Article

An Aspect of Mahāyāna Buddhist Ethics: The Culture of Generosity (dāna)

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Abstract

Buddhist ethics deals with do and don’t pertaining to individual behavior by transforming inner mental process towards harmony of external phenomenon. The major ethical practices of Mahāyāna is the six perfections (pāramitā), viz. the perfection of giving or generosity, the perfection of morality, the perfection of fortitude, the perfection of effort, the perfection of concentration, and the perfection of wisdom. Dāna or generosity is the first of the six perfections, dealing with from four points of view. It can be considered to whom a generosity is given, what is to be given, how it is given, and why and with motivation it is given. In this paper I presented specifically what can be given in detailed way as traditional Buddhist texts describe generosity (dāna) in terms of the four stages. They are the generosity of material things, the generosity of freedom from fear, the generosity of spiritual teaching which entails offering comfort, concern and advice to support other’s psychological and emotional well-being, and the generosity of love.

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... Dengan memberikan rasa aman dan melindungi orang lain dari bahaya atau ketakutan, individu berkontribusi pada penciptaan lingkungan yang aman dan mendukung. Arti lainnya adalah memberikan perlindungan dari rasa takut terhadap pencuri, penyakit, banjir, gempa bumi, kecelakaan dan lain sebagainya (Dorjey, 2018 (Powers, 2009). Sikap rela berkorban demi makhluk lain adalah salah satu ciri Bodhisattva (Prasetyo et al., 2022). ...
Article
Artikel ini membahas praktik dana dalam agama Buddha, menggali konsep dāna atau amal sebagai landasan kebajikan yang melibatkan pemberian fisik, kepercayaan, perlindungan, dan ajaran. Dipaparkan bahwa dāna bukan hanya tentang memberikan materi, tetapi menciptakan fondasi karakter dan kehidupan spiritual. Manggala Sutta dan kutipan-kutipan lainnya menyoroti pentingnya dāna sebagai aspek sentral kebajikan, menciptakan esensi kebaikan hati dan belas kasihan dalam komunitas Buddha. Metode penelitian kepustakaan digunakan dengan analisis isi untuk menyimpulkan informasi dari berbagai sumber, termasuk sutta-sutta dan penelitian terdahulu. Definisi dan fungsi dāna diuraikan, memberikan pemahaman mendalam tentang peran praktik ini dalam pemurnian mental dan kontribusi pada kesejahteraan masyarakat. Konsep berbagai jenis dana, seperti amisa dana (pemberian fisik), paricaya dana (pemberian kepercayaan), abhaya dana (pemberian perlindungan), dan dhamma dana (pemberian ajaran), dijelaskan dengan rinci. Artikel menyoroti poin-poin penting, termasuk cara berdana dengan keyakinan, hormat, tepat waktu, kemurahan hati, dan tanpa mencelakai. Manfaat berdana tidak hanya mencakup kesejahteraan duniawi, tetapi juga pertumbuhan spiritual. Sang Buddha memuji berbagai jenis pemberian yang murni dari kedua pihak, pemberi dan penerima. Akhirnya, artikel menyampaikan bahwa pemahaman dan praktik dana diharapkan membimbing praktisi menuju pengalaman hidup yang lebih kaya dan bermakna dalam konteks agama Buddha.
Article
A reinterpretation of Mauss’s The Gift reveals—besides its central topic, reciprocity—another implicit theme of generosity, which Mauss was criticized for having ignored. This renders the gift a double transaction. Generosity is a movement away from the self, constituting ethics as envisaged by Levinas. Introducing ethics into the context of the gift allows us to identify points missed by Mauss’s supporters and his critics. Mauss locates generosity primarily in exchanges with the mythical world that we identify as “the beyond,” that is, as a cultural expression of Levinas’s “other.” The other, as an ethical template expressed in generosity, transcends the cultural moralities of reciprocity. This ethical dimension eludes a utilitarian rationality that centers on the self and renders the notion of a “pure gift” impossible. Bataille and Derrida find no escape from this conundrum, but the Maussian double transaction resolves it. We explore this resolution via new insights into the ambiguities of the South Asian “pure gift” dan, examined in the Muslim Punjab.
Chapter
Buddhism is a globally practiced religion which has made its way into psychological research. Buddhist literature is replete with concepts pertaining to behavior, mind, and emotions and has been efficacious in providing insights into the dynamics of human mind and behavior, resulting in the development of a new subfield of research known as ‘Buddhist Psychology’. This chapter discusses some selected constructs of Buddhism like the Four Noble Truths and the eightfold path, the three poisons and their antidotes, Bodhisattva, anatta and mindfulness that have positive associations with human well-being. A discussion of each of these topics begins with its representation in Buddhist literature, followed by its parallels in psychological literature and its status in empirical studies. This dualistic understanding will help shed light on how naturally and effortlessly Buddhist principles can find their way into contemporary psychology. The chapter culminates with suggestions for researchers on how to better understand and incorporate Buddhist principles into psychological practice.KeywordsBuddhist psychologyFour Noble TruthsEightfold pathThree poisons Bodhisattva Anatta Mindfulness
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