Islam:
God said in the Quran
“And verily you, O Muhammad, are on an exalted standard of character.” (Quran 68:4)
Generosity was among the qualities of Prophet Muhammad and he was most generous in Ramadan. He offered the prayer in the mosque then rushed to his surroundings and returned immediately. A companion asked why he left, he replied:
“I left a piece of gold at home which was given for charity and I dislike letting it remain a night in my house, so I brought it to the mosque to distribute.” - Saheeh Al-Bukhari
Our worldly possessions are bounties from God, who is Al Kareen, the Most Generous. Muslims believe that everything originates from God and everything will return to Him, thus, it is logical to behave as if that which we possess is merely a loan, something we are obligated to preserve, protect and ultimately share. Whenever Prophet Muhammad met a miserly person, he advised him to be more generous and charitable. Ibn `Abbas said that he heard Prophet Muhammad say, “The believer is not the one who eats when his neighbour beside him is hungry,” another companion heard the Prophet say, “The believer is simple and generous, but the wicked person is deceitful and ignoble” (Stacey, 2008).
2. Hinduism
“Dharma needs to be seen within the framework of the traditional extended Hindu family, which plays the role of a welfare state. The wealth a person acquires is not for him/herself but for the welfare of the extended family and others. One has a responsibility towards those members of one’s family who cannot maintain themselves. In some circumstances an individual may have no option but to give up or compromise his/her personal goals for the sake of the family. In short, ‘giving’ begins at home but extends beyond home.”
Types of giving:
The well known Hindu text the Bhagavadgita speaks of three types of giving:
A gift that is given without any expectation of appreciation or reward is beneficial to both giver and recipient.
A gift that is given reluctantly and with the expectation of some advantage is harmful to both giver and recipient.
A gift that is given without any regard for the feelings of the recipient and at the wrong time, so causing embarrassment to the recipient, is again harmful to both giver and recipient.
Any giving that is motivated by selfish reasons loses its value from a spiritual point of view (Sugirtharajah, 2001).
3. Buddhism
The practice of generosity in Buddhism is largely entwined with the mind. The Buddha describes giving something as if throwing it away, even if valuable, as fruitless.
According to the Buddha, the ideal conditions of giving are to give a pure gift, with pure intentions to a pure recipient
pure gift- gift that is proper for the time, person, and circumstance
pure intentions- give with compassion, conviction, attentively, and without negatively affecting others;
pure recipient- virtuous person who would be worthy of a gift
Buddha also mentions another factor of giving: The state of mind when giving (feeling joyous before, during, and after the act of giving).
While it is important to know these points when practicing generosity, these factors do not need to be met to be considered an act of generosity; we should still give even when these ideal conditions are not met.
Benefits of Giving:
1. Karmic Benefits - The karmic rewards of giving are considered to be a more preliminary reason for the practice, but nonetheless its benefits shouldn’t be overlooked. While gaining wealth doesn’t sound stereotypically Buddhist, wealth does indeed have its uses in Buddhism.
2. Spiritual Benefits - In Buddhism, practicing generosity is believed to help train the mind in a way conducive to attaining enlightenment. Giving serves as a way to eliminate one’s greed and ill-will. By giving away what is valuable, you reduce attachment by letting them go.
(Liusuwan, 2018).
References:
Liusuwan, N. (2018, February 9). Generosity in Buddhism. HuffPost. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ generosity-in-buddhism_b_14487312
Stacey, A. (August 11, 2008). The definition and value of generosity in Islam. The Religion of Islam. https://www.islamreligion.com/articles/1668/generosity/
Sugirtharajah, S. (September 1, 2001). Traditions of giving in Hinduism. Alliance. https://www. alliancemagazine.org/feature/traditions-of-giving-in-hinduism/
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