Generosity is one of the six paramitas. Paramita is usually translated as "perfection" but a literal translation is "to carry across." Because it is believed that practicing and actualizing these will carry us across the vast ocean of suffering - to the other side - which is enlightenment The other paramitas are: • Generosity • Ethical behavior/Virtue • Patience • Effort • Concentration/Meditation • Wisdom Generosity is first on the list because it’s considered the easiest of the six perfections to practice. Also called giving, or even charity, generosity refers to the openhearted attitude that allows you to give others whatever they need without stinginess or regret. Usually we think of generosity as simply giving of material aid, however Buddhism recognizes four types of generosity. They are: 1. Bestowing dharma: You don't have to a certified Dharma teacher, or a fully ordained Lama to give others Dharma - although the greater your Dharma understanding and realization, the more effectively you can guide them. What is most important is that you have the proper motivation - truly wishing to benefit others - and not simply looking to impress them with your knowledge. 2. Bestowing protection: All sentient beings constantly face danger - even losing their lives. Protecting sentient beings - even scooping an insect out of swimming pool - is what this is about. It not only helps the beings you rescue - but it increases your respect for life. In addition it generates good karma - positive merit - so it also helps you. 3. Bestowing Material Aid: This is what most people think of when they think of generosity. Because human beings need so many things to survive - food, clothing, shelter, employment - you have countless opportunities to practice giving material aid. Giving to homeless person, to your favorite charity, to the Rime Center - or buying food for a sick friend. But it is important to combine this with discriminating wisdsom -- so you don't enable someone to stay stuck in suffering. 4. Bestowing fearlessness: Where will we look when we are afraid? How do we find strength? In what can we place our trust? An enlightened way to cope with fear requires awakening to courage, love, and compassion. One way to overcome our own fears is to give fearlessness to others. You offer this precious gift when you display it in your own behavior - and you can't manifest fearlessness unless you cultivate it in your heart by practicing meditation - which results in eliminating excessive fear. **This gesture takes the form of a raised right hand to the shoulder, with palm outwards and fingers together. It signifies the freedom from fear held by the Buddha due to his enlightenment and supreme wisdom but is also a gesture of friendship. In the ancient world an open palm raised like this was a sign of peace as the hand was clearly weaponless. Legend has it that the Buddha subdued a raging elephant by raising his hand in this way Keep in mind that the practice of generosity doesn’t depend as much on what you give as on your attitude toward giving. You perfect this practice in your mind as you overcome all reluctance to help others and learn to let go of your attachments to: • material possessions, • time, • energy, • and even points of view. In this way, generosity fuels your own liberation because it gradually frees you from grasping and greed. The great irony or great paradox is that you don’t need to give anything tangible to practice generosity; even cultivating the wish to give counts a great deal, especially when it weakens your self-clinging. Ultimately, the deepest expression of this paramita involves the recognition that the giver, gift, and receiver are inherently one and inseparable. Making offerings to the shrine and/or the enlightened ones is an excellent way to cultivate this heart of generosity. This can take many forms..... When we recite the mandala offering and make the mudra of the Buddhist universe - we are metaphorically offering the entire universe to the Buddha and all enlightened beings. One can (and should) make offerings of small portion of our meal, whole piece of fruit, or other things to the shrine. Although the offerings to the Noble Sangha (enlightened beings) never seem to take the offerings, that is not important. What is most important is our attitude of giving. What is important is the physical & mental act of giving. So then the external offering represents our inner transformation - as it reduces our desire and greed which characterizes our relationship with the external world. Giving offerings accustoms the mind to giving, of letting go of desirable objects and serves to loosen our sense of clinging to a real and independent self. Water is commonly offered on a shrine. Water is pure and represents the basic clear nature of our mind. In the 10th century the famous Gelugpa teacher- Atisha said that even if you have nothing to give - you can always give water by simply appreciating it's excellent qualities. We can't live without water. When offering water, you should imagine washing away the miserliness of all sentient beings. In the teachings there is a story about how someone who was very poor offered the Buddha a single flower, with a one-pointed mind full of trust and devotion, mentally multiplying the offering infinitely. The Buddha responded by saying that because this person at the moment of the offering had recognized the qualities of enlightenment, aspired to reach it, and considered the act of offering the single flower as symbolizing the renunciation of all attachments, then the offering served to sow the seed of enlightenment in the mind of the person. This tells us how important it is to pay attention to the right attitude of mind and make sure it accompanies all our act of generosity. When we make offerings, our mind must be filled with trust and devotion. So in closing, I’d like to encourage you in the coming week to think about the practice of the paramita of generosity. I think you will find many opportunities to practice one of the 4 types: • Bestowing Dharma • Bestowing Protection • Bestowing Material Aid • Bestowing Fearlessness You will also find opportunities to make offerings - which is a form of generosity. Remember - what is most important isn't what is given but the motivation - the attitude with which you are giving. Practicing generosity will help fuel your own liberation because it gradually frees you from grasping and greed. It is the openhearted attitude that allows you to give others whatever they need without stinginess or regret.