbaŋ yattha cittaŋ pasīdati); A i.91=It 98 (āmisa˚ and dhamma˚, material & spiritual gifts); A i.161; iii.41 (dāne ānisaŋsā); iv.60; 237 sq. (mahapphala), 392 sq. (˚ssa vipāka); v.269 (petānaŋ upakappati); J i.8 (aggaḷa˚); ii.112 (dinna˚), iii.52 (id.); Sn 263, 713 (appaŋ dānaŋ samaṇabrāhmaṇānaŋ) PvA 54 (āgantuka˚ gift for the newcomer); Sdhp 211 -- 213. -- adāna withholding a gift, neglect of liberality, stinginess Pv ii.945; Miln 279; PvA 25; cp. ˚sīla under cpds.: atidānaexcessive almsgiving Pv ii.945 (cp. PvA 129); Miln 277. -- agga [Sk. dānāgara, cp. bhattagga, salākagga; see Trenckner, Notes p. 56] a house where alms or donations are given, a store -- house of gifts, fig. a source or giver of gifts, a horn of plenty J vi.487; DhA i.152, 189; Miln 2; PvA 121, 124, 127, 141. A possible connection w. agga=āgra is suggested by combn dānāni mahādānāni aggaññāni A iv.246; -- âdhikāra supervision or charge of alms -- distributing. PvA 124 (cp. Pv ii.927); -- ānisaŋsa praise of generosity PvA 9; cp. A iii.41; -- upakaraṇa means or materials for a gift PvA 105; -- upapatti (read uppatti at D iii.258) an object suitable for gifts, of which 8 or 10 are mentioned (see above c) A iv.239=D iii.258; -- kathā talk or conversation about (the merit & demerit of) almsgiving, one of the anupubbi -- kathā Vin i.15, 18; -- dhamma the duty or meritorious act of bestowing gifts of mercy (cp. deyyadhamma) PvA 9; -- pati "lord of alms," master in liberality, a liberal donor (def. by Bdhgh as: yaŋ dānaŋ deti tassa pati hutvā deti na dāso na sahāyo DA i.298) D i.137 (+saddho & dāyako, as one of the qualifications of a good king); A iii.39; iv.79 sq. (+saddho); Sn 487; Pv i.114 (+amaccharin); J i.199; Miln 279 sq.; Sdhp 275, 303; -- puñña the religious merit of almsgiving or liberality (see above a) PvA 73; -- phala the fruit of munificence (as accruing to the donor) A iii.39; iv.79; Pv ii.83 (˚ŋ hoti paramhi loke: is rewarded in the life to come, cp. It 19); PvA 8 (cp. Pv i.1); -- maya consisting in giving alms or being liberal (see above a) D iii.218 (puññakiriya -- vatthu); Vbh 135 (kusala -- cetanā), 325 (pañña); PvA 8 (puñña), 60 (id.), 9 (kusala -- kamma), 51, etc.; -- vaṭṭa alms J vi.333; -- vatthu that which constitutes a meritorious gift; almsgiving, beneficence, offering, donation D iii.258= A iv.236; PvA 20 (=annapānādika dasavidha dātabbavatthu PvA 7); -- veyyāvaṭika services rendered at the distribution of gifts DhA iii.19; -- saŋvibhāga liberal spending of alms D iii.145, 169; A i.150, 226; iii.53, 313; v.331; It 19; Vism 306; freq. with ˚rata fond of giving alms S v.351, 392; A iv.6 (vigatamalamaccherena cetasā), 266 (id.); -- salā a hall, built for the distribution of alms & donations to the bhikkhus & wanderers J i.231, 262; iv.402 (six); v.383 (id.); -- sīla liberal disposition PvA 89; usually as adāna -- sīla (adj.) of miserly character, neglecting the duty of giving alms Sn 244; Pv ii.83 (˚ā na saddahaṇti dānaphalaŋ hoti paramhi loke); PvA 45 (=adāyaka), 59 (+maccharin), 68 (id.).
dāna
dāná n. the act of giving RV. ŚBr. MBh. &c
• giving in marriage (cf. kanyā-)
• giving up (cf. prāṇa-, ātma-, śarīra- Pañc. ī)
• communicating, imparting, teaching (cf. brakma-)
• paying back, restoring Mn. Yājñ.
• adding, addition (cf. VarBṛS.)
• donation, gift Lat. donum] RV. ŚBr. &c. (○naṃdā, to offer a gift Mn. Yājñ. Hit. &c
• ○nam prayam, to bestow a gift Mn. iv, 234)
• oblation (cf. udaka-, havir-)
• liberality (cf. 2. dāna)
• bribery Mn.vii, 198 (cf. upâya)
dāna 2
dā́na n. cutting off. splitting, dividing L.
• pasture, meadow RV.
• rut-fluid (which flows from an elephant's temples) MBh. Hariv. &c
• (dāná) m. (only in RV. but cf. vasu-) distribution of food or of a sacrificial meal
• imparting, communicating, liberality
• part, share, possession
• distributor, dispenser RV. vii, 27, 4
dāna 3
dāna n. purification L.
btang ba
[tenses]
- gtang
- gtong
- btang
- thongs
[translation-san] {C} tyakta
[translation-san] {MSA} dāna
[translation-san] {MSA} pramokṣa
[translation-san] {MSA} mukta
[translation-san] {C} riñcati
[translation-eng] {Hopkins} give; treat; cast away; send; let go; give away; let loose; play [an instrument]
[translation-eng] renounced; part from; spurns{C}
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