On Giving Dana (Generosity)

Dana is an ancient Buddhist practice that means generosity.  A retreat taught on generosity is offered at cost, and the teacher receives no payment in advance for their teaching.  The hope of providing retreats on Dana is a culture of generosity, where there is bounty in Dharma teaching and practice.  This helps make meditation retreats, which are the most transformative opportunities for practice, as accessible as possible to as many people as possible.

Don’t

  • Don’t think of Dana as a tip or gratuity. Tips are in addition to wages, and teachers don’t earn wages from teaching a retreat on Dana.

  • Don’t base Dana on the cost of the retreat (room and board). Affordability is a significant factor in choosing a retreat center.  Additionally, mission-driven retreat centers intentionally keep prices low for participants, so giving Dana based on retreat costs penalizes affordable, accessible retreats.  

  • Don’t give based on what you think others give. Give where you’re at with your generosity practice, much as a skilled teacher meets a student where they are (rather than assuming an average level of instruction based on other students).  

    • Diversity of generosity goes a long way toward supporting the Dharma, just as a retreat container that can hold diverse experiences and levels of practice provides a stellar retreat environment for many practitioners.

  • Don’t base Dana on an hourly wage calculation of the teacher’s time at the retreat.  The time that you receive from a teacher on retreat is the “tip of the iceberg” relative to the time the teacher has invested to offer the retreat and be a Dharma teacher. 

Do

  • See Dana as a personal practice.  Trust and be secure in your feeling of what’s generous for you. Dana is a practice that allows you to express your generosity in a way that feels sincere. 

  • Give in a way that’s sustainable for you and the Dharma, understanding that the Dana you give plays a crucial role in allowing the teacher to continue offering transformative retreat spaces and for you to keep attending them. 

  • Regarding Diversity in giving - 

    • Give a small amount if that is generous and sustainable for you.  

    • Give a large amount if that is generous and sustainable for you.  Large amounts offer sustainability by offsetting smaller givings from low-income and scholarship participants.

  • In addition to financial giving, consider non-financial forms of giving Dana.  In particular, taking the lead in organizing and supporting practice communities on and off retreat can be of great support to teachers and practitioners alike.