The Stingy Millionaire

[dsiluvu]

Thanks sonamdhargey for this beautiful story of one of the 6 paramitas - generosity/giving. Hence we should always make offerings. And making offerings to get the best results, we should offer without attachments to the offering, without expectations and wanting anything in return no even praise. Offerings that are without the 8 worldly concerns are of the best form as we accumulate the merits completely... Here another short story by the Buddha on offerings and the 3 kinds of merit!

Four Kinds of Merit

THERE was a rich man who used to invite all the Brahmans of the neighborhood to his house, and, giving them rich gifts, offered great sacrifices to the gods.
But the Blessed One said: "If a man each month repeat a thousand sacrifices and give offerings without ceasing, he is not equal to him who but for one moment fixes his mind on righteousness." The Buddha continued: "There are four kinds of offering: first, when the gifts are large and the merit small; secondly, when the gifts are small and the merit small; thirdly, when the gifts are small and the merit large; and fourthly, when the gifts are large and the merit is also large.

"The first is the case of the deluded man who takes away life for the purpose of sacrificing to the gods, accompanied by carousing and feasting. Here the gifts are great, but the merit is small indeed. Next, the gifts are small and the merit is also small, when from covetousness and an evil heart a man keeps to himself a part of that which he intends to offer.

"The merit is great, however, while the gift is small, when a man makes his offering from love and with a desire to grow in wisdom and in kindness. And lastly, the gift is large and the merit is large, when a wealthy man, in an unselfish spirit and with the wisdom of a Buddha, gives donations and founds institutions for the best of mankind to enlighten the minds of his fellow-men and to administer to their needs."

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[dsiluvu]

Here is another opposite scenario from a stingy millionaire to a beggar woman making offering....
thought it was quite a nice to show the opposite... which is giving...

The Widow's Mite and the Three Merchants

THERE was once a lone widow who was very destitute, and having gone to the mountain she beheld hermits holding a religious assembly. Then the woman was filled with joy, and uttering praises, said, "It is well, holy priests! but while others give precious things such as the ocean caves produce, I have nothing to offer."

Having spoken thus and having searched herself in vain for something to give, she recollected that some time before she had found in a dung-heap two coppers, so taking these she offered them as a gift to the priesthood in charity.

The superior of the priests, a saint who could read the hearts of men, disregarding the rich gifts of others and beholding the deep faith dwelling in the heart of this poor widow, and wishing the priesthood to esteem rightly her religious merit, burst forth with full voice in a canto. He raised his right hand and said, "Reverend priests attend!" and then he went on:

"The poor coppers of this widow
To all purpose are more worth
Than all the treasures of the oceans
And the wealth of the broad earth.
As an act of pure devotion
She has done a pious deed;
She has attained salvation,
Being free from selfish greed."

The woman was mightily strengthened in her mind by this thought, and said, "It is even as the Teacher says: what I have done is as much as if a rich man were to give up all his wealth."
And the teacher said: "Doing good deeds is like hoarding up treasures," and he expounded this truth in a parable:

"Three merchants set out on their travels each with his wealth; one of them gained much, the second returned with his wealth, and the third one came home after having lost his wealth. What is true in common life applies also to religion.
"The wealth is the state a man has reached, the gain is heaven; the loss of his wealth means that a man will be reborn in a lower state, as a denizen of hell or as an animal. These are the courses that are open to the sinner.

"He who brings back his wealth, is like to one who is born again as a man. Those who through the exercise of various virtues become pious householders will be born again as men, for all beings will reap the fruit of their actions. But he who increases his wealth is like to one who practices eminent virtues. The virtuous, excellent man attains in heaven to the glorious state of the gods."

[ratanasutra]

Poor Ananda, wealth for him is a negative karma as it lead him to become more stingy and selfish which created the cause for him to take a rebirth as a beggar later and has suffering in life.

I like this quote :
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of The Art of Living Foundation, says: "Poor people fight for food. Rich people share their food. Richer are those who share power. Richer still are those who share fame. Richest of all are those who share themselves. A person's wealth is measured by his ability to share and not by what he hoards."

If we are follow what Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said then for sure there will not be another Ananda.

[apprenticehealer]

I read with interest on The Stingy Millionaire. What i have learnt from Dharma is when we die, we cannot take anything with us (which we all know - we came 'naked ' and we leave 'naked' ).
However what Dharma has taught me is that we take EVERY BIT of Karma with us ! In this present day and age, though there is much emphasize on material wealth and possession , i believe in general people are becoming more aware of being spiritual too.
The other interesting part of the story is on the reincarnation of Ananda and how he still remembered where he kept his gold. Is his attachment to the gold being bought into his present life ? He could'nt recognise his son but he remembered the gold.