- The first degree is miserly giving. This is when we give away that which we no longer want. It is considered miserly because giving in this way asks nothing of us. This sort of giving is like recycling, and it is valuable but not particularly generous.
- The next level of generosity is kindly giving. With kindly giving we give away what we would like to receive. There is a thoughtfulness and friendliness in this kind of giving.
- The third, and highest, form of giving is kingly giving. In kingly giving we give the very best of what we have in time, material goods, or, in some cases, even our lives.
Posted by: Hereandthere40 | March 19, 2013
Three Degrees of Generosity
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: buddhism, christianity, generosity, religion, Spirituality
hereandthere40 
Maimonides listed the 8 levels of charity from worst to best, when the highest level is to empower the other person or to give without telling who you are, so that it will not be done for your ego, but for true generosity. Here they are:
Giving begrudgingly
Giving less that you should, but giving it cheerfully.
Giving after being asked
Giving before being asked
Giving when you do not know the recipient’s identity, but the recipient knows your identity
Giving when you know the recipient’s identity, but the recipient doesn’t know your identity
Giving when neither party knows the other’s identity
Enabling the recipient to become self-reliant
By: rachel bar on March 20, 2013
at 10:30 am
Excellent and very fitting. I hadnt heard of Maimonides, but I just read his wiki, he was remarkable.
By: Hereandthere40 on March 20, 2013
at 11:39 am