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Mindfulness of generosity is a gate of Dharma illumination; for [with it] we do not expect reward. 念施是法明門、不望果報故. Maybe you are thinking, oh no, she’s about to launch into a sermon, telling me to be nice and share my toys and then I’ll feel happy, or that I should feel grateful for all the good things in my life and want to give something back. Yeah, yeah, generosity, hearts and flowers, blecch. Boring. We do hear a lot about generosity in this practice, particularly when it’s time for dharma centers to send out the annual fund appeal. Most of the letters start with “In our practice, dana means giving,” and go on to say that this is your chance to show gratitude by giving generously to the center! There is a lot of gee-whiz generalized discussion of generosity in spiritual communities, but it’s actually a fairly complex topic that’s interwoven with a number of other teachings in our tradition. Dogen, Kodo Sawaki, Kosho Uchiyama, and Shohaku Okumura all have had something to say about it. Generosity flies in the face of some of our most basic delusion, which makes it a challenge. Let’s consider what generosity really is and then what difference it makes when we bear it in mind. When we think of generosity, we think about giving something, like money or things, to someone else. We consider someone to be generous when he puts the needs or desires of others ahead of his attachment to his possessions. However, there’s a lot more going on here: we also have to receive without attachment, and we have to understand how generosity arises. Dana was a part of society in ancient India before the Buddha. It generally had to do with charity, either to the poor directly or by building public projects that benefitted everyone. One of the earliest Hindu texts says, “Giving to the poor is true charity; all other giving expects some return.” (1) Thus this is a very old teaching. Of course, it’s good to help others who need our help and try to ease their suffering: feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, lending your book to a classmate who’s left hers at home. These are the daily physical acts of generosity that we do, but the larger, absolute view is that there is no giving and receiving. It feels like I have some object and I can give it to you if you need it, but actually in this one unified reality there is no separation between giver, receiver and gift. There’s nothing I can grasp and own because I’m just a temporary caretaker for “my” stuff, so it’s not possible for me to lose anything by offering it to you. Sawaki Roshi’s expression was “Gaining is delusion, losing is enlightenment.” This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have any possessions, or we should give away everything we have. (Zen practice does not encourage martyrdom; that’s just another form of ego attachment.) It means that the idea that there is something we can gain that we don’t already have is delusion. Losing the idea that there is something to be given or received, or gained or lost, is enlightenment. In the Shobogenzo Shishobo, Dogen says, “Offering is not being greedy.” (2) Offering doesn't necessarily mean giving things away. Not drawing a line between my stuff and your stuff and trying to keep all my stuff for myself and get even more than I already have—that’s offering, or generosity. Dogen goes on to say, "It is like offering treasures we are about to discard to those we do not know." Okumura Roshi tells the story of putting his kids’ old broken rocking horse out by the trash and noticing that within ten minutes someone else had taken it home. He thought it wasn’t worth giving away, but it was valuable to someone whose children didn’t have one. Dogen says all our giving should be done with this kind of non-attachment. We can see that there’s really a lot going on here. Generosity is related to:
If the opposite of generosity is greed, one of the three poisonous minds, then cultivating generosity would seem to be an important practice in dealing with our most basic delusions. It helps us go from being inflexible and self-involved to being more accepting and outward-looking. After all, being generous isn’t just about offering materials. We can also offer openheartedness and acceptance of others. We all know how good it feels and what a relief it is when others accept us for who we are and we can be authentic. That’s a real gift! Over and over we encounter teachings from Buddhas and ancestors about how we sit in zazen, begin to see how the world actually works, gain some understanding of interdependence, and on that basis our selfishness gives way to compassion and the desire to help others. As Dogen says, practice and awakening are not two. Generosity comes from our practice. It’s not enough for me to tell you to be generous. Nonattachment and concern for others arise because we see interdependence for ourselves and it becomes one of the bases for choosing how to act in the world. Greed does not arise because it no longer makes sense. It’s based on false information. Generosity arises from our practice the same way compassion does, the same way right action does, and the same way anything we skillfully offer in the world does. We might think of generosity as a feeling or an impulse, but it’s a practice, something we actually do that benefits both ourselves and others. We don’t wait until we feel generous because of some circumstance that comes to our attention. We constantly cultivate opportunities for generosity as part of our practice. Dogen has some things to say about generosity and about dana paramita, the perfection of giving. Last week we briefly reviewed the six paramitas or perfections:
