Dana - The Practice of Generosity

Dharmagiri runs on the principle of Dana following the ancient practice of the Buddhist lineage where teachings are offered freely. It also follows the guidelines of the Forest monasteries which make no charge of those who visit and stay. Dana means ‘generosity’ or ‘free will offering’. Those who stay at Dharmagiri do so through the generosity of others, and likewise the gifts of retreatants make it possible for future practitioners to benefit from their time at Dharmagiri. Dana allows those who do not have resources access to the teachings and practice at Dharmagiri. This is only sustainable when those who have more or a great deal of resources, offer more, so that people with less can still participate.

Dating back to the time of the Buddha the teachings are given freely since they are considered priceless,. There has existed an inter-dependence between those who offer teachings and those who receive them. The Buddha created a system to develop this quality of open-heartedness whereby those who share the teachings are dependent on those who receive them. Monks and nuns go on daily alms rounds relying on the generosity of lay people for support in continuing their spiritual life. This relationship of mutual giving embodies a ‘sacred contract’ that enlivens the teachings and keeps their transmission pure.

At Dharmagiri we hold faith to this monastic inheritance. It is our experience and belief that the practice of Dana offers an extraordinary opportunity for all of us to connect with a 2,550 year tradition of transmission that is deeply bedded in a web of devotion, offering, and commitment. It is a rich inheritance that is a privilege to be a part of. At Dharmagiri we keep alive this joyful tradition so that the transmission of Dharma doesn’t just fall to a business transaction.

Besides Dana helping to support the practical side of Dharmagiri, it also supports the teachers who give their time, expertise, and experience freely and supports those who live at Dharmagiri as community members and as managers, without whom the centre could not operate. There will be an opportunity to contribute Dana at the end of each retreat or visit. There are three baskets, one for Dharmagiri, one for the teachers and one for the managers.

According to the Buddha sharing whatever we have, whether it be money, time, work, nurture or resources, is one of the central pillars of a spiritual life. In the act of giving we develop our ability to let go and cultivate a spirit of caring. An act of generosity can be a spontaneous outpouring due the heart being touched or the desire to support that which we are aligned to. However generosity is also a practice that undermines grasping and helps us move beyond self centred-ness. On a larger scale generosity enables a stable and cohesive family, society and world.

When you make an offering, it is encouraged to do so with mindfulness, with a heart that lets go, with a heart of loving kindness and with no manipulation or agenda regards the result. This doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be careful monitoring of the results of sharing our resources, but in the moment of actually offering, the highest form of giving is when the heart is free from any agenda, from grasping and is able to wish for the welfare of the other.

The karmic result of generosity is to live with abundance, to live fearlessly and to live open hearted with a strong sense of kinship and interconnectedness within the web of life. May it be so for you!

“If beings knew, as I know, the results of giving and sharing, they would not eat without having given, nor would the stain of miserliness overcome their minds. Even if it were their last bite, their last mouthful, they would note eat without having shared, if there were someone to receive their gift”

The Buddha itivuttaka 26

Thank you for your consideration regards this practice of Dana. Please contact the office for any further information: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it + 27 (0) 33 7011138