*The Gift of Dhamma*
Goenkaji has often talked about the gifts
of dana, the mental volition of the giver
and the many ways to give dana. He talks
about the supreme gift of Dhammadana,
the transmission of the Dhamma in its
pure form from teacher to student through
the generations. In addition he points out
that, even for those who are not teachers,
there are ways to share in the giving of
Dhammadana. Following is a selection of
his words on this topic, drawn from
various articles and talks.
*Dhammadana*
From a talk given by S.N. Goenka on
January 15, 1976, on the occasion of the
founding of Dhamma Thalt, Jaipur,
Rajasthan.
The taste of Dhamma surpasses all other
tastes. Other tastes do not quench craving,
they increase it. Only the taste of Dhamma
puts an end to all craving. It quenches it.
Hence it is the best.
The gift of Dhamma surpasses all other
dana. Giving dana towards a person’s
worldly needs, although beneficial, gives
a temporary benefit—a limited benefit.
But the gift of Dhamma gives enormous
benefit, boundless benefit. By this dana,
from whatever misery one becomes freed,
this freedom is forever. From whatever
bondage one becomes freed, this freedom
is forever. Hence the dana of Dhamma is
greater than any other dana.
The dana of Dhamma is given by
teaching the Dhamma. As well, any
contribution we make in any manner
towards spreading the teaching of the
Dhamma is dhammaddana. Therefore
whatever contribution one makes towards
having a meditation center built, for
organizing and maintaining it, serving
courses or providing other requirements
1s all dhammadana, the dana that is
superior to all other dana.
If we give food, the benefit is that the
hunger of the recipient is appeased. And
in return, the law of nature, or Dhamma,
will automatically help appease our hunger
when we are hungry. This 15 a benefit.
Similarly, whatever other worldly dana
we give, the resultant fruits will be of
similar nature. They will give worldly
benefit.
When we help a person to come out of
craving, aversion and ignorance, the
resultant fruit is not ordinary because the
dana is not ordinary. The dana of Dhamma
is supramundane. Its resultant fruits are
also supramundane. It is a dana that will
assist us in coming out of all worldly
bondage.
When we contribute towards this great
cause, the kind of help we give is not
significant. What is important is the
volition with which we give. We should
give with a Dhamma volition, thinking, “I
have this facility, this capacity, this
resource. 1 shall contribute so much of it
for the well-being of people. May there be
true well-being. Whatever well-being may
be achieved by various other Kinds of
dana, in comparison, the well-being
achieved by this dana is boundless. There
cannot be a better way to use my capacity,
my resources, my wealth.” When we give
dana with this Dhamma volition, we pave
the path of our own progress. Whatever
obstacles we face in our meditation, our
practice, are the result of our own past
kamma. Because we helped another
person to become liberated, the resultant
fruit will help us to overcome the obstacles
we face. All the hindrances to our
liberation will be removed.
What greater delight could this land
have than if even one person gets liberated
sitting in a cell or cave on this land, if even
one person realizes nibbana meditating
on this land? What greater rapture could
this land experience? What greater
welfare could this land aspire to?
This land shall be venerated. When
construction WOrk takes place, it will cause
hardship to the visible and invisible beings
here. This will happen. But the work has
begun with wholesome volition, with
dhamma-dhatu. The land has been
venerated, all its inhabitants have been
venerated; they will be happy.
Something constructive, beneficial and
good will take place here. The people who
work here should generate good will
towards all the visible and invisible beings
whenever they work. May no being
knowingly be Killed. We should not
knowingly cause hardship to any being.
“The good of all, the welfare of all”
should be the volition. And if unknowingly
some hardship is caused, then may those
who suffer share our merits, our good
deeds, the Dhamma accumulated by us.
May they also be happy.
Make sure all work is done with such
feelings of good will. Work shall be done
with a pure mind. The land is pure, the
meditators who work are pure, their minds
are pure. The wealth that flows in is pure.
The results will be pure, they are bound to
be pure.
