Why dāna?
In a global economic paradigm driven by unceasing greed, the Buddhist practice of generosity or dāna (donation) is a seed that desperately needs watering. Traditionally, the Buddhist teachings have always been passed down by way of dāna, but that traditional approach is being challenged by contemporary capitalist culture.
Although the issues facing our species and planet may seem complex, the root causes according to the Buddha are very simple. It is the three poisons of greed, anger/aversion and delusion that are the catalysts behind the broken paradigm we witness and the reality we all can be a part of changing.
It is thus through the practice of giving (dāna), the Buddha’s antidote to greed and selfishness, that Whit shares his teachings, honouring the Buddhist tradition and setting precedence to helping others receive the benefit of the Buddha’s medicinal wisdom.
FAQs - DĀNA
1. How is dāna different from donation?
Dāna should not be looked upon as a business transaction or simply a payment for services or goods rendered.
It is a gift given from the heart, expressing one’s gratitude and appreciation for the teachings, considered priceless by the ancient tradition of Buddhism.
2. How does dāna work?
It is vital to understand that dāna is the practice of generosity. Although we all have the innate, generous capacity to give and support one another, the conditions of our system have obscured this quality of the heart. Just as we practice loving-kindness and mindfulness to help reawaken those innate qualities of the heart-mind, so too we have the practice of dāna to reawaken the gift of generosity.
3. Why dāna?
The Buddha taught about three poisons of the mind: greed, hatred and delusion. In the words of Burmese meditation master and the head of Whit’s primary lineage, Mahāsi Sayadaw, these three mind-states are the roots of all evil and suffering in the world. The Buddha provided practices designed to directly counter these mental afflictions and it is dāna (giving) that is his antidote to greed. Without incorporating dāna as part of our practice, it is very difficult to proceed beyond a certain point on the Buddha’s path.
4. How does my donation benefit my spiritual practice?
From one perspective the practice of dāna is primarily designed to benefit ourselves. Although we help countless others by way of our generosity, our acts of giving are crucial to freeing our own mind from suffering. By giving and letting go of the mind’s attachment to money, greed and the concomitant mind-states which give rise to greed, such as fear and insecurity, gradually ease within the mind. As a result the mind gains greater trust in the refuge of itself, finding the security it seeks not by accumulating more material wealth, but by letting go.
5. How does my donation support others?
Your gift of dāna honours and supports the teachings of a 2600 year old tradition that has survived until to this point as a result of the generosity of the human heart. Your dāna supports the livelihood of the teachers who are working to keep the teachings accessible in this way. Your dāna supports the community of practitioners to practice by dāna and in-turn their dāna supports you to practice in this way. Our dāna supports people from all levels of society to access and benefit from the teachings, and this re-awakening of our collective interconnectedness is one of the most powerful benefits we receive from our practice of dāna. Your dāna is also supporting the monastics and laypeople of Myanmar suffering at the hands of the violent military dictatorship, the Tatmadaw.
6. How do I give dāna and how much do I give?
It is very important to treat dāna as part of your spiritual practice and not a purchase transaction.
It is encouraged to take your time with this process. Consider what it means to you to receive the teachings, guidance and support in this way? What does it mean to you to support a model of living based on generosity? What does it mean to be part of an ancient community brought together by our shared primordial instinct to be free of suffering? Do we feel that it’s possible to create ripples of social change by working together in this way? What comes up for you?
When we take the time to sit down, close our eyes and read the heart, attuned with respect and in proper alignment with what we truly can afford to give, our answer as to how much to give will be revealed.