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Question. 鈥� What are the benefits (补苍耻艣补峁僺补) of generosity (诲腻苍补)^[1] that make the bodhisattva dwelling in the 笔谤补箩帽腻辫腻谤补尘颈迟腻 perfect the virtue of generosity (诲腻苍补p膩ramit膩)?

Answer. 鈥� Generosity presents all kinds of benefits. Generosity is a precious treasure (谤补迟苍补办辞艣补) that always follows its originator; generosity destroys suffering and brings happiness to people; generosity is the kind tutor who shows the path to heaven (蝉惫补谤驳补尘腻谤驳补); generosity is the good prefect who seduces (蝉补峁僩峁沨峁嚹乼颈) honest people [note: generosity captivates honest people, that is why it is said to seduce them]; generosity is a safe haven (测辞驳补办峁�e尘补): when the end of life approaches, the mind [of the donor] is free of fear (惫颈艣腻谤补诲补); generosity is a mark of loving-kindness (尘补颈迟谤墨苍颈尘颈迟迟补), capable of saving all beings; generosity is an accumulation of happiness (sukhasamuccaya), capable of destroying suffering; generosity is a great general (蝉别苍腻辫补迟颈), able to vanquish avarice (尘腻迟蝉补谤测补); generosity is a wonderful fruit. Loved by gods and [140b] men, generosity is a pure path (惫颈艣耻诲诲丑颈尘腻谤驳补) traveled by the noble 腻谤测补蝉; generosity is an accumulation of good (办耻艣补濒补蝉补尘耻肠肠补测补), the entryway to the qualities (驳耻峁嘺诲惫腻谤补); generosity is a good action (办耻艣补濒补肠补谤测补), the seed of a marvelous fruit; generosity is a meritorious action (辫耻峁噛补办补谤尘补), the mark of an honest man; generosity destroys poverty (诲腻谤颈诲测补) and suppresses the three lower destinies (durgati); generosity protects the fruit of merit; generosity is the prime condition (prathamapratyaya) for 苍颈谤惫腻峁嘺. Generosity is the rule for entering into a group of honest people; it is a reservoir of praise (stuti) and eulogy (惫补谤峁嘺苍补); it is the virtue that permits easy entry into assemblies; it is the house where the mind is without regret (惫颈辫谤补迟颈蝉腻谤补); it is the root of good dharmas and of practicing the Path (尘腻谤驳补肠补谤测腻); it is the jungle of many joys (nandana); it is the field of merit (辫耻峁噛补办峁�e迟谤补) that assure wealth, nobility and safety (测辞驳补办峁�e尘补); it is the bridge (setu) for obtaining the Path (尘腻谤驳补濒补产丑补) and 苍颈谤惫腻峁嘺; it is the favorite practice of the 腻谤测补蝉, of great men (尘补丑腻辫耻谤耻峁�a) and sages (箩帽腻苍颈苍); it is a model proposed for men of little virtue and little intelligence.

[The sage and the fool in the fire]^[2] 鈥� When a house is burning, the sharp-witted man perceives clearly under what conditions the blaze is developing and, before the fire reaches him, he hastens to retrieve his wealth; although his dwelling is completely consumed, he has saved all his precious belongings; he can then rebuild a new home. In the same way, the generous man knows that his body is perishable and fragile and that his wealth is not eternal; he profits from the right moment to cultivate merit (辫耻峁噛补产丑腻惫补苍腻), just like the man who saves his wealth from the fire; in his future existences he will enjoy happiness, just like this man who rebuilds his home, resumes his business and quite naturally enjoys happiness and profit. As for the stupid man, he knows only how to hold greedily onto his house; in his haste to make plans to save it, he panics, loses all acuteness and, under the action of the violent wind and inaccessible flames, the earth and bricks of his house are completely burned; in the space of a murmur, the destruction is complete. As he has saved nothing in his house, his wealth also is destroyed; suffering from hunger and stiff with cold, he is unhappy and attacked by suffering until the end of his life. This is likewise the miserly man (matsarin); he ignores the fact that his body and his life are not eternal and that, in the space of a moment, it becomes impossible for him to save them; instead of (busying himself) with that, he amasses (riches) and guards them jealously; but death overtakes him unexpectedly and suddenly he dies; his physical shape melts away into the earth; his wealth with all its appurtenances leave him; he is like the fool who is unhappy and crushed by suffering for having lacked foresight. The man with clear intelligence, on the other hand, is able to understand; he knows that the body is like a magic show (尘腻测腻), that wealth cannot be kept, that everything is impermanent (anitya) and that only meritorious action (辫耻峁噛补) offers stable support; therefore he works to draw men from the ford of suffering and he penetrates into the great Path.