*The Dana of Financial Support*
It is an enormous gift of Dhammadana
to contribute financially to creating and
maintaining a meditation center where
the pure vibrations of Dhamma will
support a meditator. In the 10-day
discourses, Goenkaji tells the story of
Andthapindika, a multimillionaire in the
days of the Buddha. This person was
actually named Sudatta but he received
the title Andthapindika because he gave
dana so generously.
The title “Anathapindika” comes from
andtha, meaning those who are very poor
and pindika, meaning one who gives food.
Because he gave so much food to all the
hungry people, this was his title. He lived
in Savatthi, which was the most populous
city in India in those days. But there were
branches of his business throughout the
country and even beyond, in different
countries. And he had a rule that wherever
his office or branch was, nobody should
go hungry, people should be given food.
But still he didn’t know Dhamma.
One day he came into contact with
Buddha. That means, he came into contact
with Dhamma, Vipassana. By practicing,
he purified his mind and experienced a
dip in the first stage of nibbana. For the
first time he experienced the truth beyond
mind and matter and became altogether a
changed person.
The purpose of giving donation is not
to build one’s ego but rather to deflate it,
to dissolve it. He now thought, “All this
money that has come to me is because of
my good karmas from the past that have
ripened now. It must be used for the good
of others. Of course, as a householder, I
must make use of it for my own main-
tenance, for the maintenance of all those
who are depending on me. But the rest of
it must go for the good of others, for the
good of others.” He now understood this.
The good of others—what is the real
good of others? 1 give food to a hungry
person. I should give; this is good. But the
next day, this person is hungry again. I
give water to a thirsty person, but after
some time again he becomes thirsty. I
give medicine to a sick person but he may
contract another disease, or Suffer a
recurrence of the same disease. I] may give
clothes to a naked person but after some
time the clothes become worn out, torn,
and again he is naked. 1 am not helping
people to come out of all their miseries. If
they get Dhamma, if they get this wonderful
technique of Vipassana—oh, they can
come out of all their misery! They can
become totally liberated from misery—
misery that they were encountering fOr
life after life, life after life. They can come
out of it. Dhamma should go to each and
every suffering person. Besides all this
giving of material dana, this dana is most
important, the dana of Dhamma is the
highest dana.
This man went to Buddha, who at that
time was living in Rajgiri. Anathapindika
paid respects to him, and asked, “Sir, why
not come to Savatthi? A large number of
people live there. All are miserable—rich
or poor. If you have a meditation center
there, many people will benefit, sir. Please
come.”
Buddha smiled, so he understood that
Buddha had agreed. He came back home
to look for a center, a place where Buddha
could start teaching Dhamma to the
people. A meditation center should not be
in the midst of the city, with much noise
and disturbance. It should not be so far
away that people cannot go there. Looking
for a proper place, peaceful and yet not
very far from the city, he came across a
garden, a park. It was very calm, very
quiet, very congenial for meditation. And
he inquired: “Who is the owner of this
park?”
He came to know that the owner was
Prince Jeta. He went to him and said, “Sir,
I want to buy your park.” But the prince
became angry, replying, “I am not looking
to sell my park. It is for my own
amusement. 1 won’t sell it.”
“Please, sir, 1 have to buy it, at any
price.”
Just to get rid of him, the prince said,
“You know the price of this land? You
have to spread gold sovereigns over the
entire land. This is the price.”
“The deal is done. 1 will spread gold
sovereigns.” He brought cartloads of
sovereigns, and started spreading them.
When the prince saw what Anatha-
pindika was doing he said, “Have you
gone mad? No land can be this valuable.
What are you doing?”
Anathapindika replied, “No, 1 am not
mad. This land is going to become SO
valuable. Buddha is going to come here
and teach the wonderful Dhamma. All my
wealth is nothing compared to what is
gained if one person gets Dhamma, gets
Vipassana, and comes out of misery. And
I know that not one but thousands upon
thousands of persons will benefit.”
“Very well,” said the prince, persuaded.
“Let the rest of the price be my donation.
The land is yours.”
In this place Anathapindika built a
meditation center where 10,000 people
could live—where they could stay and
meditate, learning Dhamma.
His volition was to serve others. He had
been giving dana even previously, before
he learned Dhamma. Now his dana was to
help more and more people get the benefit
of Dhamma. He was giving—not to inflate
his ego but to dissolve it, just to serve
others.
