Three kinds of gifts are mentioned in Buddhism, namely: 1. Amisa dana (The gift of material things) 2. Abhaya dana (The gift of life) 3.Dhammadana (the gift of truth) *Amisa dana or the gift of material things is practiced by people of all religions and is very common, food, clothes, houses and medicine are given to poor people or refugees through various religious and social organisations. It is, no doubt, a good thing to satisfy the hunger of the starved and the thirst of the thirsty. This type of donations is highly recommended in Buddhism and is called the Amisa Dana. (The donations of material things) *Next comes the Abhaya Dana, or giving life to those who are in danger of life caused by fire, water or enemies. Sometimes we hear of people who are on the verge of death due to lack of blood. To donate blood and save another human life or any living being, is indeed a great thing. Donation of eyes and kidneys is also highly appreciated and they come under Abhaya Dana donation of life. *Dhamma Dana The last one of the Dhamma Dana or the gift of truth or the doctrine is said to be the highest of all donations on the earth. The gift of truth means to teach and explain the doctrine to the people, to deviate them from the wrong path and guide them on the right path, to introduce what is moral and immoral, to organize discussions and seminars on the Dhamma, to write and print books already written and to establish reading centers for the propagation of the Buddha’s teachings.
Posted on: Fri, 18 Oct 2013 02:16:01 +0000
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