the giving of fearlessness
Abhayadaanअभयदान
Giving someone safety — the daan that returns a life lived without dread.
Abhayadaan is the giving of fearlessness: shelter from violence, protection from those who would exploit someone, or a route out. Classical Indian thought ranks it remarkably highly — above material gifts — because of what the recipient gets back, which is the ability to live without dread.
Its modern forms are rescue and rehabilitation from trafficking, shelters for women and children escaping violence, legal aid for people with no means to defend themselves, and the slow work of helping someone rebuild afterwards.
It is also the least visible daan. There are rarely photographs, the results cannot be counted simply, and the people helped usually cannot be named.