Later, because of some karmas of the
past, for a short time this multimillionaire
lost all his money. When he had been
wealthy he would come to the center every
morning and evening to meditate. And as
a householder, he understood, “I should
not go to the center empty-handed. 1 must
offer something for the meditators.” Every
time he came, he brought something for
the meditators. Now he was a pauper; he
had nothing to bring. Then something
came to his mind. Behind his house, he
had a small garden. In that garden he had
accumulated fertile soil from different
parts of India. Now he took two handfuls
of that soil. He came to the center and put
it at the foot of a tree, saying, “May this
tree grow, and under its shade may
someone get Dhamma, may someone be
able to meditate.”
Whether the gift is a handful of Soil or
millions of rupees, it makes no difference;
it is the volition that counts. After some
time, Anathapindika regained his wealth
and started giving donations as before.
But he understood, “Whatever I give, the
amount is immaterial. My volition must
be a Dhamma-volition: I give for the good
of others, for the benefit of others, not
expecting anything in return.”
*The Dhammadana of Service*
From a talk given by Goenkaji to
Dhamma servers at Dhammagiri in June
1986, and printed in For the Benefit of
Many.
What is the purpose of Dhamma
service? Certainly not to receive board
and lodging, nor to pass the time in a
comfortable environment, nor to escape
from the responsibilities of daily life.
Dhamma servers know this well.
Such persons have practiced Vipas-
sana and realized by direct experience
the benefits it offers. They have seen the
selfless service of the teachers, man-
agement and Dhamma servers—service
that enabled them to taste the incom-
parable flavor of Dhamma. They have
begun to take steps on the Noble Path, and
naturally have started to develop the rare
quality of gratitude, the wish to repay this
debt for all that they have received.
Of course, the teacher, management
and Dhamma servers gave their Service
without expecting anything in return, nor
will they accept any material remun-
eration. The only way to pay back the
debt to them 1s by helping to keep the
Wheel of Dhamma rotating, to give to
others the same selfless service. This is
the noble volition with which to give
Dhamma service.
As Vipassana meditators progress on
the path, they emerge from the old habit
pattern of self-centeredness and start to
concern themselves with others. They
notice how everywhere people are
suffering: young or old, men or women,
black or white, wealthy or poor, all are
suffering. Meditators realize that they
themselves were miserable until they
encountered the Dhamma. They know that,
like themselves, others have started to
enjoy real happiness and peace by
following the Path. Seeing this change
stimulates a feeling of sympathetic joy,
and strengthens the wish to help suffering
people come out of their misery with
Vipassana. Compassion overflows, and
with it the volition to help others find
relief from their suffering.
*Dana of Right Thought, Speech and Actions*
The following message by Goenkaji
discusses the opening of the first center in
Europe, Dhamma Mahi. It was written for
publication in Nouvelles de Vipassana,
the French edition of the Vipassana
Newsletter, appearing in June 1988.
The hour of Vipassana has struck in
Europe. For many years, devoted students
in France and neighboring countries have
worked hard to make the Dhamma
available to others. Now, with the purchase
of a center, those efforts of SO many
students are coming to fruition. I] am
deeply pleased to see the good results of
your work.
The establishing of a center marks a
new stage in the growth of Dhamma. It is
important to understand its significance.
A center for Vipassana meditation is
not a commune where members of a sect
can live in isolation from the outside world,
according to their own peculiar rules. It is
not a club designed for the enjoyment of
its members. It is not a temple in which to
perform religious ceremonies. It is not a
place for socializing.
A center is, instead, a school which
teaches one subject: Dhamma, the art of
living. All who come to a center, whether
to meditate or to serve, come to receive
this teaching.
To ensure that the Dhamma 1s offered
in its strength and purity, you follow the
discipline of all centers. The more
carefully this is maintained, the stronger
the center will be. Many ordinary activities
are forbidden by this discipline, not
because there is anything wrong in them
but because they are inappropriate at a
center for Vipassana meditation.
