Dear Friends,

>> In the Mahayana, giving is considered an unilateral
>> event. Only when
>> there is a willing acceptor of your gift, i.e. when
>> it becomes
>> bilateral, will there be merits accrued. In other
>> words, practising
>> dana or generosity does make a person kinder, but it
>> doesn't mean
>> there will definitely be merits.

I think there is some confusion here... the word merit is a
translation of pu~n~na, unless I mistake... the word pu~n~na is
explained as equivalent to the Thai word "chamra", or cleansing (the
mind). If dana makes a person kinder, I think this should necessarily
be considered pu~n~na...

> What do the venerable experts about Theravada doctrine
> say about this? I have always thought that what makes
> kusala- or akusalakamma is the intention behind the
> action, rather than the action itself; so if I make a
> gift sincerely wishing that the receiver should profit
> by it, it is kusala even if the receiver should refuse
> it; and conversely, if I try to kill a person, but
> fail, this is akusala even if the intended victim
> survives, and perhaps doesn't even no about my plans.

Well, I think it is important to recognise the importance of success
in an intention... if you fail in killing you will not feel so guilty
about it, and the victim won't suffer so much, so there will be less
revenge. But I think it is more important as you say what is the
intention of the actor. The external fruits of the act my be
different, but when one acts for the purpose of cleansing one's mind,
I think it matters little of the benefit tothe recepient.

Take the printing of the Tipitaka. If it is done obsessively it is an
unwholesome act for that reason, I think, not because people won't
read it... Or if gifts are given when not asked, to people who don't
want, there is surely some question of the donors mind state in such
"charity".

But, when the Bodhisatta gave away his life to Sakka as the rabbit, or
relinquished his children to the Brahmin as Vessantara, surely this
was very great pu~n~na, because it cleaned his mind of greed. This is
the real "merit" in giving.

In Buddhism, we are referring to defilements when we talk about good
deeds and bad deeds:

giving dana is for the purpose of destroying greed
keeping siila is for the purpose of destroying anger
practicing bhaavana is for the purpose of destroying delusion

these are the three pu~n~na-kiriya-vatthu.

If we want to really know the fruits of actions, we should look in the
Vimanavatthu, where it is said "Natthi citte pasannamhi, appakaa naama
dakkhi.naa; tathaagate vaa sambuddhe, atha vaa tassa saavake." The
key is "citte pasannamhi". A Vimana is something that comes from
pu~n~naa. I think we are very lucky to live in a time where we can
actually give gifts to tassa saavakaa.

Another two cents :)

Suma"ngalaani,

Yuttadhammo

> Thankful for comments,
>
> Gunnar
>
>
> gunnargallmo@...
>