Hello.
The practice of generosity is such a powerful practice that it's in fact what the Buddha taught is the first thing to practice.
Even more foundational than meditation.
He said that if you knew the power of generosity,
You'd never eat a meal without sharing it.
We'll go through three levels of generosity in this practice.
The first is giving away something you don't care about.
It's easy.
Maybe purging your closet and giving it to goodwill.
Next is giving away something you don't need,
But you're still attached to it.
It's harder.
Perhaps,
You know,
An outfit you really like,
You give it to someone.
Third is giving away something that's precious to you.
Perhaps something you need and is very important.
Like a winter coat in the winter.
The appropriateness of a gift is a really big factor in generosity.
Giving a snowsuit in the summer,
It's not really helpful.
So this thinking also applies to advice or suggestions to other people.
If we're being really honest,
Giving advice,
Teachings,
Or sharing religious beliefs when it's not welcome is actually not generous.
It's actually self-serving.
When someone else asks for advice or expresses interest in religion,
Sharing this with them can be a deeply spiritual practice and a generous offering.
Let's practice.
Find a comfortable posture.
Seated,
Standing,
Or lying down.
Lie your spine to be straight and not rigid.
Posture is important because it'll support energy and vitality,
Keeping you alert and awake.
But as well,
Will support relaxation,
So you don't get too stiff mentally.
As we go through the first stages of the exercise,
Imagine the person or people receiving your gift with gratitude and joy in their eyes.
You can see that they're really thankful.
So think of giving away something easy.
You can use your examples or mine.
Perhaps you give away a book that you've already read to a friend.
Perhaps you stop and listen in earnest to a person singing on the street.
Picture them seeing you and really noticing that you're noticing.
See their eyes light up.
Perhaps you sign a few petitions for things that make the world a better place.
Perhaps you drive a disabled person to a doctor's appointment.
Now we'll go to the next level.
Imagine something a bit bigger.
Imagine giving a stranger a larger chunk of money relative to your income.
See them delighting in your gift.
Notice how it feels to give and receive their gratitude.
Imagine taking up a service commitment to host some sort of group for a period of five or six months.
Imagine giving away tickets to your favorite artist's show.
Imagine spending some time with seniors on a regular basis in a care facility.
Now we'll move on to the precious level.
Imagine maybe giving away your car,
Keeping in mind that these things are precious.
They might be,
Might feel quite challenging.
See if you can stretch yourself a little bit.
Imagine spending a significant of time caring for another being,
Maybe even so much so that it limits your ability to earn an income.
Now try imagine giving your actual life for the benefit of another being who's not a family member.
Now letting that part go with the understanding that all beings deserve generosity and you yourself deserve to have an open heart,
Uninfluenced by the responses of others.
See if you can carry this open-heartedness and this good feeling towards difficult people as well.
Now imagine giving something easy to a person who doesn't seem to care about what they're receiving.
They just take it and go.
How does this affect your heart?
Now imagine giving something at the next level and they still don't seem grateful.
Does this change your attitude or desire to give?
And now maintaining that same spirit of kindness for all beings,
Imagine giving something truly precious to a really grouchy person.
You know that they probably really need it and it's gonna be a big deal for them,
But they just either can't or won't show any gratitude.
Maybe they're even unkind to you in response and see how that feels.
As we close,
I'd invite you to take the time to reflect on what came up for you in this exercise.
How the responses of others affect our practice can be really great information as to some of the ways that our hearts are hard or closed.
May your heart remain open.
You deserve to live from love.
Thanks for your practice.
