stingy, sparing of, close-fisted
恡 centers on an unwillingness to give or share: being stingy, sparing of resources, or close-fisted.
恡 combines 忄 (heart/mind) with 吝, which likely contributes both sound and the idea of stinginess or reluctance. The exact historical development of the right-side component is uncertain.
The heart radical 忄 beside 吝 (stingy) suggests a heart that holds back: a stingy, close-fisted attitude.
For リン, imagine a stingy person refusing to lend even a single link of a chain: link -> リン, and their heart 忄 clings tightly to every link.