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Dāna: Generosity, A Perfection.

For me, growing up in a transactional culture here in the United States, I found the practice of dāna to be complex and hard to understand. Having lived a life where monetary value was assigned and expected, to actually reflect on the worth of something, or consider the benefit of giving, was new. Dāna is one of the pāramīs or perfections taught by the Buddha. The Buddha lifted ten beautiful and rich qualities as ones to cultivate and celebrate along the path of awakening, dāna being the first on the list. During the Buddha’s time, he offered teachings freely, relying on the support of the community to cover his basic needs in order to continue spreading the profound teachings of the Dhamma. Monks and nuns continue to live in this way, surviving off of dāna, generosity, from community. Dāna is a practice, a reflection on offering and support. When invited to offer dāna, look for the uplift of offering. With generosity, both the giver and receiver benefit, which continues the cycle of this holy perfection. There are no ‘shoulds’ here, rather a true assessment of what feels doable within your means.

Thank you for your generosity. It continues to support me in offering the teachings of the Dhamma.