Generosity - Sharing the Dharma with Family & Friends

          Up to this point, we've discussed the first paramita of generosity.

          Donating materials or money when it is given deeply from the heart greatly contributes to our overall happiness and well-being as well as to those around us.

           We also learned about seven special ways that we can give for free on a daily basis. Here's a little recap:

Seven Good Deeds that Don't Cost Anything

1.) Having a kind, warm look in our eyes

2.) Smiling as best we can authentically

3.) Speaking with compassion & using the gentlest wordings

4.) Lending a hand & using our physical efforts to help people

5.) Expressing our gratitude with feeling & showing respect to others

6.) Giving up our seat or letting someone else go first

7.) Sharing a meal or opening up our home for someone who is in distress

          And lastly, we found out that we get the most of our donations and kind acts when we give them wisely in each of the Three Fields: Those We Respect, Those We're Grateful Toward, and Those in Desperate Need of Compassion.

          Now moving forward, the second category of generosity is Sharing the Teachings of Buddhism. This means to share what you've learned from the Dharma with the people of your life. 

          Giving the gift of Buddhism is in itself the very best way we can practice and give kindness. And now thanks to modern technology, we can even conveniently share it with anyone online!

          As we ourselves continue to listen to Buddhism, we learn more and more about who we really are gradually. Often times what we find out about ourselves can be very difficult to come to accept.

          But if we endeavor to push forward and keep seeking, we can and will attain absolute happiness -- all at once in just one split-second moment -- and, simultaneously discover our True Self at the same time.

Original Graphic by Paul Inkles available on Flickr.com

          Our purpose in life is to successfully obtain this once-in-a-lifetime experience of "WOW!" for ourselves and to then live on in gratitude and celebration of achieving eternal happiness. 

          We were born as human beings for the sole purpose of experiencing this blissful feeling like none other. In, Buddhism, it is also known as the Path of No Hindrance. 

          We guide others toward obtaining this spiritual liberation by sharing the Buddha's teachings with kindly words and comforting smiles. Our personal opinions and objections get placed aside when we share. We hold back our own desires to make quick value judgements or to share personal opinions. Priority is given to the guidance that is found within the teachings in order to help others find the right way. 

          To share Buddhism with others effectively, we must first learn how to truly listen to others deeply. We have to carefully understand and examine the other person's state of mind and condition before we begin sharing the Dharma. 

          By listening to others fully, we gain wisdom and learn about situations that we ourselves might face in the future. 

Original Comic by James Clayton available on Flickr.com

           Sharing Buddhism also develops our own capacity to have patience and compassion.

          Now the importance behind why we seek after the teachings is that we are facing a grave problem... literally. 

           There is only a limited amount of time for us here on Earth, and precious time is constantly ticking away night and day. All of us have this very crucial matter of mortality to face and solve, all while we're still alive.

         The teachings of Buddhism reveal to us a truth that is very difficult to hear or find anywhere else addressed in this same way. One Buddhist master by the name of Shinran used these words, "This world is as fleeting and unstable as a burning house." This doesn't paint a pretty picture for where we live.

          Though there is something we can all do about it, many of us choose to ignore the problem and put it off to some other time. Yet the thing we procrastinate the most about is our own impending death.

           Even when we hear about death occurring on the news, we all keep trying to live life to the fullest despite what we hear. We want to remain ignorant that death is coming up for us too. We sweep that problem under the rug for as long as we can, out of sight and out of mind. 

            But the more we try to run and hide, the more we come to find that all those worldly pursuits of happiness we fight so hard for every single day... keep letting us down again and again.  

             It's because all those worldly pleasures aren't capable of lasting in the first place.

             If we just pursue the good times relentlessly and do achieve fame and fortune, we are still inching closer and closer to the final moment of death. Ignorance is not bliss in the long run. Death happens suddenly and without notice to every person on the planet.

            We never know when that last moment will strike for us. But it's really coming for me one day, and it's really coming one day for you too. It is scary. I know.

             That's exactly why sharing Dharma is thus the most precious gift we can offer ourselves or others while our life force still remains strong. Being born a human being gives us this tremendous opportunity to uncover our True Self. Knowing who we are is a kind of bliss that we've never known for uncountable aeons past. Now, finally, we can obtain it.

But with more than 7,000 sutras to study, this is no easy task.

               That's why it's so important for us to find a good teacher who can guide our understanding of the Buddha's words. By observing and listening to true Buddhist teachers directly at a Buddhist center, you can learn about the Dharma in the best way.

          Then when you decide to share Buddhism on your own, you can invite the people closest to you over to your home for a spiritual chat. Here and there, you can bring up Buddhism in conversation whenever and wherever you feel that it is comfortable to do so. If you want to form a study group, you can hold a talk at a library, cafe, or public space that is suitable for study.

