Buddhism and society

Heber Patetta

November 2019

Kamma and Generosity

Introduction

Liberation of suffering is the main goal of Buddhism. The coming into being and its
cessation is explained in the basic teachings of Buddhism. The complete Buddhist
teachings are in the four noble truths. The four noble truths are: the nature of the
existence of the beings, his cause, his cessation and the path to attain the cessation.
The nature of the beings is expounded in the first noble truth. The second is related to
the cause of suffering. The third is the cessation of suffering. The fourth is the path to
attain the liberation of suffering.
The fourth noble truth refers to the path to attain nibbana, that comprises the
eightfold noble path. This path is named the middle way because it rejects the two
extremes of auto indulgence and the self-mortification.
The eightfold noble path is expounded in threefold categories. The first category is the
Ethical conduct (Sila) that includes the right speech, right action, and right livelihood.
The second category is the mental concentration (Samadhi) that includes the right
effort, right mindfulness and right concentration. The third category is the wisdom
(jnana) that includes right thought and right vision.
According to buddhist teaching, ethics is an essential aspect in the path to liberation. If
the person wants to liberate from Samsara, he must have a correct moral life. There
are different kind of rules related to ethic. There are those strict ethics rules that are
only for monks, and there are soft rules for lay people. However, to attain liberation is
only for those that follows the strict rules of vinaya. “The overcoming of dukkha, both
in oneself and others, is Buddhism’s central preoccupation, towards which ethical
action contributes”.1

Kamma and generosity

Kamma (skt. Karma) is traduced as action, but it is much more that only action. The
intention beyond the act, the thoughts and the speech are kamma. The buddhism
teaches that exist four kind of kamma. The reproductive kamma, the supportive
kamma, the counteractive and destructive. The first one in mention is our present life
with characteristics inherited from parents. The second is the support, the
enhancement of our own characteristics. The counteractive is our kamma that change
the direction in our life. The last one is that which over with our lives. Furthermore, it
could be divided as follow: short term kamma, medium kamma and long term kamma.
All of these concern to periods of time.
Buddhism, stress attention on the fact of ethics. Because according to our actions, we
will have certain kind of karmic result.
According to Buddhism, there are six kind of realms, and according to our present
kamma, we will rebirth in one of these six realms. Of these realms, the higher is the
human, because is only in this realm where we can achieve buddha-hood. The result of
karmic action also arises in this present life. Those that have a virtuous life, will re birth
as human.
The law of kamma, is a natural movement of cause-effect. The action is the seed and
the result is the fruit.
The Buddhist emphasizes that the intention of the action is what generates a result.
The action must be done with consciousness to create good or bad kamma. Therefore,
actions must be done with intention to create karmic fruits. The will behind the action
is the important aspect of the fruit of kamma. The action first occurs in the mind, and
then, it becomes an action. In buddhism, ethics is not only about what we do but what
we think as well. The mind is permanently creating good and bad kamma.
The actions are divided in good and bad. The good actions are punna (skt. Punya) and
the bad actions are papa. Punna is that action that is virtuous or meritorious. This

1
Harvey P., “An introduction to buddhhism teachings,” page 196
action brings good result. In another hand, the opposite is papa, that means evil
actions. The result of evil actions are unpleasant fruits.
The buddhist are encouraged to practice only virtues actions. Does not matter if the
person is a monk or lay, but who consider to himself a buddhist must follow a correct
ethic way of life. The practice of Sila brings happiness in this life and in the next one.
But it is also a requirement to attain nibbana and cut with the cycle of samsara2.
The action must be done without any kind of desire. The person that give a good
action should not to think about the good result. If the action is done thinking about
the result, it has egoism into the action and the fruit is not completely positive. The
action is really meritorious when the person just does what must be done without
desire of receiving anything in reciprocity.
It is more important the state of the mind when the action is done that the action
itself. When the person gives a gift with a pure mind, it brings good result. What kind
of gift is, that is not completely important (although there is some gifts that are not
appropriate), but the purity of the mind. When we give sincerely, full of compassion
and love, the result is completely positive. Therefore, everyone could give according to
their possibilities. Does not matter if the person is rich or poor, meanwhile the action is
done with purity and without egoism.
Again, the karmic fruitfulness is related to the purity of the mind of giver. Therefore,
the best way to give something is with faith, respectfully, in appropriate time and with
the conviction that it is the best for the others.
It is important the field of giving. When we give to sick person, poor or saint person,
the merit is higher. In fact, the best field of giving is the sangha. Helping to others to
achieve nibbana is the best gift that we can give. When we give to sangha support of
any kind, we are helping to them in the noble path of dhamma.
The action could be wholesome or unwholesome (kusala and akusala). The action
depends of three characteristics to be wholesome or unwholesome.3
. What is the motivation in the action.
. What is the effect of the respective deed. If the action creates happiness it is
wholesome. If the action produces sorrow, it is an unwholesome action.

