Grammatical Analysis
Cāgānussati: [f.] recollection of generosity. Formed by cāga (giving up, renunciation, generosity) + anussati (recollection).
Orthodox Definition
Cāgānussati is the fifth of the ten classical Recollections. It is a meditation subject wherein the practitioner focuses on their own past acts of selfless giving and the internal psychological relinquishment of stinginess (macchariya).
The canonical formula for this contemplation is: “It is a gain for me, it is well gained by me, that in a generation obsessed by the stain of stinginess, I dwell at home with a mind devoid of stinginess, freely generous, open-handed, delighting in relinquishment, devoted to charity, delighting in sharing.”
This practice explicitly strengthens the wholesome root of non-greed (alobha). By reflecting on the joy of giving, the mind becomes luminous and free from the restrictive, defensive posture of avarice. As with the other virtue-based recollections, it brings the mind to Access Concentration (upacāra-samādhi).
Textual References
- Sutta: Mahānāma Sutta (AN 11.12) – Included in the Buddha’s meditation prescription for a busy layperson who wishes to reach the same mental purity as a forest monk.
- Canonical: Aṅguttara Nikāya (Chakka Nipāta) – Showing how this practice establishes a noble disciple in the worldly life without being corrupted by it.
- Commentary: Visuddhimagga (Chapter VII) – Instructions on how to properly isolate the pure volition (cetanā) of giving as the object of focus.