In Buddhism (and other traditions) ‘dana’ is an important practice and virtue. Dana is best translated as ‘generosity’. It is an essential part of the spiritual path to inner peace and freedom.
Originally, the monks living with the Buddha entirely depended on the dana of lay people who were willing to support them. And in some Asian countries this is still the case. At the same time, the teachings are freely accessible to everyone. Anyone can go to a monastery to practice meditation and receive the Buddha’s teachings. Usually there is no fixed fee for it; one donates according to capability.
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The joy of giving
When we give from the heart, we are happy and open. We feel connected. Overcoming self-concern, we are just considering the happiness of others which makes the heart feel joyful.
Anyway in a deeper sense, giving is just a concept. When you are feeding the hungry birds part of your sandwich, you experience joy just watching them pick at it and feeding themselves. Without a sense of separation, you enjoy it as much as they do, not feeling you are being robbed.
In the meal verses that we chant on the Zen Sundays it is mentioned: ‘Realising the emptiness of the three wheels, of giver, gift and receiver.’
This is all about the insight that ‘mine’, ‘yours’ and ‘possession’ are just concepts. Once you realise this emptiness, you will be free of any greed.
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Donation based
In Het Oog van de Orkaan our work is mainly donation based. We would love everyone to be able to join, irrespective of their financial situation.
Of course we have all kinds of costs in the Memlingstraat: for the house, the maintenance, the SoundCloud pages, the website and so on. We are very grateful to receive support for these costs from our guests. But we are not aiming for profit. What moves us is our own longing for peace and freedom, our love for the Dharma, yoga and meditation, and of course the joy of sharing those with others. This is what makes us truly happy, to see how people come to blossom because of their practice.
So if you value what we are offering here, your contribution is more than welcome!
The donor, before giving, is glad; while giving, his/her mind is inspired; and after giving, is gratified.
— Buddha
If you have any other ideas to contribute, please let us know.
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Exception
For the Mindfulness trainings and the retreats in Drenthe we do ask a fixed contribution, because for those we need to invest financially and make costs. Still we hope that anyone who longs to, can participate! That is why a reduced rate is available for those with less income.
Link to donation page