Giver And Getter

Dana means to give or donate, material or immaterial things, it springs from generosity. It is very hard to give things away, as people are educated to attach to things. But Buddhist education is different from others; the Buddha encouraged people to be generous towards each other. So Buddhist people practise generosity; give or donate material or immaterial things, as they can, wisely and reasonably.

It is widely seen in Buddhist countries, as people stand or sit in line in early the morning to give alms-food to Buddhist monks. That is the basic practice; starting from small or easy things to give. They also give on other occasions, based on what is needed, such as material or immaterial things. In reality, we are given a lot by our parents, teachers, brothers and sisters, relatives, friends etc. We can see in our life; material things such as food, clothes, accommodation, medical care etc. and immaterial things such as knowledge, advice, mental care etc.

When we realise that, we must be respectful and grateful to the givers. Therefore, the Buddha taught people respect and gratitude, in front or behind. For more explanation to this, there is a story, Giver, which can illustrate this well. Here is the story:

An old man, over 80 years old, was planting a durian tree when he was observed by a neighbour. (A durian is a thorny fruit with a very pungent smell. It is known as the King of Fruits and is very popular in South East Asia)

The neighbour asked the old man “Do you expect to eat durian from that tree?” The durian tree will take about 8 to 10 years to bear fruit.

The old man rested smilingly on his spade. He said “No, at my age I know I won’t. All my life I have been enjoying durians but never before from a tree I have planted. I wouldn’t have had durians if other men had not done what I am doing now. I am just trying to pay back the other men who planted durians for me.” No wonder he is so happy.

We should be GIVERS first and GETTERS second, in everything we do. We will not only get what we want but will actually be really happy in the end. Because we need to sow first before we can reap.