Remember, this is the only place in your
country where one can learn this type of
Vipassana. The discipline is a way of
preserving this unique purpose of
Dhamma Mahi, guard it carefully.
The foundation of the edifice of
Dhamma that you will construct here is
sila (moral conduct). As you know,
undertaking sila is the essential first step
in a Vipassana course since, without it,
meditation will be weak. It is equally
essential that all who serve at a center
keep the Five Precepts as carefully as
possible. The rule of Dhamma has been
established at Dhamma Mahi. From now
on there should be no killing on this land,
no stealing, no sexual activity, no wrong
speech, no use of intoxicants. This will
create a calm and peaceful atmosphere
conducive to the work of self-purification.
With the firm base of sila , the practice
of self-purification can proceed. Keep in
mind that this is the most important task at
the center— first, last and always. All who
come to Serve at the center, even for a few
hours, must not neglect their duty to
meditate here as well. By doing so, they
strengthen the Dhamma atmosphere and
give support to other meditators.
This is not, of course, the only place in
Europe at which meditation and the
teachings of the Buddha are practiced;
but it is the only place devoted to this
particular transmission of the teachings,
to this particular form of Vipassana. See
that the center is kept at all times
specifically for this purpose.
The final essential part of the technique
is mettd, and this too must be practiced by
all who come to the center, whether to sit
Or serve. For your meditation and service
to be beneficial, you must perform it
joyfully, selflessly, and lovingly. What-
ever task you undertake, do it with the
volition that by your action all beings
may be happy. Whenever welcoming
others to the center, whether meditators
or visitors, do so with metta. Permeate
this land with vibrations of love and good
will, so that all who come here feel that
they have entered a sanctuary of peace.
*The Dhammadana of Meditation*
From a talk given on March 14, 1982 at
Dhamma Thali to inaugurate construction
of its pagoda.
There are so many ways to help. One
can help physically. One can help by
speaking. If someone has wealth, then
one can help financially. These are
essential; however, the best way to help is
by meditating.
The more that old students meditate on
this land, the more their efforts will become
instrumental in the welfare of many.
During the lifetime of Sayagyi U Ba Khin
there were so many of his students who
had reached the stage of nibbana and
could experience it whenever they wished
to, for as long as they wished to. One
could ask, “How did they become free of
their debt to the Dhamma, the center and
their teacher?” Others might give dana of
physical effort, or wealth or other Kinds
of help to become free of their debts. But
for such good meditators, it 1s proper that
at least once a week they visit this place
and sitting in some cell for an hour, they
enter nibbana. That is such a great service.
The whole center will become suffused
with those Dhamma vibrations. The
Dhamma strength of the vibrations
generated by each meditator will depend
upon how much he or she has meditated
and what stage has been attained, but all
right effort will benefit those who come to
the center.
Building meditation cells for students
is in itself a very meritorious act. However,
it is much more meritorious for every
meditator to come here once a week to
meditate. This is the dana of our
meditation. It is the dana of our meditative
vibrations that will purify the land, will
ripen it, thereby making it easier for future
students to gain more with less effort.
Each person has to put in effort, has made
an effort to fight the defilements within.
However, if the environment around is
charged with Dhamma vibrations, the
effort becomes easier. If the vibrations at
the center are impure they hinder progress,
making it more difficult for the student to
face the defilements within. They prevent
the student from working properly. If
students receive the protection of pure
Dhamma vibrations, they gain great
strength, great help.
Meditators should generate metta
within. By coming and meditating, we
certainly benefit ourselves. We cannot
say how many others will also benefit by
our meditation, will gain from our work.
For centuries people will benefit. People
will automatically become attracted to a
place where Dhamma vibrations arise. So
long as the Dhamma is maintained in its
pure form, people will come. For centuries
people will come, meditate and benefit.
*The Dhammadana of Developing our Parami*
by an Assistant Teacher of Goenkaji
The ten parami are the good human qualities
that gradually dissolve the ego sO that we can
experience nibbana. When we spend time
meditating and serving at a center our pdarami
become strong, we develop great strength in
the Dhamma. In turn, this Dhamma strength
within us helps develop a strong Dhamma
atmosphere at a center so that those who come
later will more easily gain the Dhamma.
