Why is giving the first of the Six Perfections? How important is it? How do we feel when we give something with no strings attached? How regularly do we practice generosity, and in what context?
Generosity or dana in Sanskrit, is the first of the Six Perfections. As a practice it opens us to all the other Perfections because it requires us to let go of whatever it is we're clinging to or relying on. Real generosity is a kind of giving that can only be done with an open heart, and an open heart holds nothing back. It could be called lesson number one in surrendering to things as they are.
It is very important to remember that generosity is not just about giving money or material things. It can be your time. Your concern. Your listening. A kind word.
The Anguttara Nikaya, book of sevens, about the seven kinds of giving; the different motivations when we give and how each one brings slightly different karmic results.
When someone gives, with the thought, ‘This adorns and beautifies the mind, a support for the mind’ they appear in the company of the Buddha and the Sangha.
If we accept the premise of this sutta, we will recognize that acts of whole-hearted generosity affect our minds in a positive direction. Giving is the opposite of clinging and trains the mind to seek peace rather than agitation or satisfaction of our desires. It clears the path to deeper concentration and mindfulness. If we are worried about what a gift means, whether the recipient is worthy or will appreciate and reciprocate the gift, we're clouding the mind. Each gift, whether material, verbal or in another form, if given freely, brings joy. That is one way we can know the quality of our giving.
Giving for the purposes of helping others is an important part of the motivation and joy of giving. The Buddha considered giving for the purpose of realizing awakening as the highest motivation. For this purpose, “one gives gifts to adorn and beautify the mind.” Among these adornments are the four divine abodes of loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity.
Giving can be a remedy for any bad feelings we might have about ourselves. If we make a mistake or fall prey to a bad habit, we can turn our awareness in a different direction, seeking out where we are moved to give; to give time, a smile, a kind word, or something else of value. We can make a habit of giving, in small and large ways, and the rewards will be commensurate.