           When Buddhism becomes a big part of your life, it is because you are moved deeply to discover your purpose of life. You realize that there is this very grand endeavor we all have in our lives. We are all born for this reason. 

          And then when you attain it and feel that true happiness inside yourself, you can't just keep such a profound feeling of peacefulness all to your lonesome. If you actually find the meaning of life, you must of course share that wisdom with all your family, friends, and loved ones. And the world even!

          Imagine for a moment that you go to a very delicious and famous Italian restaurant. You order a pizza there, but up until your first bite, you couldn't believe all those rave reviews you read online. "No pizza can taste that delicious," you think to yourself. But everyone kept going on and on about how wonderful the pizza tastes there. It makes you start to wonder. But you can't really know whether that pizza is delicious or not until you actually go there, order it, and take a bite.

Original Photo by Ragdoll available on Flickr.com

  

         That first mouthful represents that split-second moment that reveals to you just how great the flavor really is! Wow!

           The first thing you'd do is spread the word to all your friends, "Hey, you gotta go to this pizza place and try it! I'm serious. I thought all the people were exaggerating, but now I know better. You won't believe how good it is until you try it."

           You'd want everybody to share in the same wonderful experience you just had. Likewise, when we experience a real sense of contentment from the wisdom of the Buddha's teachings, we also can't wait to share that joy we found with those closest to us.

            Sharing Buddhism begins with finding one person -- YOURSELF!

           Once you begin to discover more about your True Self, you will develop a stronger karmic connection with Buddhism. Over time, you will then naturally develop a wish to share with others. But it's totally up to you and your own discretion.

           If you do talk to your family and friends about the Dharma, you will find out all the little gaps in your own understanding. (I'm still learning every day even as I try to write this blog.)

           Sharing Buddhism with others begins by talking wholeheartedly with just one person at a time. Even though there are so many people in the world in desperate need of the truth, the spread of truth begins patiently and accurately with one person. We give our all to them and share as best we can in each lesson. By focusing on teaching to this one individual, gradually our knowledge base and experience will expand, and we can be able to share with larger groups.

            It's very important to have empathy for the feelings of those who follow a different sect of Buddhism or a different religion altogether. Learn from them as well as teach them. But keep in mind that every religion or spiritual group has its own different idea about where our path in life leads. Sometimes, putting it all together and finding the right one can be confusing. But this is an important task you must decide for yourself.

Original Photo by EnKayTee available on Flickr.com

          At the beginning, we are still making up our minds, and we may need time to find our exact spiritual direction. But when we know that we wish to dedicate ourselves and follow the Pure Land path, we then become mindful of continuing on the course that is taught so we can reach the finish line as soon as possible.

           We want in our hearts to bring everyone toward happiness, but ultimately the choice is up to every person to make. Teach with the most energy to those open-minded persons who express a real thirst for the teachings.

           Remember, the Dharma is not something that can be forced or pushed onto someone. Each person must find the truth at their pace. We can only wish in our hearts that everyone obtain absolute happiness quickly.

            And when teaching, it's better to find a person's question accurately from a Buddhist teacher than to answer incompletely or in a round-about kind of way. You may be answering incorrectly if you do so. We must guide people in the right direction, first and foremost.

            That's why we make our best effort to encourage others to visit a Pure Land Buddhist center. This is the best place for us to directly learn the teachings. Once there, we can learn in the best way how to share the teachings. By visiting a Buddhist center or meeting with Buddhist friends, we can all find the answers to our innermost questions together.

           It's been said that, "Material weath may be treasure for a lifetime, but the Dharma is a treasure for all eternity." Money and possessions can only bring us temporary pleasure while we're alive in this world. Once we die, we must leave behind all our treasures, our possessions, and... even our loved ones. We must go it all alone.

        This sad fact is what makes death so very difficult and painful for all of us. This world is the only home we've come to know. At death, we must leave with nothing.

        For all these reasons, death is our most crucial matter to solve. It's also why a sensitivity to the nature of how all things are impermanent is essential in Buddhism.

         Without this inclination, people remain focused only on the pleasures of life until they get old, sick, or die. People worry a great deal about having enough money for their retirements, but that's only an issue if you live that long. Old age is not guaranteed. Death is what's certain.

Original Photo by ~C4Chaos ~C4無秩序 available at Flickr.com

          Having a keen sense of impermanence drives us to make continual efforts toward studying the teachings. It pushes us to listen more carefully so that we can find out once and for all who we really are on this journey... BEFORE it's too late and death comes knocking for us.

          Even if we forget all about our own death and become overly consumed with worldly desires, we will still lose those closest to us sooner or later. And so we are reminded again but in a way that hits us so deeply we can't deny it any longer.

