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Buddhist Meal Chant , Enlightened by Design
Generosity is the ornament of the world;
Through generosity one turns back from the lower realms;
Generosity is the stairway to the higher realms;
Generosity is the virtue that produces peace.
Generosity produces peace
William Penn, Frederic Brussat's Twitter Collection
Be generous rather than extravagant.
Be generous
Master Hsing Yun, Frederic Brussat's Twitter Collection
Generosity begins with our recognition of our debt to others.
Our debt to others
Lemons to Lemonade
The Love Underneath
"Scratch the surface of every good thing in the world, and you'll find love.
"Generosity: Love of giving freely
"Listening: Love of tuning in
"Keeping promises: Love of following through
"Understanding: The love underneath it all
"Curiosity: Love of knowledge
"Justice: Love for fellow human beings
"Forgiveness: Love of self
"Peace: Love beyond self"
Addie Johnson on love as the foundation of other spiritual practices.
A Little Book of Thank Yous
"I catch myself sometimes thinking that these three g's — giving, gratitude, and grace — are like extra credit in life. Meaning they're a wonderful bonus once I get through the other stuff: obligations, stress, difficulty, trying to find some way to be happy as the skies seem to be darkening around me. It can be easy to forget, particularly if I'm having a tough time, that those three g's are the pith and center of life, not things to shove to the outskirts of my attention. Giving is always possible, no matter how scarce my resources. Gratitude isn't just an afterthought, it's a forethought (as well as a during thought!) and one that enriches the good times and sustains me through the bad. Grace is a goal and an inspiration, and can be found in everything from the most mundane to the most exciting moments and everywhere in between. There are so many wonderful small ways to put these into practice: as we express our thanks for the gifts we receive, as we dream up the wonderful gifts we can give to others, as we practice the spirit of graceful living in every way we can. More of these three g's will bring the kind of life I want to grab hold of and never let go."
Addie Johnson on how gratitude enriches the good times and sustains us in bad times.
Buddha Is As Buddha Does
"Inner generosity also means cultivating nonattachment, acceptance, and contentment, so that we are more open to whatever the needs of others might be. Meditation and conscientious self-inquiry can greatly help us in this effort. Critics of meditation often say, 'Isn't meditation selfish? Doesn't it mean cutting yourself off from the test of the world? Isn't it unproductive?' Nothing could be further from the truth. By meditating, we're learning to disengage ourselves from habitual clinging and disperse the defilements and obscurations that hinder our capacity to serve others, such as illusory feelings of scarcity and fears of deprivation. We gradually learn to be more conscious and make better choices. We develop simplicity instead of complexity, open-mindedness instead of narrow-mindedness, flexibility rather than rigidity. We free ourselves to be more available to others and to give more generously of ourselves.
"Finally, there is generosity as it relates to our secret or innermost spiritual level of being, the incandescent immensity of innate Bodhicitta, which Buddhists call our 'suchness,' our Buddha nature. This is our connection with the infinitely abundant truth and inexhaustible source, the Dharma or universal law. When we realize its limitless possibilities, we know how little we need from the outside world or anyone in it and feel content, supported, fulfilled. With this delightful knowledge, we give freely of ourselves at all times, without preconceptions or specific goals in mind. When we surrender to what is and learn to let go and let be, we exist as agents of pure generosity, like a clear channel for the flow of the cosmic energy of enlightenment.
"Our secret level of being is the inherent domain of complete nonattachment, where we live with wide-open mind, heart, and hands. The more we cultivate generosity in our outer and inner lives, as clumsy as our efforts may sometimes be, the more we resonate with the secret and subtle level of our being, releasing its amazing, inexhaustible energy into our lives and into the world. When we realize the truth of the Buddhist adage that deep spiritual contentment is the ultimate form of wealth, we liberate ourselves to practice generosity to its fullest extent. We re-enter the marketplace with bliss-bestowing hands and a large bag of gifts on our backs, ready to dispense them.
WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH GENEROSITY?
"Right now, take a few moments to review your past in terms of the generosity you've received and bestowed. Ask yourself the following questions and note the first images that come to mind. Strive to make this a routine practice each time you feel blessed by someone's generosity or challenged to be more generous yourself.
• When have I especially appreciated another person's act of generosity toward me? How did it feel? Why did I appreciate it so much? How did I respond? Try to feel some gratitude for these kind benefactors.
• When have I been especially generous to others? How did I feel? Why? What charitable cause or causes could I support better now?
• What individuals and groups of people do I find it hard to think compassionately and open-mindedly about? Considering each individual and group separately, why do I experience this difficulty? How might I work toward overcoming it?
