Giving to the Buddha is often challenged, but it is something we do everyday in Sri Lanka and also Myanmar. Here is a study expanded from the IIT chanting book, using my advanced ai search capabilities on my local machine using TPR. All quotes are found in TPR when you click on the link. Some translations were redone by Claude. Other translations are ePitaka that comes with TPR. The latest version of TPR has default copy / paste in the format below.
First we look at the factors for giving:
Aṭṭhakathā · commentary
Dānamayanti anupacchinnabhavamūlassa anuggahavasena pūjāvasena vā attano deyyadhammassa paresaṃ pariccāgacetanā dīyati etāyāti dānaṃ, dānameva dānamayaṃ.
“Made of giving”: the volition of giving up one’s own giftable thing to others, either by way of support or by way of honour (pūjā) — that by which one gives is “giving”. (tr. Claude)
However, there is nothing that says that it needs to be accepted.
Aṭṭhakathā · commentary
Tattha dānaṃ nāma tividhaṃ – cāgacetanāpi, viratipi, deyyadhammopi. ‘‘ Saddhā hiriyaṃ kusalañca dānan ’’ ti (a. ni.8.30) āgataṭṭhāne cāgacetanā dānaṃ.
There, giving (dāna) is threefold: volition of renunciation, abstinence, and an object to be given. In the passage where it is stated ‘faith, moral shame, and wholesome giving’ (A.N. 8.30), giving (dāna) refers to the volition of renunciation (cāgacetanā).
Aṭṭhakathā · commentary
Tattha cāgacetanā ‘‘ deti vā deyyadhammaṃ, denti vā etāya deyyadhamman ’’ ti dānaṃ.
Among these, the volition of renunciation (cāgacetanā) is called giving (dāna) in the sense of ‘one gives an object to be given’ or ‘they give an object to be given by means of this’.
Here are three moments of puñña. Notice there are 3 and remember that 2 separate gifts will equal six. That it how we know that giving a gift, even when refused still counts.
Aṭṭhakathā · commentary
Etesu pana puññakiriyavatthūsu dānamayaṃ tāva ‘ dānaṃ dassāmī ’ ti cintentassa uppajjati, dānaṃ dadato uppajjati,‘ dinnaṃ me ’ ti paccavekkhantassa uppajjati. Evaṃ pubbacetanaṃ muñcanacetanaṃ aparacetananti tissopi cetanā ekato katvā ‘ dānamayaṃ puññakiriyavatthu ’ nāma hoti.
First, among these bases of meritorious activity, the basis of meritorious activity consisting in giving arises in one thinking, ‘I will give a gift!’; it arises in a donor who gives a gift; it arises in one reflecting on, ‘A gift was given by me.’ Thus, all three volitions—pre-volition, volition at the moment of giving, and post-volition—having been made together, are called the basis of meritorious activity consisting in giving.
And for a dāna it is important to get righteously
Aṭṭhakathā · commentary
Paccayānaṃ dhammena samena uppatti paccayasampadā nāma.
The arising of requisites through righteous and ethical means is the accomplishment of requisites.
The Key Point : Mahāpajāpatī’s Robe = Twice Given.
The Buddha refused the robe three times. The effort was not lost.
When she made the robe “for the Blessed One”, and asked him to accept it, He said,
“Give it to the Saṅgha.”
Mūla Tipiṭaka · Buddhavacana
‘‘ idaṃ me, bhante, navaṃ dussayugaṃ bhagavantaṃ uddissa sāmaṃ kantaṃ sāmaṃ vāyitaṃ. Taṃ me, bhante, bhagavā paṭiggaṇhātu anukampaṃ upādāyā ’’ ti. Evaṃ vutte, bhagavā mahāpajāpatiṃ gotamiṃ etadavoca – ‘‘ saṅghe, gotami, dehi. Saṅghe te dinne ahañceva pūjito bhavissāmi saṅgho cā ’’ ti.
“Venerable sir, this new pair of garments was specially spun and woven by me for the Blessed One. May the Blessed One please accept this from me out of compassion.” When this was said, the Blessed One said to Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī: “Give it to the Saṅgha, Gotamī. When you give to the Saṅgha, both the Saṅgha and I will be honored.”
This happened three times.
Aṭṭhakathā · commentary
‘‘ pahomahaṃ, bhante, dussakoṭṭhāgārato bhikkhusatassāpi bhikkhusahassassāpi bhikkhusatasahassassāpi cīvaradussāni dātuṃ, idaṃ pana me bhagavantaṃ uddissa sāmaṃ kantaṃ sāmaṃ vāyitaṃ, taṃ me, bhante, bhagavā paṭiggaṇhātū ’’ ti nimantayamānā āha. Evaṃ yāvatatiyaṃ yāci, bhagavāpi paṭikkhipiyeva.
‘Venerable sir, I am able to give garments to a hundred or a thousand monks from the storehouse; but this was specially spun and woven by me for the Blessed One. Please, venerable sir, may the Blessed One accept it,’ she said, inviting him. She begged him in this way three times, and the Blessed One refused him three times.
Where there was extra Kamma of Giving:
- She gave it to the Buddha, it was refused.
- She gave it to the saṅgha and it was accepted.
The commentary then says what happened to the first one: it was not wasted. Her three cetanā toward the Buddha had already arisen.
The Buddha refused so that three more would arise toward the Saṅgha which totals six.
Aṭṭhakathā · commentary
Kasmā pana bhagavā attano diyyamānaṃ bhikkhusaṅghassa dāpetīti? Mātari anukampāya. Evaṃ kirassa ahosi – ‘‘ imissā maṃ ārabbha pubbacetanā muñcacetanā paracetanāti tisso cetanā uppannā, bhikkhusaṅghampissā ārabbha uppajjantu, evamassā cha cetanā ekato hutvā dīgharattaṃ hitāya sukhāya pavattissantī ’’ ti.
Why does the Blessed One have her give to the Saṅgha what was being offered to him? Out of compassion for the mother. It is said that the Blessed One had such a thought— ‘Three types of volition—prior, present, and subsequent—have arisen in her toward me; let these same three types arise toward the Saṅgha. In this way, these six volitions will be united and will long be for her welfare and happiness.’
Aṭṭhakathā · commentary
Evamassā cha cetanā ekato hutvā dīgharattaṃ hitāya sukhāya bhavissantīti sandhāya yāvatatiyaṃ paṭibāhitvā saṅghassa dāpesi.
Thinking, ‘These six volitions will be united and will long be for her welfare and happiness,’ he refused her three times and had her give to the Saṅgha.
This is where the justification to give to the Buddha happens. Accepting is not required. The Buddha did not accept, but the commentary counts six. The kamma was complete. The Buddha’s refusal gave her merit and nothing was lost.
So you should think about this when you give to the Buddha or The Bodhi Tree or any representation of the Buddha,. When you do, it will increase your merit.