1) Dana: This is the quality of giving to
others. Our gift to a center will be our efforts to
practice correctly, coming back to sensations,
not judging, maintaining our sila impeccably
while we are there, our practice and development
of metta, our service for the benefit of others,
and our financial support to provide a good
place for future students to meditate. As we
help at the center, we do so with the thought that
many students will gain the Dhamma or grow in
the Dhamma because of our efforts. These
efforts are our dana to a center.
2) Sila: This is the quality of morality. While
at a center we try to keep our stla impeccably.
We scrupulously observe segregation. Passion
is one of the deepest sankharas we carry and
we do not want this vibration to disturb a center.
We make the effort to observe right speech.
Harsh words, lying, back-biting, and trivial talk
are harmful to the purity we are trying to
develop at a center. The vibrations from
practicing pure sila last for generations. This
effort is our dana to a center.
3) Nekkhamma: This is the quality of
renunciation. While staying at a center we may
miss the comforts of home. Regardless of our
personal preferences, we try to learn to be
content with what has been provided. We give
up personal time and many pleasures of the
householder’s life to help the center. Living at
a center for a period of time, humbly accepting
what others before us have given for our benefit,
we find that the ego dissolves and compassion
for others grows. This effort is our dana to a
center.
4) Panna: This is the quality of experiential
wisdom. As we try to stay aware with
equanimity, we develop our wisdom moment
by moment. We see the ignorance of the reactive
mind that is based in harmful habit patterns of
negativity, craving, agitation, fear and doubt.
We see the pain of attachment. This effort is Our
dana to a center.
5) Viriya: This is the quality of right effort.
Our effort should always be towards developing
wholesome habit patterns, and using all of our
energy to observe the sensations related to
harmful habit patterns with equanimity, letting
them burn out. This effort is our dana to a
center.
6) Khanti: This is the quality of patience.
Sometimes it can be very difficult at a center.
We need to practice great patience while we are
there. We need to stay aware of sensations, not
react, not judge, and to try and keep the mind
full of harmony and metta. This effort is our
dana to a center.
7) Sacca: This is the quality of truth.
Vipassana means seeing the truth, the reality as
it is, recognizing at a deep level that there is no
enduring 1. “IT” is as a river, only an ever-
changing stream of old habit patterns. It appears
the same but as we observe ourselves hour after
hour, year after year, seeing the impermanent
nature of our being, slowly this deeply
entrenched belief in “T” breaks down. This
effort is our dana to a center.
8) Adhitthana: This is the quality of strong
determination. Sometimes we find our
meditations at a center difficult. Our
concentration may be poor; our agitation Or
discomfort more than usual; storms abound.
But if we work with strong determination,
coming back to sensations over and over again,
we will be successful. This effort is our dana to
a center.
9) Metta: This is the quality of loving
Kindness. The more we meditate and serve
properly, the more pure our mettd becomes.
Our minds are filled with wishes forthe liberation
of others. We freely share the merits of Our
practice, thinking, “May all beings human or
non-human, visible or invisible, large or small,
near or far, share the benefits 1 have gained
from the Dhamma. May they all be happy, may
they all get the Dhamma, may they all be
peaceful, be liberated from their suffering.”
Mentally we seek the welfare of others as we act
in whatever way for their benefit. This effort is
our dana to a center.
10) Upekkha: This is the quality of
equanimity. It is the highest quality of the mind,
the real purity of the mind. Through our constant
practice of observation over the years, we begin
to see the impermanent nature of our mind and
body, how the mind, its state and its thoughts,
and the body and all of the sensations in it are
constantly changing. It is through the constant
experiential understanding of this change that
we begin to understand the seed of misery in all
things that are impermanent. We see that we
can hold on to nothing. We begin to recognize
at a deep level that there is no enduring solid
“TL.” This deeply entrenched belief in an enduring
“T” begins to break down and our equanimity
grows deeper and deeper. This understanding
of anicca, dukkha and anattd grows and we
become filled with loving kindness towards all,
compassion for all, we have sympathetic joy
for all, and a deep sense of equanimity towards
all. This effort is our dana to a center.