Dogen further says in the Shishobo that dana is the first of the paramitas because it’s the most powerful in changing the minds of living beings. “The mind of a sentient being is difficult to change. We begin to transform the mind of beings by offering material things, and we resolve to continue to transform them until they attain the Way. From the beginning we should make use of offering.” Similarly, Uchiyama Roshi said, “For breaking the ego’s grip, nothing is more effective than giving something up.” (4) Here is where precepts come in—they ask us to give up things like praising self, stealing what we want, misusing intoxicants, etc. though we may enjoy them! When we give up the chance to break precepts, what we’re offering to others is safety and security and peace. Giving up the opportunity to feed our egos by calling attention to ourselves or fishing for complements is a generous act and others appreciate it. We offer that renunciation to all beings. We have to actively find ways to practice generosity because our habituated thinking leads us to default to self-centeredness. Practice and understanding are complementary here, as is true in so many other areas: actively practicing generosity cultivates selflessness, and understanding the emptiness of the self leads to generosity. When Dogen says that generosity can change the minds of living beings, that includes ourselves as well. Practicing generosity deepens our own understanding as well as helping others, and that help is not just the material items or information or whatever you’re giving; receiving is a practice as well. We grew up hearing it’s better to give than to receive, but both really require equal attention in practice. Receiving can be hard, but we have to receive in order to allow others the opportunity to give. When I serve as tenzo and people thank me for cooking, I also thank them for eating. I would not have had the chance to engage in food practice, cooking and offering the meal for practitioners, without their participation. Likewise, the traditional almsround not only collects resources for the temple but allows donors the chance to earn merit. Receiving those alms is also a practice of giving. Sometimes we don’t want to receive because we’re worried about the real meaning of “gaining is delusion, losing is enlightenment.” If someone offers me this and I take it, am I not giving in to attachment? That’s when we ask ourselves, what’s my motivation? Is my ego or self-image involved? Am I reluctant to accept help and look weak? We can remind ourselves that receiving is also generosity in that it allows giver to offer something. In giving and receiving skillfully we’re demonstrating to others how to do it, and inspiring them. When things stop being the objects of our thinking or consciousness—in other words, when we get beyond separation—we can give and receive and use those things to help all beings without the hindrances of ego, attachment or delusion. It’s clean, and not sticky or muddy. Now, what if what we’re attached to is not what we’re giving away but the reward that may come from our giving? As soon as we give up dealing with things from the perspective of what they mean for me and my own agenda, that’s generosity. We give for a lot of reasons; all generosity is good, but sometimes it’s not entirely selfless. We give to feel good about ourselves. We give so others will like or admire us. We give today so others will give to us tomorrow. We usually associate generosity with loving kindness and compassion, but it also has to have an element of wisdom. We have to see how the world actually works and that we are supporting and supported by all beings already. The reality of interconnectedness means that giving is constantly happening anyway. We also have to wisely discern whether or not our gift is helpful to the recipient. Are we giving because we want to, or because it will actually help? Are we giving what we would want, or what recipients really need? Will that gift enable further suffering, like money for drugs or alcohol? Are we giving so the recipient will just go away? It all takes wisdom as well as compassion. Is the reward we get from giving worth the suffering it may bring so the receiver? Ask yourself and try to answer honestly: where or to whom in my life do I give with absolutely no expectation of reward? It may be very hard to think of such a circumstance, which is OK—few human acts are completely without self interest. Choose the circumstance with the least amount of expected reward and then consider why that particular situation is that way. Now, how can you cultivate that same spirit at other times? It’s good to pay attention to what’s going on in the body and mind when we give so that we don’t forget to practice and maintain mindfulness of generosity. Is there some expectation of how this transaction “should” go? What stories am I telling myself? Is there some hesitation or holding back from this giving opportunity? Some feeling of contraction or depletion or weakness? Of giving too much or not enough? Traditionally there are three kinds of things we can give: 1) Material support, like food and clothing: Traditionally this meant giving to monks as well as to those in society who need help. If we have the resources, we can try to find ways to help folks with their basic needs through activities like charity knitting, or helping in a soup kitchen or crisis nursery. 2) Fearlessness: Because we’re making various kinds of efforts to see through our delusions and not to harm others, we free them from fear. Because of the precepts, we’re not a threat to their lives, property or well-being. As it says in the Heart Sutra, the bodhisattva relies on wisdom, the mind is without hindrance, and without hindrance there is no fear. It’s fear that gets in the way of our generosity. I may have an aspiration or impulse to give, but then what if I’m diminished? In this one unified reality, there is nothing to offer or accept, and nothing actually changes hands. That means we don’t have to “own” something to offer it to the universe. We can offer the snow on a mountaintop, the flowers in a prairie or a lovely sunset. The way we offer them is to enter into the actual, authentic relationship we have with them rather than the made-up one that is about being separate and having an agenda. As soon as we do that, there is no expectation of reward. What reward can we possibly earn from offering a waterfall or a sand dune to the universe? No personal reward is possible. 3) Giving the dharma as teachings: It’s said that the highest gift of all is the gift of dharma, which we can offer by teaching, if we’re qualified, or by facilitating the teaching of others. As we saw last week, by showing up in the temple and lending your spirit, you’re helping to give the gift of dharma, generously opening the door for the rest of the sangha here today and for those that will be arriving in the future. All three of these offerings give us the opportunity to experience the generosity that expects no reward. Questions for reflection and discussion
Notes
(1) From the Kural, line 221. (2) See Okumura Roshi’s series of articles on the Shishobo in Dharma Eye. They begin with Vol.13; “offering” is the topic through Vol. 16. (3) See Kosho Uchiyama’s Opening the Hand of Thought, particularly the section on Magnanimous Mind, and his comments on zazen working concretely in our lives in the final chapter. (4) Ibid, p. 155. Comments are closed.
