Charity is generosity and helpfulness, primarily for the needy and suffering. Such an action is realized through the adoption of four qualities: metta (Sanskrit, maitri), karuna, upekkha (Sanskrit, upeksha), and mudita. Cultivation of these four qualities allows a person to attain emancipation of the heart (cetovimutti).
Metta denotes a heart full of love, one that is actively involved in bringing about the happiness and well-being of all beings. Karuna expresses an exalted state of compassion, desiring to remove the suffering and adversity of all beings. The Buddha was known for his deeds of compassion (karunasamapatti) through which he would seek out those who needed help. Upekkha signifies purity and evenness of mind that is not disturbed under strain. Mudita is an attitude of disinterested love that seeks to solidify and promote the happiness enjoyed by others.
Charity is closely connected to the Buddhist theory of karma and consequently with such related factors as motivation (cetana). Thus, a deed becomes meritorious only if it is motivated by the feeling of charity. Charity is also considered extremely important in Buddhism as a mental attitude that influences all actions of an individual. For instance, cultivation of charity is advised to dispel hatred.
The Buddhist concept of charity is not the same as love in the general sense. Buddhism views love as a feeling of personal attachment that is motivated not only by desire (kama, raga, tanha), but most often by a craving for personal gain. Metta is a definite source of sublime happiness and is closely associated with and supported by the thought of dispas-sion, detachment, and renunciation.
Buddhism also believes that one cannot be charitable toward others unless one is charitable toward oneself. However, such a self-love is not selfish. The Buddha pointed out that only when one regards oneself as dear does one understand as to why one should not hurt others. According to Buddhism, the well-being of the self (attahita) and the well-being of others (parahita) go hand in hand. What one should avoid doing is making charity toward others subservient to charity toward oneself. This is done by purging charity of selfishness through the cultivation of feelings of detachment (nekkhamma) and unselfish generosity (caga).
The Buddha was the personification of charity, and it was mainly through charity that he decided to preach his doctrine so that others might attain deliverance. In the Mahayana tradition, the bodhisattvas practiced charity in their personal lives by postponing their own deliverance. To fulfill this purpose, they were reborn again and again to help others in attaining the summum bonum. When the Buddha began his missionary career after attaining enlightenment at Bodh Gaya, he urged the members of his order to constantly travel for the happiness and welfare of the masses (bahujana hitaya bahujana sukhaya). In the famous text Dhammapada, all are repeatedly urged to cultivate charity. The Buddhist concept of charity is all-encompassing, boundless and immeasurable (appamanna). It is also universal and is not subject to or affected by factors such as class, caste, creed, position, rank, or nationality. Cultivation of charity enables Buddha’s followers to feel happy at the success of others. When thus cultivated, it promotes harmony, unity, and peace.
