Chapter 49 Conclusion-2

Another example, let's think about giving.When we begin to understand the first truth, we see all things as ephemeral and worthless, as if they were in the donation bag of the Savior's Army.We don't have to give everything to the light, but we have no attachment to them. When we understand that all possessions are impermanent combined phenomena that cannot be held on forever, generosity has actually been realized. Knowing the second view, we can see that the ego, the miser, is the main sinner, who does nothing but give us a feeling of poverty.So instead of clinging to the ego, we find no reason to cling to wealth, so there is no longer the pain of miserliness.Giving becomes an act of pleasure.

Knowing the third insight, we understand that climbing is futile, because whatever we cling to has no real existential nature.It is like giving billions of dollars to strangers on the street in a dream.Since it is dream money, you can give generously, and you can also reap the joy of the experience.Giving according to these three views will definitely let us know that it is aimless.It is not about enduring sacrifices in exchange for approval, or the promise of a better afterlife. Giving without price, expectation, or strings gives us a glimpse into the fourth insight—the truth that liberation is beyond concept.

If we measure the success of good deeds such as generosity by the standard of sacrifice—for example, how much poverty is eliminated—then we will never be able to achieve perfection.Just funding an orphanage in Cambodia may be an impossible task.Poverty is endless, and so are the desires of the poor.Even the desires of the rich know no bounds.In fact, human desires can never be fully satisfied.But according to Siddhartha, giving should be judged by the degree of attachment of the giver to the object of the gift, and the degree of attachment of the giver to the giver himself.Once you understand that the self and all wealth are impermanent and have no real nature, there will be no attachment, and that is the most complete form of generosity.Therefore, the first behavior encouraged in the Buddhist scriptures is the practice of generosity.First you start with inexpensive things like water, flowers, etc., introduce the habit of giving, and then gradually progress to (mentally) supporting our family, our house, and even the entire universe.This kind of almsgiving may seem very religious or ritualistic, but its essence is to dispel our notion of permanence.