Giving is the most fundamental of the bodhisattva practices, for bodhisattvas give themselves to save others. It is giving that makes a bodhisattva. While the Eightfold Path is prescribed for self-cultivation, the Six Perfections (especially giving and patience) are directed to others, clearly indicating the shift toward an altruistic, social focus in Mahayana Buddhism that set it apart from the Hinayana tradition.
Basic Buddhist Concepts