Dana

by Ralph Pamperin
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Dana is a buddhist term which embodies a deep personal spirit of generosity and gratitude; it is fundamental to a Buddhist spiritual life and deeply engrained into buddhist cultures. In our western culture we emphasize charitable giving to the less fortunate, which is very important. Dana goes beyond this, moving from an open-handed generosity of giving to the needy to more of an open-hearted generosity. Cultivating generosity helps us to eliminate greed and hatred; when you give you have loving-kindness in your heart, so greed and hatred or ill-will are absent. When we understand how interconnected we all are, and are filled gratitude for life and loving kindness for all, we have a heartfelt desire to share generously from whatever gifts we have received in this life. You can give many non-material things which may count even more than material things. When we are kind to each other, we are giving kindness, gentleness, comfort, peace, happiness, etc. For example, we can listen to a troubled person with compassion. The buddhist monks share the teachings of the Buddha from this place of generosity. For them it is foreign to deeply held spiritual values to charge money for sharing the gift of the Buddha's wisdom with which they have been blessed. They in turn invite us to share in this spirit of generosity in whatever way we are gifted in life.


I recall an early, almost insignificant experience with Bhante Sathi. We had started a meditation class in Chanhassen and needed cushions for the class. At the end of one of the classes, Bhante suggested we might buy cushions to bring to the class. Several of us agreed this would be a good idea and someone volunteered to research where to buy a quantity of them. We would each buy our cushion and bring them to class each week. Bhante broke in and suggested that we might want to buy them for all to share and buy for more than our own needs. In the way he presented this it was obvious to me that we each had first thought of our own needs, and buying OUR cushions. It is hard to explain, but I sensed something very different in the way Bhante invited generosity from us. I sensed it was deeply engrained and not something that he had to think about doing the right thing. He was inviting us to selfless, generous loving kindness. There was no guilt, no should's; it felt like an invitation to expand. This almost insignificant experience made a deep and lasting impression on me.


Having grown up in a church in which asking for money was an ever-present aspect. I sometimes find it difficult to ask for donations for the monks. When I find it difficult I know it is because this value of Dana is not yet embedded in me. Dana does not involve guilt or fear of not having enough; it emanates from deep gratitude for life and a heart-felt loving kindness for all.