• Thinking of individuals in my life now, what gift would I like from them? Why?
• Thinking of individuals in my life now, what gift would they most appreciate from me? Why? What would I most like to share with them?
• Am I usually on the giving at the receiving side of relationships? Have I realized that true generosity includes both giving and receiving, just like breathing in and breathing out?"
Lama Surya Das on cultivating kindness and generosity.
What You Will See Inside a Mosque
"An important part of being a Muslim is giving to others. We believe that everything we have in this world — houses, cars, money — comes from God. So, we should give to others what God has given us.
"Every mosque has a place where Muslims can donate money to give to the poor or needy and also to help pay the expenses of the mosque. Zakat, which is Arabic for 'charity,' is the third Pillar of Islam. Throughout the Qur'an and the sayings of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, we are told to give of our wealth and to help those in need in any way we can.
"During the holy month of Ramadan, an important part of the Muslim calendar, we fast every day. If we are not able to fast for one of the days, we give the price of a meal for that day to a poor person. At the end of Ramadan, we also give the price of one meal for each member of our family before we celebrate the feast of Eid al-fitr. The money is given to poor families within the community so that they, too, can enjoy the holiday.
"When we give money or help those in need, we do it without letting others know. Many Muslims quote this saying: 'Practice charity so secretly that your left hand does not know what your right hand has given.' In Islam, intentions are everything. No matter what good we do, it means nothing if our intentions are not right.
"Collection plates or baskets are not passed around during prayers. Instead, whoever wishes to give can put money into a collection box, which is usually kept in the main foyer of the mosque. This keeps the amount we give private — just between ourselves and God. Sometimes there are several boxes, each marked for a different charitable purpose. We can place money in these boxes any time we choose."
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Aisha Karen Khan on Muslim worship and tradition focusing on the spiritual practice of kindness and sharing.
His Holiness The Dalai Lama, The Path to Tranquility
We can hardly call a beggar an obstacle to generosity.
We can hardly call a beggar an obstacle
Sylvia Boorstein, Pay Attention for Goodness' Sake
Being able to give freely means not being so absorbed in one's own needs that it becomes impossible to look past them at who else is in the world and what they need. Not being absorbed in one's own needs is — even before any generous act happens — a relief. . . .
Generous acts are a relief because they connect. They are always in relationship. They can't be isolating.
Being able to give freely
The Golden Words of a Sufi Sheikh
Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (1885 - 1986) was a Sri Lankan Sufi teacher of Islamic mysticism. After teaching in Jaffna and Colombo, he moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1971 and established the Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship. Although many of his devotees adopted traditional Islamic practices and lifestyles, he never required them to do so. Early in this volume, Bawa Muhaiyaddeen writes: "If all of you read this book of Sufi wisdom with open hearts free from doubt, separatism, and discrimination, free from all thought of 'my race' or 'your race', 'my religion' or 'your religion', you will realize and understand."
This Sufi master taught that the major challenge for every human being is to acquire God’s qualities. Patience is a quality held in especially high esteem by the author. He believes impatience throws a roadblock in the way of smooth relations between human beings. "Keep with great care / The precious treasure of patience / In the treasury of your heart / And it will elevate your life." The impatience of the mind causes many problems including a restlessness that hinders our acceptance of God’s power over our lives.
Another quality of God saluted on these pages is beauty. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen writes: "Act with and cherish good conduct / And your beauty will become / The radiant beauty of God, / Revealed in your face and in your heart." We adorn our lives by acts of love, compassion, kindness, and generosity. We must never overlook or underestimate our own radiance: "One who searches for beauty in the faces of others forfeits the beauty of his own face."
We were especially taken with Bawa Muhaiyaddeen’s reframing of stealing: "Do not bellow, 'Thief, thief!' / Slandering God’s creations. / Catch and tie up the thief of your mind, / The hungry thief / Who is stealing from you." The monkey mind of distractions robs us of precious time and keeps us from a full and meaningful communion with God.
There are so many gems here, it’s hard to know which ones to quote. Here’s one good answer. " 'Where is the best place for man to meditate?' asked a child. His Holiness Bawa Muhaiyaddeen answered: 'The best place for meditation is the place in which the 'you' and the 'I' do not exist.' " And here’s one of the best saved for last: "One who acquires God’s qualities / will lead a life of undiminishing wealth." The investment of spiritual practice and complete capitulation to Allah will lead to profits not affected by the fluctuations of the market or the rollercoaster dips of the economy.
A treasure trove of Islamic wisdom challenging readers to acquire God's qualities.
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