ABHIDHAMMA IN DAILY LIFE - Abhidhamma.com

A good deed done with the sole hope to enjoy the luxuries of humans and Devas is an inferior
wholesome Charity that will lengthen one is suffering in samsara.
A good deed done with a view of attaining Nibbána is a superior wholesome charity will
propel you to escape from samsara and assist you to attain your noble desire - Nibbána.
6.5 How Charity Assists the Fulfillment of Perfection
Generous donors are usually endowed with wealth in their future lives so that they can lead an
easy life. The wealthy - who had done superior wholesome Charity in the past life - can observe
precepts and keep uposatha Sabbath.
The poor and needy, having to struggle for a living cannot observe precepts. In pursuing
education too, the rich have the facilities.
A wealthy person can easily practice the virtue of patience when he faces insolence or insult
because he can ignore them with his own will power and self-esteem. However, a poor person, if
he is insulted, is obsessed by the complex that poverty invites injustice or insult and so he reacts
vigorously. Since a rich person generally enjoys respect from various sectors he usually shows
loving-kindness and compassion to them. A poor man is usually deprived of love and respect
from others so he fosters anger or vain pride instead of loving-kindness and compassion.
Therefore Charity (charity) helps the fulfillment of other parami perfections such as patience and
loving-kindness..
6.5.1 Those Who Can Do Without Charity - Charity
The group of people who do not need to perform deeds of charity. They are the great yogis who
strive earnestly to escape from samsara in the present existence. They are occupied full time in
concentration (samatha) and Insight meditation (vipassana) work. If they spend their time in the
performance of Charity, it will only be a waste of time and effort. Charity is not necessary for
them as they are fully intent on gaining liberation very soon, they must zealously practice
meditation day and night.
Example: - Once a Bhikkhu from Mandalay who was always eager to perform charity came to
practice meditation under the guidance of Maha Gandhron Sayadaw who was our Preceptor. One
morning the Sayadaw saw the Bhikkhu gathering flowers to offer the Buddha. The Sayadaw
admonished the Bhikkhu saying, 'While undertaking meditation practices, be intent only on your
practice, you may offer flowers later on."
The Maha Gandharon Sayadaw, himself was engaged day and night in the practice of meditation
being fully resolved to liberate himself from samsara in this very existence. Whether he achieved
his noble aim or not, I am not in a position to know. The Maha Gandharan Sayadaw spent all his
time meditation alone in his cave. Yet he did not forget to give charity; once he came out from
the cave he gave away the offertories in his possession to other Bhikkhus. Charity is unnecessary
for a person engaged full-time in meditation. Of course charitable deeds can be done when there
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