What are the two types of death? First is the physical death that ordinary people experience as they migrate through samsara (the cycle of birth and death.) The second type of death consists of the stages of transformation on the bodhisattva path. There are ten such stages, or bhumis7, that a bodhisattva travesres on the way to buddhahood. Bodhisattvas experience samsara, but their death is not the ordinary physical death mentioned above. It is rather, the death of progressively subtler layers of attachment that are shed as great bodhisattvas progress through the bhumis, transforming their own merit and virtue, and finally attaining the dharmakaya, the body of reality or perfect buddhahood. The tenth and last stage is the complete fulfillment of all practices and realizations; thereafter transformation death will not recur. In accordance with the ten bhumis, bodhisattvas practice the Ten Paramitas.8 Thus, when you generate bodhi-mind, the altruistic mind of benefiting others, you benefit yourself as well.

The practice of generosity, dana, can be traced to the early teachings of the nikayas, the agamas, and to the later teachings in the Prajnaparamita Sutras, as well as to the Mahaprajnaparamita Sastra9, which elaborates on this practice. Among the paramitas, generosity can be the easiest to fulfill; one can reap immediate benefits from it. Generosity can be practiced in two modes: with characteristics and without characteristics.

Generosity with Characteristics

We practice generosity with characteristics when we have a motive for performing a generous deed. For example, we can give as a form of repayment for something received. We may feel indebted even though the giver does not expect anything in return. We may even do charitable work or make donations in the name of that person. We may then say that we have fulfilled our indebtedness. This kind of giving is good and may be counted as generosity.