Furthermore, the great man who, with his great mind, practices great generosity, serves himself; but the mediocre man who, out of weakness, serves nobody does not even assure his own interest.^[3]

And just as a hero (艣奴谤补), seeing his enemy, is inevitably drawn to destroy him, so the wise man who, in his prudence, has understood his duty well, no matter how violent his enemy greed (尘腻迟蝉补谤测补) is, he is capable of subduing it and will inevitably bend it to his wishes. Finding a field of merit (辫耻峁噛补办峁�e迟谤补) and meeting the propitious occasion [note: i.e., the time when it is proper to give; when one encounters it and does not give, one 鈥榤isses the opportunity鈥橾, and he understands what has to be done and with the right mind (samyakcitta), he practices great generosity.

Finally, the man who practices sublime generosity is venerated (蝉补迟办峁泃补) by people; like the newly arisen moon that everyone admires, his good renown [140c] and fame spread throughout the world; he is trusted by everyone. The person who practices sublime generosity is esteemed by the noble ones and respected by the lowly; when the end of his life approaches, his heart has no fear.

These are the fruits of reward (惫颈辫腻办补辫丑补濒补) obtained in the present existence (ihajanma): like the flowers and fruits of the trees, they innumerable (aprameya). Likewise in the future existence (pararajanma), the merit [will be rewarded]. When the wheel of 蝉补峁僺腻谤补 turns, one is led to the five destinies (辫补帽肠补驳补迟颈); there are no relatives to support one; there is only generosity that counts. If one is reborn among gods (deva) or men (尘补苍耻峁�y补) and one obtains a pure fruit (惫颈峁�u诲诲丑补辫丑补濒补), it is due to generosity; if, as an animal (tiryagyoni) 鈥� elephant or horse 鈥� one is well-stabled and well-fed, that too is a result of generosity. The virtue of generosity (诲腻苍补) is [to procure] wealth, nobility and joy. The person who keeps the precepts (艣墨濒补) is reborn among the gods; trance (诲丑测腻苍补), knowledge (箩帽腻苍补), purity of mind (肠颈迟迟补惫颈艣耻诲诲丑颈) assure 苍颈谤惫腻峁嘺. The merit inherent in generosity is the equipment (蝉补峁僢丑腻谤补) for the Path of 苍颈谤惫腻峁嘺: indeed, by thinking of the gifts [which one has made], one rejoices; by rejoicing, one settles one鈥檚 mind (ekacitta); by settling the mind, one contemplates impermanence (补苍颈迟测补迟腻) of birth and death (耻迟辫腻诲补苍颈谤辞诲丑补); by contemplating the impermanence of birth and death, one obtains the Path (尘腻谤驳补).

When one wants to have shade (肠丑腻测腻), flowers (辫耻峁�p补) or fruit (phala), one plants a tree. It is the same when one is looking for reward (惫颈辫腻办补) by means of generosity: happiness in the present lifetime (ihajanma) and future lifetime (aparajanma) is like the shade; the state of 艣谤腻惫补办补 and pratyekabuddha is like the flower; the state of Buddha is like the fruit.

These are the various qualities (驳耻峁嘺) of generosity.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

The five benefits of generosity (诲腻苍补 膩nisa峁僺膩) have been pointed out by the Buddha in the 厂墨丑补蝉耻迟迟补 (A峁単uttara, III, p. 38鈥�41); Tseng yi a han, T 125, k. 24, p. 680c; k. 51,p. 826a); the first four concern the present life (蝉补诲颈峁�峁�丑颈办补), the fifth, the future life (蝉补尘辫补谤腻测颈办补): the generous teacher of generosity (d膩yaka 诲腻苍补pati) is cherished and appreciated by many people bahuno janassa piyo hoti man膩po), good honest people love him (santo sappuris膩 bhajant墨); an excellent repute is attached to his name (kaly膩峁噊 kittisaddo abbhuggacchati); whatever assembly he enters, he enters fearlessly and without worry (ya帽 帽ad eva parisa峁� upasa峁卥amati … vis膩rado upasa峁卥amati ama峁卥ubh奴to); after the destruction of his body after death, he is reborn in a blessed heavenly realm (k膩yassa bhed膩 parammara峁嚹� sugati峁� sagga峁� loka峁� upapajjati).

This chapter of the Mpp艣 develops these five points somewhat; this is one of the homilies on generosity so often encountered; cf. 艢ik峁Ｄ乻amuccaya, p. 19鈥�34; Bodhicary膩vat膩ra, chap. II, v. 2鈥�23; Divy膩va诲腻苍补, chap. XXXIV, p. 481鈥�483; sermons on generosity, morality, heaven, preached to lay people, Ko艣a, IV, p. 70, n. 鈥� Modern works: Oltramare, 罢丑茅辞蝉辞辫丑颈别, p. 408; Dutt, Aspects, p. 297; LAV., Morale bouddhique, p. 50鈥�51.

[2]:

Here the Mpp艣 reproduces the text of the first page of the Tchong king siuan tsa p鈥檌 yu, T 208, no. 1, k. 1, p. 531 (cf. Chavannes, Contes, II, p. 68鈥�69, the translation of which is used here). This compilation is the work of the Indian (?) monk Tao li; It was translated by Kum膩rajiva in 405, the same year as the Treatise.

[3]:

Ko艣a, IV, p. 234, explains in what conditions generosity is of benefit to oneself, to others, to both, to none.