The essence of giving
is to give away
greed, hatred and delusion.
— Shilashanti
Giving is the warm heart of Bodhisattva practice. Generosity attends and responds with kindness to whatever turns up, including people and events we find challenging. It is graciously receiving all aspects of our life. When it is perfected, the joyful practice of giving includes all Bodhisattva practices.
There was an old woman and a young man… The young man deeply respected the old woman, and he received various teachings from her. At one point, the young man was going away from the old woman, and he asked her if she had any parting instructions for him. She said, “No matter what happens, I try to say, ‘Thank you very much. I have no complaints whatsoever.'”
The young man tried to practice that way but was not able to do so consistently. Some time later, he was able to meet his old teacher again. He said to her, “I’m sorry to confess that I have failed to practice what you taught me.” The old teacher responded, “Thank you very much. I have no complaints whatsoever.” This is a story about wholehearted generosity [without expectations].
Entering the Mind of Buddha:
Zen and the Six Heroic Practices of Bodhisattvas
Reb Anderson