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About the text The Ippyakuhachi Homyomon, or 108 Gates of Dharma Illumination, appears as the 11th fascicle of the 12 fascicle version of Dogen Zenji’s Shobogenzo. Dogen didn't compile the list himself; it's mostly a long quote from another text called the Sutra of Collected Past Deeds of the Buddha. Dogen wrote a final paragraph recommending that we investigate these gates thoroughly. Hoko has been talking about the gates one by one since 2016. She provides material here that can be used by weekly dharma discussion groups as well as for individual study. The 108 Gates of Dharma Illumination
[1] Right belief [2] Pure mind [3] Delight [4] Love and cheerfulness The three forms of behavior [5] Right conduct of the actions of the body [6] Pure conduct of the actions of the mouth [7] Pure conduct of the actions of the mind The six kinds of mindfulness [8] Mindfulness of Buddha [9] Mindfulness of Dharma [10] Mindfulness of Sangha [11] Mindfulness of generosity [12] Mindfulness of precepts [13] Mindfulness of the heavens The four Brahmaviharas [14] Benevolence [15] Compassion [16] Joy [17] Abandonment The four dharma seals [18] Reflection on inconstancy [19] Reflection on suffering [20] Reflection on there being no self [21] Reflection on stillness [22] Repentance [23] Humility [24] Veracity [25] Truth [26] Dharma conduct [27] The Three Devotions [28] Recognition of kindness [29] Repayment of kindness [30] No self-deception [31] To work for living beings [32] To work for the Dharma [33] Awareness of time [34] Inhibition of self-conceit [35] The nonarising of ill-will [36] Being without hindrances [37] Belief and understanding [38] Reflection on impurity [39] Not to quarrel [40] Not being foolish [41] Enjoyment of the meaning of the Dharma [42] Love of Dharma illumination [43] Pursuit of abundant knowledge [44] Right means [45] Knowledge of names and forms [46] The view to expiate causes [47] The mind without enmity and intimacy [48] Hidden expedient means [49] Equality of all elements [50] The sense organs [51] Realization of nonappearance The elements of bodhi: The four abodes of mindfulness [52] The body as an abode of mindfulness [53] Feeling as an abode of mindfulness [54] Mind as an abode of mindfulness [55] The Dharma as an abode of mindfulness [56] The four right exertions [57] The four bases of mystical power The five faculties [58] The faculty of belief [59] The faculty of effort [60] The faculty of mindfulness [61] The faculty of balance [62] The faculty of wisdom The five powers [63] The power of belief [64] The power of effort [65] The power of mindfulness [66] The power of balance [67] The power of wisdom [68] Mindfulness, as a part of the state of truth [69] Examination of Dharma, as a part of the state of truth [70] Effort, as a part of the state of truth [71] Enjoyment, as a part of the state of truth [72] Entrustment as a part of the state of truth [73] The balanced state, as a part of the state of truth [74] Abandonment, as a part of the state of truth The Eightfold Path [75] Right view [76] Right discrimination [77] Right speech [78] Right action [79] Right livelihood [80] Right practice [81] Right mindfulness [82] Right balanced state [83] The bodhi-mind [84] Reliance [85] Right belief [86] Development The six paramitas [87] The dāna pāramitā [88] The precepts pāramitā [89] The forbearance pāramitā. [90] The diligence pāramitā [91] The dhyāna pāramitā [92] The wisdom pāramitā [93] Expedient means [94] The four elements of sociability [95] To teach and guide living beings [96] Acceptance of the right Dharma [97] Accretion of happiness [98] The practice of the balanced state of dhyāna [99] Stillness [100] The wisdom view [101] Entry into the state of unrestricted speech [102] Entry into all conduct [103] Accomplishment of the state of dhāraṇī [104] Attainment of the state of unrestricted speech [105] Endurance of obedient following [106] Attainment of realization of the Dharma of nonappearance [107] The state beyond regressing and straying [108] The wisdom that leads us from one state to another state and, somehow, one more: [109] The state in which water is sprinkled on the head Archives
September 2024
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