The Community is encouraged to share the resources with those who are less fortunate. Generosity is recommended as a great virtue to be cultivated by one and all. It is to be practised by the poor as well. Devatasamyutta (14) states that a small gift given from one’s meagre belongings is measured thousand fold. The commentary on vimmanavatthu (15) sums up the idea of saying: Give according to one’s means. When the spirit of sharing whatever one has spreads from the topmost rungs of society to the very bottom a spirit of brotherhood and solidarity pervades the entire society. There is no pride or arrogance attached to the rich as donors and no humiliation or lowliness attached to the poor as recipients.

The Anguttaranikaya (16) spells out the special qualities of generosity as practised by a man of virtue. He gives what is pure, what is pleasing,at the proper time to meet a need and he gives with proper care discretely inquiring into the needs of the donee (17). Give with one’s own hands. The intimate personal involvement in gifting softens the heart of both the donor and the donee. In gifting one must be thoughtful about utility value and meaningfulness of what is offered. One should not give as alms what is discarded.

The commentary on the Dighanikaya (18) divides donors into three categories. He who enjoys the best of things and gives to others what is inferior is a donor who is a slave of the gift. He who gives the same as what he enjoys is a friend of the gift. He who subsists on whatever that is available and gives to others the best of what he has is a donor who is a lord of the gift. He is like a welling spring to the needy and the destitute (19)

Generosity also helps to diminish hatred between the haves and the have-nots.

The Maghasutta of the Suttanipata (20) states that practice of generosity helps to eliminate class prejudice and hatred.

It is natural that the poor find employment under those who could afford to get their services. The Sigalovadasutta (21) spells out in detail how a master should look after his servant.* These clearly reveal the Buddhist ideas against unscrupulous exploitation.