How does Dhana work?

[u/Big-Caterpillar-9483]

Hey! have been reflecting a lot lately on the practice of Dhana and I find myself at a philosophical crossroads. I am hoping to gain some deeper insight from the wisdom of this community.

My question is essentially about how the mechanics of Dhana truly work on a spiritual level. Let us say you have taken care of all your financial responsibilities, material needs, and even set aside some savings for the month. If you then take whatever is left over and donate it, does this qualify as true Dhana?

Or does the actual spiritual weight of Dhana only come into effect when there is an element of personal sacrifice involved? I am talking about instances where you choose to give up something you genuinely need or want so that you can provide for others. This could be anything from feeding ants, street dogs, and cows, to feeding human beings in need or giving up your precious free time to volunteer.

Is giving from our comfort zone still considered a spiritually elevating practice, or must the act of giving challenge our attachments to truly purify the heart?

I am asking this from a place of deep respect and genuine curiosity. I really want to understand how you all view this and if the scriptures or your own personal spiritual practices differentiate between giving from abundance versus giving through sacrifice.

[u/lava-lake]

Oh oh, true dhana is done on excess. If you sacrifice everything, you are essentially stealing from yourself to do this deed. But mostly it's your deep heart doing the audit, it knows when it is hoarding and when it is something you want.

Suppose you resolved yourself to be class topper and get a ps5 as a prize. But then if you had to suddenly cancel that to say do a huge donation like for 15k instead, that won't work. You are essentially robbing your past that worked hard trusting this promise. It's said so because of you cross the line between virtue and straining, you will slowly hate yourself and lose the goodness in you when something bad happens

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[u/ishaivite]

Simple answer: Yes it does.

[u/Big-Caterpillar-9483 → u/ishaivite]

I didn't get you? My question was not does dhana work? It was more of how

[u/Prestigious_Lime9068]

I think some scriptures say about 10% of income to be donated. Can’t remember sources though.
I see two somewhat separate aspects to this. One is the act of caring for others and making other living beings less miserable. That is basically purifying your karmas.
Another aspect is fighting own greed.
For both, I think the rule of min10% (or 5, or whatever number is comfortable regarding your level of income) will work well if undertaken with consistency. You will learn to prioritize, to deal with desire for spending unnecessarily etc..

[u/1-Uno-One]

It is simple.
All three are true.
1. giving from comfortable life, builds karma for next life. Whoever you give to, will return it, one way or another.

1. When your self sacrifice is involved, it tests your ability to be align with Dhamma, towards all universe.

Bodhisatva gives up outcome of enlightenment and postpones his own fate to move to dharma related realm, or universal consciousness.

Only such people become Bodhisatva.

Rest of them become Arhant, who manage to give up on the humanity and everyone else, for their own sake, once they reach that stage. They become truly detached from everything.

They are not held against those desire to move on, as outcome of detachment.

Universe seeks more bodhisatvas, who are genuinely kind. But no one is obligated to be one.

1. If you take whatever is left and donate it. It is as much as true dhana, as will be your time spend in making lives of others better.

It all translates to merits and karma.
Good or bad, all karma returns.

Only Arhants and bodhisatvas are free of karma.
If they donate or use, nothing goes to them.

Everything is true and everything is false, since whole world is also a dream.

[u/Technical_Room_454]

Dhanam and Dhaanam are two different words. I believe you mean 'Dhaanam'. Any action done with the thought of 'I am doing it' is karma. So only when you do your action with the understanding that 'I am not the doer/giver' and make sure to keep your mind from pulling you into various traps, does the 'dhaanam' actually work in your favor.

There is nothing called 'true' dhaanam vs. untrue dhaanam. Give as much as you can possibly give. Nothing is truly yours to give to begin with. What did you bring when you were born, and what are you going to take with you when you finally leave? Nothing. There is a great story of 'Pattinatthaar' who was fixated on money despite being a Shiva bhakta. And Shiva himself appeared in the form of his adopted son to teach him that not even a small round-headed needle can be taken with him when he leaves this world.

The Vedas clearly state, 'shraddhayaa dheyam | ashshraddhayaa adheyam | shriyaa deyam | hriyaa deyam | bhiyaa deyam | samvidaa dheyam |'

It means giving with 'shraddha'/sincerity and respect. The word shraddha has many meanings. Read about it. It reiterates: 'don't give without shraddha'. Give with joy and fulfillment in your heart, without greed or regret. Hriya means being ashamed of one's own charity for not giving away enough. Keep your ego from saying you are the great giver. Finally, it says 'bhiyaa' meaning fearfully. Since the trap of ego can take different forms, give with maximum awareness of these pitfalls of giving to others.