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GIFT AND ITS EFFECTS
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Desire for life is desire to prolong one's life in order to live long. Desire for death is to long for speedy death in order to escape from pain and suffering. Attachment to friend is repeated recollection of one's sport etc. with one's former friend when they were young. Attachment to pleasures is recollecting again and again the various pleasures enjoyed in former times. Longing for enjoyment is constantly giving one's thoughts to enjoyment. These five are the transgressions of the vow of passionless death.
In describing the cause of influx of the name-karma of the Lord (Tirthamkara), charity and austerities according to one's capacity have been mentioned. Again hospitality has been mentioned in describing the supplementary vows. What is the definition of hospitality or charity ?
___ अनुग्रहार्थ स्वस्यातिसर्गो दानम्
Anugrahārtham svasyātisargo dānam (38) 38. Charity is the giving of one's wealth to another for mutual benefit.
'Anugraha' means beneficial to both the giver and the recipient. The giver accumulates merit, and the gift promotes right knowledge and so on in the recipient. "Sva' means wealth, possessions or belongings. Bestowing one's possessions on another for mutual benefit is charity.
Charity has been described. Is there no distinction with regard to the effects of gifts, or is there any peculiarity ?
विधिद्रव्यदातृपात्रविशेषात्तद्विशेषः ।
Vidhidravyadālrpātravićeşātladviśeşaḥ (39) 39. The distinction with regard to the effect of a gift consists in the manner, the thing given, the nature of the giver and the nature of the recipient. - The manner is the way in which a guest is received and attended to. The distinction lies in the nature or quality. It is added on to everything_excellence in manner, excellence of the thing given, superiority of the giver, and superiority of the recipient. Therein, the distinction in manner lies in
i distinction : excellence or superiority.
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