Dana.

After my teacher had instructed me to teach Dhamma in 1984 on my home Island in the United Kingdom, I began to present five week structured courses of Vipassana and Loving Kindness meditation. This coupled with simple Buddhist teaching was very popular, if only because in those days it was still quite new to the United Kingdom.

For two hours one evening a week people could hear about and sample meditation and Dhamma practice. Myself and the small group that had gathered around me, advertised these free courses in the local newspapers, hired a hall and asked only for donation in return to repay the advertising and the room rental.

We placed a dana box close to the door and explained its function.

This is only to help support the group, pay the costs of the course and promote Buddhism and meditation on the Isle of Man, please leave a donation when we are finished.’

Rarely did we find any more than a few coins there and on one occasion we found only two buttons in the dana box.

Generosity is highly prized in Dhamma training because of its fearless nature.

It is the first of the ‘ten perfections’ (dana paramita) described by the Buddha and resides in the loving heart. When we are not afraid, we can share. When we don’t think about keeping more than we need for ourselves, we can share. When we see the value of what we have received we can be generous.

However, whenever we take more than we need, that is greed, and the basis for that greed is fear. In the end they are only the two extremes of the same moment of mind.

Dhamma itself is a sharing process, but paradoxically, it comes at a price.

In every moment we show ourselves, and the mind that makes the illusion of giving but actually takes and gives less than nothing in return, displays only a closed heart.

We pretend something in front of others but always reveal our true nature. The mind of the ‘button person,’ is closed, and the door is locked with greed and fear. This is a true prison.

Later pehaps this person laughed at how clever he was, but his suffering continues. We can mislead and delude others, but we cannot fool ourselves forever. Sooner or later we meet the reality of our mind set.

When I was a monk I was supported principally by a very lovely Burmese woman. I was surprised and humbled by her generosity and when later I thanked her, she said, ‘No need to thank me. We Burmese believe that what we give comes back to us three times more. With this I can support other monks.’

The fearful heart shows itself and the loving heart shows itself. Let go of fear, let go of greed and allow this loving heart to manifest into your life and the life of all beings.

May all beings be happy.