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| Friday, 9 January 2004 |
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Gift of giving by P. G. G. Palihapitiya The old cliche that 'it's better to give than to receive' is a spiritual reminder and it has become the main source of enjoyment for some people. Giving, generosity, donation etc. are an integral part of the social behaviour of men and women. Somebody gives while someone else receives. Both parties enjoy the benefits. Whether it's Christmas in the West, Deepavali in the Indian sub-continent, Ramadan in the Middle East or the Sinhala New Year in Sri Lanka, gift of giving is the cornerstone among selfless people. It creates new bonds of friendship, improves better relations that already exist among families. It's amazing how people are bent on giving things during the Vesak festival in the island. The level of generosity is unprecedented during Vesak and other Buddhist festivals. Dana (generosity), Sila (morality) and Bhavana (meditation) are the three pillars of Buddhism, on which the superior state of liberation can be built. Throughout the Buddha's mission, the benefits of generosity have been given a prominent place. Dasa Pin Kiriyawath (ten meritorious deeds), Dasa Paramitha (ten perfections) and Dasa Raja Dharma (ten royal commands) begin with generosity. From the earliest cave dwellers to our own turn of the millennium, from stone-aged to the present day era of high-technology, from caves to castles, from huts to mansions throughout human history, the gift of giving has been the most significant act of illumination. In important ways, the world's social elite and philanthropists have made their share of giving for the benefit of humanity. Business tycoon, Ted Turner, American Talk Show Queen Oprah, Pop singer, Michael Jackson, billionaire, Bill Gates are prominent, international donors, who support the prevention of AIDS, elimination of illiteracy, alleviate poverty, provide shelter, supply pure water and protect environment. The Rockfeller family donated the funds to buy the property on which the UN headquarters in New York now sits. Billionaire, George Soros donated 36 million US dollars to aid Bosnia, Ted Turner handed 1 billion US dollars to the financially crippled UN to be payable within 15 years. They are on a noble mission to carry on their deep-rooted beliefs to help people, institutions and communities irrespective of their colour, creed, race and any other mundane differences. Their motive is based purely on humanitarian grounds coupled with compassion and kindness. In Sri Lanka, H. W. Amarasuriya, B. R. Dissanayake, Sir Henry de Soysa, Dr. Arthur de Silva, Sir Cyril de Zoysa, Jeramius Dias, etc. have made an indelible mark in the annals of giving. Is the gift of giving an inherent quality among some people or have they developed later, is an unanswered question. A comprehensive research in regard to this subject carried out by eminent psychologists and bid-ethicists shows that giving has a whole range of health benefits, including fewer aches and pains. Better mental health, lower stress levels and improved protection against illness are also found as benefits in these research activities. An American bio-ethicist Stephen Post of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland has examined the growing evidence linking altruism to improved health and long life. The University of Michigan did a survey and it reveals that those who helped others greatly reduced their chances of dying compared to those who did not. They surveyed "more than 400 elderly couples on their tendencies to provide emotional support to spouses, friends and relatives, as well as their willingness to help with tasks like baby-sitting and errands". Those who did not help were more vulnerable to death. Giving makes you happier and healthier, according to this survey. Dr. Ester Sternberg of the National Institute of Health in Washington states in her book. (The Balance Within The Science Connecting Health and Emotions): "Altruistic acts have been known to lower stress as long as they are not demanding and burdensome. Being altruistic may have other biological benefits beyond slicing into stress. If you do something that reduces the stress response-like have a positive social interaction-then you can imagine you might protect yourself from the bad effects from stress." Some recent studies also show that people who volunteer their time to help others tend to be better off than those who do not. Berkeley University of California "surveyed more than 2,000 people in 1999 and showed that people who lent their time for two or more organisations had an astounding 63 per cent lower likelihood of dying during the five years studied." Some research suggests being kind and generous can help keep the body well, too, according to Behavioral Scientist, Carolyn Schwartz of the University of Massachusetts. A sound mind in a sound or healthy body is a great blessing. Helping others induces psychological changes in the body. In Jathaka stories numerous accounts of generosity of the Buddha in his previous births have been mentioned fulfilling his perfections. He even sacrificed his life, donated blood, eyes and vital organs to save the lives of other people. In Anuradhapura period, King Siri Sangabo, sacrificed his life in order to satisfy a demand. It is in public record that even today some people donate kidneys to save the lives of their relatives or unknown individuals. 'Optimism, compassion, thankfulness, generous love, kindness, etc. are emotional states that are just as depression, anxiety, fear and the like' says, Stephen Post, an American Bio-ethicist. However, so far no medical research has been undertaken to study the positive sides of human nature, although medical science exclusively devoted to human diseases and human deficit. Human nature deserves to be studied. Generosity paves the way to eliminate desire, greed, attachment or the clinging. The gift of giving is a balancing act to go in the opposite direction of desire. Non-attachment to wealth brings happiness and joy. Psychologists have also prescribed volunteering as a stronger influence than going to church every Sunday, according to Mr. Post. "the busy volunteer still enjoy 44 per cent lower risk than the person who did not volunteer at all. You might also want to know that in that study moderate helping behaviour is more strongly associated with longevity than is not smoking," Mr. Post says. |
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