Formless alms giving

[BaiCan]

   
   You can obtain eternal enjoyment of LIFE by giving alms without your mind abiding in false notions. Giving away a thousand strings of coins to someone is not as good as giving him a scripture, and giving him a scripture is not as good as enlightening him on profound truth. The supreme great awakening and great wisdom is formless. The formless alms giving can foster supreme great awakening and great wisdom. Therefore the greatest alms giving is the formless alms giving.

   Formless alms giving, or giving alms without your mind abiding in false notions, means that when you are giving alms, you will not have the notion of the self capable of giving alms, the person receiving the alms, and the object being given as alms. And of course you should not harbor the idea that you may be repaid after giving the alms. You do good deeds and yet do not expect your kindness to be repaid, and that is called formless alms giving. Formless alms giving means that you seek no interest but intend to completely meet the needs of other people, alms given without any care for costs or recompense. The virtue and merit of formless alms giving are infinite.

extractions from "800 Values (Second Edition)--Buddha and the Way of Buddha"

[Hanzze]

Actually Dana is a practice of letting go what we can share. Could we do this kind of Dana without owning it first? *smile* To reach that level of owning the highest gift to share its good to start with very simple Dana first.

[ground]

Moreover, Subhuti, a Bodhisattva who gives a gift should not be supported by a thing, nor should he be supported anywhere. When he gives gifts he should not be supported by sightobjects, nor by sounds, smells, tastes, touchables, or mind-objects. For, Subhuti, the Bodhisattva, the great being should give gifts in such a way that he is not supported by the notion of a sign. And why? Because the heap of merit of that Bodhi-being, who unsupported
gives a gift, is not easy to measure. What do you think, Subhuti, is the extent of space in the East easy to measure? Subhuti replied: No indeed, O Lord. The Lord asked: In like manner, is it easy to measure the extent of space in the South, West or North, downwards, upwards, in the intermediate directions, in all the ten directions all round? Subhuti replied: No indeed, O Lord. The Lord said: Even so the heap of merit of that Bodhibeing who unsupported gives a
gift is not easy to measure. That is why, Subhuti, those who have set out in the Bodhisattvavehicle, should give gifts without being supported by the notion of a sign.


Diamond Sutra
(Transl. by E. Conze)

Kind regards

[Hanzze]

Yes, if we have reached the livelihood of Subhuti there would be no more need in learning of letting go of material things. *smile* As for somebody who has already left the worldly life, and devotes his live in a contemplative life, there is the possibility to develop such perfection.

Even so, it's a very popular idea to do it similar (at least the act it self). Sometimes the for running kind of thinking has very attached reasons. *smile*

[ground]

Yes, if we have reached the livelihood of Subhuti ...

Nothing to be reached.

How this?

not be supported by sightobjects, nor by sounds, smells, tastes, touchables, or mind-objects.

As for somebody who has already left the worldly life, and devotes his live in a contemplative life, there is the possibility to develop such perfection.

You say it!

And how does one leave worldly life?

One does not dwell at home, one is "homeless"

"And how does one not live at home? Any desire, passion, delight, craving, any attachments, clingings, fixations of awareness, biases, or obsessions with regard to the property of form: these the Tathagata has abandoned, their root destroyed, made like a palmyra stump, deprived of the conditions of development, not destined for future arising. Therefore the Tathagata is said to be not dwelling at home.

"Any desire, passion, delight, craving, any attachments, clingings, fixations of awareness, biases or obsessions with regard to the property of feeling... perception... fabrication...

"Any desire, passion, delight, craving, any attachments, clingings, fixations of awareness, biases or obsessions with regard to the property of consciousness: these the Tathagata has abandoned, their root destroyed, made like a palmyra stump, deprived of the conditions of development, not destined for future arising. Therefore the Tathagata is said to be not dwelling at home.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn22/sn22.003.than.html

Therefore the Tathagata not being supported by anthing has bodhisattva nature!

Kind regards

[Hanzze]

Without inter-support there is no Bodhisattva nature but the Tathagata is possible on his precede developed perfections. It reached till the real end. *smile*
Understanding that wrong, would bring problems if we real homelessness also outside our ideas. It could cut of a very useful and safe path in the future.

[ground]

It could cut of a very useful and safe path in the future.

The past is gone, the future has not yet arrived and there is no dwelling in the present

Kind regards

[Hanzze]

There is maybe somebody who will flush the dirt particle out of your eye. Your blinking seems to be very hurtful today. *smile*

[ground]

There is maybe somebody who will flush the dirt particle out of your eye.

I do it myself

Your blinking seems to be very hurtful today. *smile*

It is a pleasurable pain in comparison to blindness.

[Hanzze]

Remember, can not trust our self all the time. *smile*

as for the OP, this is maybe very a useful and antiseptic approach to Dana and understanding it for the roots, as we are here in the beginner zone and maybe still much attached to material wealth:

Dana - in Abhidamma in Daily life

Even the highest forms are well explained in this work. But we have to go through the rough - that what "hurts" a little more - first. There is a little way to walk till one reaches real Bodhisattva levels.

[ground]

Remember, can not trust our self all the time. *smile*

"I do it myself" stands for "there is no support at all" or "nothing at all to do"   

[Hanzze]

Ohh really... so you are the very fist being being like that.  *smile* Modern live is really very tricky.

[ground]

If the two of us met we could have a lot of fun. I am sure ... transcendental fun of course

[BaiCan]

without  possession, one can give someone five things at least：
First, to get along with others with a smile;
Second, to encourage, comforte,and praise others, being humilite and gentle in words;
Third, to open you hearts to others, and being sincere;
Fourth, to see someone else kindly;
Fifth,  to help others in your deeds.

[Hanzze]

How could I help others with my deeds?
If I see somebody kindly who likes me to be not kindly, what would be the result?
It happens that it is very stressful if one is sincere to others, for others as for one self as well. So what means to open your heart to others?
If you are around thief's and liars, how could you praise them?
Well *smiling* causes often much suffering, it might be to avoid also on some places. What do you think?

*smile*