Dana - charity

[Guest guest]

Dana - another important aspect of

sadhna.<br>---<br>"What's the relationship

between "dana" and

"fundraising"? <br><br>They are entirely unrelated -- or at

least they should be. Alas, in recent years the notion

of dana seems to have been co-opted by many Buddhist

organizations in the West as just another fundraising gimmick,

designed to appeal to our better nature. How many times

have we read fundraising letters from Buddhist

organizations that open with the familiar preamble: "Dana, or

generosity, is the ancient tradition that has kept the

Buddha's teachings alive for over 2,500 years..."? How

many times have we seen long "wish lists" in these

letters detailing exactly what material goods are needed?

And how many times have we heard meditation centers

ask for "suggested donations" to pay for their

teachings? To my mind, these valiant efforts at drumming up

material support for Buddhist causes only dampen the true

spirit of dana, that weightless, heartfelt, and

spontaneous upwelling of generous action that lies at the

very root of the Buddha's teachings. <br><br>Giving of

any kind is unquestionably good. The Buddha

encourages us to give generously whenever anyone asks for

help [Dhp 224]. And even the smallest of gifts, when

offered with a generous heart, has tremendous value:

"Even if a person throws the rinsings of a bowl or a

cup into a village pool or pond, thinking, 'May

whatever animals live here feed on this,' that would be a

source of merit" [AN III.58]. But the actual rewards of

giving depend strongly on the climate in which the

giving occurs. The giver and the recipient -- the donor

and the organization -- share an equal responsibility

in fostering a climate that makes the most of

generosity. If both are serious about putting the Buddha's

teachings into practice, they would do well to consider the

following points: <br><br>First, the benefits of giving

multiply in accordance with the purity of the giver's

motives. A gift we give half-heartedly yields modest

rewards for all concerned, whereas a gift given with

genuine open-handedness, "not seeking [our] own profit,

not with a mind attached [to the reward]," is of far

greater value [AN VII.49]. If we give with an expectation

of receiving something from the recipient in return

-- membership benefits, a certificate of

appreciation, a book, a meditation course, etc. -- we

shortchange ourselves, and dilute the power of our

generosity. Buddhist organizations should therefore be

cautious about rewarding gifts with these sorts of

perquisites. <br><br>Second, the Buddha does not encourage us

to ask for gifts. In fact, he says quite the

opposite: he encourages us to make do with what little we

already have [AN IV.28]. This theme of

contentment-with-little echoes throughout the Buddha's teachings. To my

mind, a fundraiser's long "wish list" of needed items

conveys a sense of dissatisfaction, and thus seems at

odds with this message. Donors most enjoy giving when

they know that their gift -- no matter how humble it

may be -- is truly appreciated by the recipient. If I

have only a small gift to give, I wonder if it will be

appreciated -- or even noticed -- by an organization with

ambitious fundraising goals or a long and expensive list of

needs. An organization can promote the Buddha's

teachings most effectively, and inspire the greatest

confidence among its supporters, by keeping its needs modest

and its requests rare. "<br><br><br>....cont'd