Generosity I

Generosity is one of the first teachings that the Buddha gives. Why is generosity considered a foundational practice on the spiritual path?

In the Pali language of the Buddhist texts, Generosity is called dana, which means ‘gift or giving’, but also implies a letting go of our ‘holding onto’, our attachment, or clinging to what was ‘ours’ and now becomes a gift.

The Buddha taught and lived what is really a “way of life”: giving and receiving—the practice of dana [generosity]. The cultivation of generosity offers the possibility of purifying and transforming greed, clinging, and self-centeredness, as well as the fear that is linked to these energies of attachment. Dana practice is the foundation of Buddhist spiritual development. Generosity is the ground of compassion; it is a prerequisite to the realization of liberation.

As our practice of generosity deepens, we begin to know more directly the ephemeral nature of all things. What can we really possess, after all? Our realization that there is actually nothing that can be held on to can become a powerful factor in cultivating our inner wealth of generosity, which is a wealth that can never be depleted, a gift that can forever be given, a seamless circle that feeds itself. As the Buddha tells us, “The greatest gift is the act of giving itself.”

There are several ways we can give to others. We can give material goods or money, we can give our time and attention, we can give caring thoughts and words, or we can share the wisdom we have gained with those who are receptive to advice or direction in the moment.

Here are some questions we can ask ourselves to help determine if we are giving and receiving with mindfulness:

• What is happening in my body when I give?
• What is happening in my mind?
• Is there a sense of ease, openness, and non-sentimental lovingkindness and compassion in my heart, body, and mind? Or, is there a feeling of depletion, weakness, fear, regret, or confusion—a contraction of my heart, body, and mind?
• Can I go beneath my stories, ideas, and beliefs about how I want the exchange to be or not to be, or how I believe it is “supposed to be” or “not supposed to be”? Can I mindfully recognize when I am caught in stories, beliefs, wishful or aversive thoughts in relation to generosity?
  

All spiritual practice is ultimately about Letting Go. We release our habitual patterns of thinking and reacting to allow our true nature, our inner wisdom to shine forth.