Elgin Area Insight Meditation

Dana, the Practice of Generosity

The Buddha taught that generosity is a spiritual practice. In Pali, the word dana has many layers of meaning. It has been translated as generosity, alms, giving, and sharing with others. Dana was the first teaching given to all beginners because if a beginner could open his heart to generosity, then the Buddha knew the person was teachable. In other words, the practice of the Middle Way rests on the foundation of generosity. It is considered the first of the perfections or virtues because the practice of dana naturally helps develop all of the others.

Sharon Salzberg has written that "The cultivation of generosity is the beginning of spiritual awakening. Generosity has tremendous force because it arises from an inner quality of letting go. Being able to let go, to give up, to renounce, and to give generously all spring from the same source, and when we practice generosity, dana, we open up these qualities within ourselves. Letting go gives us profound freedom and many loving ways to express that freedom."

Historically and continuing into the present, the lay community has shown appreciation for the priceless nature of the teachings by offering alms of food, clothing, medicine and shelter to the monks and nuns. Thus, the symbol for dana is an alms bowl. In the West, with so many lay teachers and so few monastics, dana has taken the form of money offerings at the end of a retreat or talk. We may give dana out of custom or feelings of obligation, forgetting that dana is an integral part of our spiritual practice. We may also discount the dana that takes forms other than monetary.

Volunteering, any offering of our time and talent, is dana. An offering of tea is dana. Picking up trash on a public walk as we pass by is dana. When we engage in these acts, how does it feel, what are we cultivating?
If we are approached on the street by a person asking for money, what happens in the mind? Do we give or not give? How does it feel, what are we cultivating?

"When we practice dana with awareness, we allow ourselves to experience with more clarity and honesty how we are actually relating to it. It may be a liberating experience, accompanied by feelings of compassion and care; or it may be a painful and challenging experience provoking feelings of fear, inadequacy and regret. Being a 'practice' implies that it may not always be easy, but still we have a commitment to bring a gentle awareness around what is happening in our hearts."
~ Sandra Hammond

Truly understanding dana as practice, we know that we are cultivating loving kindness and compassion for our fellow beings.
Truly understanding dana as practice, we know that we are developing non-clinging and non-attachment.
Truly understanding dana as practice, we know that we are experiencing the inter-relatedness of all beings.

Practicing dana, we are happier and more at ease in the world.