Generosity VI

I wanted to start this piece with some words by Joseph Goldstein, one of the founders of the Insight Meditation Society.

In some ways generosity is the beginning point of the Buddhist teachings. It’s often said that the Buddha would give graduated teachings as he traveled around speaking to different groups, and his teachings would always start with the practice of generosity. From there, his teachings would move into the practice of ethical behavior, or sīla, and then into meditation. So this speaks to the importance of generosity as the foundation of the whole spiritual path. It’s quite remarkable. And it’s important to understand that generosity is a practice; it’s not just a single event. It’s a quality in our hearts and minds that we can actually develop and cultivate.

There are so many good qualities associated with generosity that it really is a joyful place to start the practice. When we’re being generous, we experience a feeling of metta, or lovingkindness. It feels good to have positive feelings about those towards whom we’re being generous. And sometimes generosity includes a feeling of compassion, as when we’re moved by compassion to be generous towards someone. And sometimes generosity figures into our development of renunciation, because generosity is also a form of letting go.

There are three parts of a generous action and they are important in developing positive energy on the spiritual path.

First, we set the intention to be generous. This can be when we are moved to perform an act of generosity on the spot. Or, this can be intention, in a broader sense, to live a generous life of sharing with others whenever possible. This also includes being generous with ourselves when we recognize that we need to hold ourselves in love, care, and compassion and when we need to reach out for the support of others.

Second, we have the action itself. This can include a generous donation of money or material goods, your time with care and compassion for another, or simply (or maybe not so simply) your full attention when you are present with another, or when you need to be present to some difficult emotion that is arising within you. These are all acts of generosity.

Last of all, there is the result of the generosity. Joseph Goldstein, above, suggests that we can have positive feelings towards those when we extend generosity, wishing them deep well being and happiness, seeing others as just like us in wanting and needing to be deeply well and happy in their lives. So, we can feel good about all of our acts of generosity, with others and with the times we are generous with ourselves.

The act of generosity is an act of letting go: letting go of our grip on material goods, letting go of our need to keep as much as we can for ourselves (time, money, material possessions), letting go of our beliefs that we are “different” than others in some way. With all that “letting go,” we are actually receiving the blessing of connecting with others in a deep way of sharing and caring, and developing a sense of equanimity within; a sense that we are already “enough” just as we are.

I hope you can continue the practices we have outlined before, noticing all the opportunities you have to be generous (with others and with yourself), and noticing and accepting generosity when it comes your way.