2
Saddhatissa H., “Buddhist ethic”, page 29
3
Harvey P., “An introduction to buddhist ethics”, Pages 46-49
. If the action has the purpose of spiritual development and helps in the dhamma path,
it produces a wholesome action.
The motivation could cause an unwholesome or wholesome action are greed, hatred
and ignorance and the opposites to these. When the action is done without klesas
(greed, hatred and ignorance are the main three of these), it is a wholesome action.
When the action is without greed, it is without attachment to the result. When the
action is without hatred, the person acts full of compassion and lovingkindness. When
the action is realized without ignorance, the person acts with wisdom.
It is also important the result of the action. If the action produces happiness it is
wholesome, but if it produces suffering, it is unwholesome.
An action also has different result according to the contribution of spiritual life. The
best kamma is that related to dhamma path and has nibbana as goal.
If the person wants to accumulate wholesome action, there are ten ways of
meritorious actions. These ten actions are divided in three categories; ethics, dana and
meditation. These ten actions are:
Dana: Giving
Sila: Morality
Bhavana: It is meditation. It includes shamata and vipassana.
Apacayana: Which means reverences to elders.
Veyyavacca: Service.
Pattidana: Transferring our own merits.
Pattanumodana: To be rejoice of other’s merit.
Dhamma-savana: Listening and learning about dhamma.
Dhamma-desana: Teaching dhamma.
Ditthijukamma: Which means, straightening out one's view.
These ten actions are divided in three groups:
Generosity which include giving, transferring of merit and rejoicing of other’s merit.
Ethic includes morality, Service and reverence to elders.
Meditation includes bhavana, teaching dhamma, learning about dhamma and straight
out one’s view.
The three categories mentioned above, also represent the opposite to klesas.
Generosity groups represents alobha, or without greed. It is opposite to selfish. The
second groups is ethic, that represents adosa, which is opposite to attachment. And
the third group represents amoha, that is opposite to wrong view.
“The mind is under the influence of lobha, dosa and moha most of the time”4. For that
reason, we must be awake about our mind. To reject the klesas of our mind we must
keep the ten way of meritorious actions.
However, there are three causes for an action fructification: 1) the root, 2) supporting
and 3) constituent cause. These three factors in every kind of giving are the volitional
that is the root cause; the purity of the person who receives is the supporting cause;
and the quality of the giving is the constituent cause.
The most important factor is the first one, the volitional, which is the root cause. The
volitional factor, which is the factor of mind when we give something, give a particular
kind of result. The result of the action is according of the quality of the volition. This
volition process has three time: before, during and after of the process of giving. All
the three period of time are important to generate certain kind of result.
The volitional process could be of three class, low, medium or high. Furthermore,
when the donor gives something, he must cultivate the five principles. These five
principles are:
. Giving with faith in the law of kamma.
. Giving with respect.
. Giving in correct time.
. Giving without attachment.
. Giving and to denigrate to nobody.
The purity of the recipient is another factor that increase the positive result. This is the
second factor that represent the supporting cause. In this case, we have four kind of
combination related to purity of giving. When the donor is purified, but not the
recipient. When the recipient is pure but not the donor. The case of none of them are
pure, neither donor nor recipient. The best situation is when both are pure, recipient
and donor.
The last factor is related to the quality of the gift, that is the constituent cause. It could
be material or immaterial. The material gift could be food, medicine, a place to sleep

4
Tin Mon, “Buddha Abhidhamma”, page 43
or support to build a place for sangha. In another hand, the immaterial could be
related to dhamma. Teaching dhamma in any form is the best gift that the person
could give.
The vinaya also teaches about the gift that must be avoided. These kind of gift does
not produce any kind of merit neither in the donor or recipient because these are
cause of suffering. These gifts are under different categories linked with the five
precepts; intoxicants, related to pleasure, provision of sexual partner and those related
to inappropriate sexual material. Any kind of gift related to these items are considered
unwholesome.

