Miscellaneous Notes on different aspects of Dana

Types of Dana in Groups of Twos.

      (1)Amisa dana: Offering of material things. Offering of material things such as alms rice etc.

(2) Dhamma dana; the gift of the teaching. It is also called Paccaya dana (when the things offered are the requisites of bhikkhus).

puja-dana, honouring with an offering when the gift is made by a younger person or a person of lower status to an older person or a person of higher status; and

'anuggaha-dana' offering to render assistance out of kindness 'when a gift is given by an older person or a person of higher status to one who is younger or of lower status.

Ajahattika-dana: Offering of one's own person, meaning giving away of one's own life and limbs. and

Bahira-dana: Offering of external properties .Offerings of external properties include giving of all the external material possessions of the donor.

Vatthu-dana: Offering of property

Abhaya-dana: Granting of safety.

Vatthu-dana : concerned with offering of material things.

Abhaya-dana means granting of safety or security with respect to life or property. This is usually an exercise of mercy by kings.

Vattanissita-dana :offering made in the hope of future worldly wealth and pleasures, which mean suffering in the cycle of existences.

Vivattanissita-dana is concerned with offering made in aspiration for Nibbana which is free of the suffering of rebirth.

Savajja-dana: Dana tainted with fault. Offering of meals with meat obtained from killing of animals is an example of dana tainted with fault.

Anavajja-dana: Dana untainted with fault . Offering of meals which does not involve killing of animals is dana untainted with fault.

Sahatthika-dana: Offering made with one's own hands

Anattika-dana: Offering made by agents on one's behalf or made by others under one's instruction.

Sakkacca-dana: Offerings made with proper and careful preparations

Asakkacca-dana: Offering made without proper and careful preparation.

Nanasampayutta-dana: Offering associated with wisdom: Offering made with clear comprehension of volitional acts and the results they produce is said to be an offering associated with wisdom

Nanavippayutta-dana: when an offering is made without such comprehension and awareness, by just following examples of others making donations, it is .

Sasankharika-dana: Offering made hesitatingly and only after being urged;

Asankharika-dana: Offering made spontaneously without being urged. Here urging means prompting or entreating earnestly someone to give when he is hesitating or reluctant to do so.

Somanassa-dana: Offering made while one is in a joyful mood with a happy frame of mind is ; Offering made with a balanced state of mind,

Upekkha-dana: neither joyous nor sorrowful but equipoised is .

Somanassa-dana; : When the act of giving is accompanied by pleasure, it is when it is accompanied by equanimity it is

Dhammiya-dana; :Offering of property earned in accordance with Dhamma by just means .

Adhammiya-dana: Offering of property earned by immoral means such as stealing, robbing is. Although earning of property by immoral means is not in accord with dhamma, offering as alms of much property is nevertheless an act of merit;

Dasa dana: Offering made with hopes of gaining worldly pleasures is Enslaving dana,, the offering that will enslave one. Being a slave to craving for sense-pleasures, one makes this kind of dana to serve one's Master, the Craving to fulfil its wishes.

Bhujissa-dana: Offering made with aspiration for attainment of the Path and Fruition, the Nibbana, is dana for freedom, (offering made in revolt against the dictates of the Master, the Craving).

Thavara-dana.: Offering of things of permanent, immovable nature such as pagodas, temples, monasteries, rest houses and digging wells, tanks etc.

Athivara-dana: Offerings of movable nature, meant for temporary use such as food, robes etc. movable gifts is .

Saparivara-dana Offering made with accompaniment of supplementary materials that usually go along with such on offering is .

Aparivira-dana: when there are no other objects of offering besides the main item of robes, it is a gift without accompanying things.

Nibaddha dana: Offering made constantly or regularly such as offering of alms food to the Sangha every day is Constant dana,;

Anibaddha dana: Offering made not constantly, not on a regular basis but only occassionally when one is able to is, occasional offering.

Paramattha-dana: Tarnished offering: Offering which is tarnished by craving and wrong view

Ucchitthadana: Offering made with what is left over, what is interior, wretched ;

Anucchittha-dana: Offering made with what is not left over, what is not inferior, wretched. Suppose, while preparations are being made for a meal, a donee appears

agga-dana: one donates some of the food that has been prepared before one has taken it it is considered to be 'the highest gift' nd it is also an anucchitha-dana since the offering is not the left over of a meal. .

Sajiva- dana: Offering made while one is still alive is ; Offering which is meant to become effective after one's death:

Accaya-dana.: 'I give such of my property to such and such a person. Let him take possession of them after my death and make use of them as he wishes'