Giving in Mahayana tradition

One of the most important characteristic of Mahayana is the path of Bodhisattva. The
person that enter in the way of Boddhisattva, follows different kind of perfections.
These perfections are steps in the way to enlightenment. According to Mahayana there
are six perfections (skt. Paramitas)5.
These six paramitas are:
. Dana: Giving
. Sila: Ethic
. Kshanti: Patiene or equilibrium
. Virya: Effort
. Dhyana: Meditation
. Prajna: Wisdom
The importance of giving is emphasized in all the buddhist traditions. In the case of
Mahayana, it is in the first place of the perfections. That means, that without
generosity is impossible to go forward.
The difference between Theravada and Mahayana is just how they classified the act of
giving. But both give a high importance to this quality.
According to Mahayana, Dana is divided under different types of categories. For
example, the text bodhisattva bhumi divided dana in three categories; personal dana,

5
Trungpa Chogyam, “The bodhisattva path of wisdom and compassion”, Shambala publications, Boston,
2013, pages 89-129
external dana and intermediate dana. Personal dana corresponds of giving our own
body and life. External dana is giving material gifts. And the intermediate dana is
between persona and external.
In Tibetan tradition is more common divided dana under other categories: Giving
wealth, giving dharma and giving fearlessness6.
. Giving wealth: the same as Theravada tradition and as I explained above, it could be
skillful or not, depending of many factors. It must be done without impurities in the
mind, that means, avoid of klesa. According to Tibetan tradition, the act of giving
wealth could be ordinary, great and exceptionally great giving.
. Giving fearlessness: This kind of giving is related with the protection given to who are
in need (for example give a place to take refuge, give protection to someone in danger,
etc.) It includes mental protection too like psychological support. Giving dharma: This
type of giving is the higher class of dana. Giving dharma teachings is the best gift that a
person could give. Because only following the path of dharma we are able to liberate
from suffering and samsara. In such type of Tibetan sources, giving dharma has four
aspects that define the dharma gift: the recipient, the motivation of the giver, the
nature of the dharma and the method of showing the dharma’s teachings.

Conclusion

Ethics is an important aspect that buddhism has taken in account from beginning.
Moral aspect has the root in vedic tradition and it has had developed trough centuries.
Buddhism teaches that the long way to nibbana is impossible if we do not follow a
moral lifestyle. Those that enter into life as monk, must follow a strict code of rules
that was compilated in vinaya pitaka. Buddha taught about the eightfold noble path,
where part of these are related to ethic.
All the buddhist traditions have stressed the importance of moral. Theravada,
Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions, in all the countries that they spread, focus on
rules related to lay people and monks. To have a moral conduct is not because a God
give it as laws, but it is a condition to achieve the liberation based on experience.

6
Patrul Rinpoche, “The words of my perfect teacher”, Padmakara translation group, Shambala
publications, Boston 1998, Ch. 3.2
Buddhist schools have realized that is impossible to reject suffering of our life if we do
not have a moral behavior.
Ethics has kamma theory as fundament, for that reason, they are absolutely linked.
The person that has entered in the dhamma path, understands in deep the kamma
law. When the practitioner understands correctly the kamma law, he realizes how
important it is to have a correct lifestyle. In the case of monastic life, it is stricter,
because the path to nibbana demands a total control of ourselves.
Giving is an important aspect of sila. This aspect of ethic is stressed by buddhist of all
traditions. To be generous is an important devolvement to put an end to egoism.
When we have attachment, we are selfish and egoist, because we have ignorance. We
must cut attachment to worldly pleasure, giving is an effective antidote for egoism. For
this reason, giving helps to everyone in the dhamma path.
When we are generous and we give a gift, we create a meritorious action that help us
to create good kamma. Buddhism teaches what is the best way to have a virtuous
action. Giving could be wholesome or unwholesome, it depends of many aspects that I
have expounded in this brief essay. Giving helps us to generate good kamma to this life
and to have a better rebirth too.
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