         It has been said that we cry the most at funerals because we're crying two times -- once for the person who has left us, and once for ourselves because we too must go one day. 

"Ties in this world last only for a time.

We are husband and wife,

 

parent and child

for a short period only.

Once this reality sinks in,

we cannot help treasuring

each moment

of our brief association."

-Takamori Kentetsu

          Listening to Buddhism leads us toward finally attaining our one and only purpose in this life, to attain that everlasting, constant, thriving joy inside us. It's not something we get after we die. We must discover it in this lifetime while we're still alive. 

         Once we have finished this momentous accomplishment of life, we simultaneously discover our eternal self at long last. For it is only when we know ourselves that we can be truly happy.

          The gift of Buddhist truth is the most precious gift of all because it has the power to dispel the darkness of our anxious minds surrounding the issue of where go in the afterlife. It clearly illuminates once and for all -- while still living -- what happens to us after this life fades away. Imagine the peace of mind knowing that.

          Once this wisdom is known to us with 100% certainty, we experience what's known in Buddhism as the level of true settlement. This level of true settlement is the 51st level of enlightenment. We live the remaining course of our natural lives still full of all the worldly passions that come with being human. But when one who has attained the level of true settlement dies, they are then granted Nirvana, or what known as the 52nd level of enlightenment. This is the highest level of enlightenment. 

          That's when we are reborn as a Buddha in a blissful world known as the Pure Land of Amida Buddha. Once there, we become a buddha. Then in our own time, we choose to leave the Pure Land and return to this suffering world and other worlds like it as buddhas in order to guide others to absolute happiness. Unlike humans, however, buddhas possess the faculties of perfect wisdom and compassion.

          It is through the Buddha's great wisdom that we are guided to understand, once and for all, the meaning of this unique, precious, often turbulent journey as a human being. We realize the true wonder behind being human. It's a blissful, shimmering experience that makes us want to yell from a mountaintop, "WOW! How wonderful and blessed I am to have been born human! I am the happiest person in the universe!"

            And even with this joyous expression, the fulfillment of such an absolute form of happiness cannot be fully described, for it is an experience which is beyond words and even human understanding.

            Once absolute truth is finally realized within us, the preciousness of Buddhist wisdom becomes completely crystal clear. That's when we know where we are going in the afterlife without a shadow of a doubt, and we know ourselves completely, through and through. 

Original Word Art by Celestine Chua available on Flickr.com

              Of all the wisdom out there, the teachings of Pure Land Buddhism are the very best gift we can provide to anyone, because these teachings contain within them the supreme truth that guides all humanity equally to absolute happiness without any discrimination whatsoever.

             So I wish to share with you now all the links and resources that have guided me thus far on my own quest. By learning deeply from this knowledge yourself, you will then be able to advise others freely as you wish.

***

MIRROR OF DHARMA BLOG

Of course, don't forget to promote this website, mirrorofdharma.org.

1.) Mirror of Dharma Blog Homepage

2.) Mirror of Dharma Google Plus Page

3.)  Mirror of Dharma Blog Facebook Page

4.) Mirror of Dharma Blog Twitter Page

                             This concludes the paramita of generosity. Check in next time when we move on to learn more about the rest of the Six Paramitas.

Generosity - Giving Wisely in the Three Fields

              Let's continue to learn about the first paramita of Generosity. So far, we've learned about the benefit of giving and its subsequent positive effect on our lives and our environment.

Original Photo by BK available on Flickr.com

               But -- when you think about it -- is giving really better than just saving it all for yourself? Can it really be proven that sharing is better than being selfish? Well, there may not be exact proof, but let's demonstrate how giving is better in a "sort of" scientific way.

                Back in the olden days, bathtubs were wooden and often in a more round, circular shape.

                 When you're in a bath, you of course want nice, warm water around you to sooth your tension. "Ah, so relaxing..."

Original Photo by Rafael Edwards available on Flickr.com

                         Naturally as you stay longer in the tub, the water around you begins to cool. Your first inclination is to then draw what's left of the remaining warm water toward you. Frantically your hands try to bring in the warmth. "More, more... I want MORE!"

                         However, this action only seems to bring more of the cooler water.

                         In order to receive more warm water, you have to push away the warm water near you. At first, it seems to go against your logic, but sure enough, the warm water is then able to circulate around and come back warmer than before.

*** FYI - if you decide to try this bath tub experiment for yourself, know that it still works the best in wider, round tubs.***

                         You receive more warmth by pushing the water away from you rather than toward yourself. This is the Buddhist concept of Benefiting Others Benefits Yourself.

                         When our greed drives us to only satisfy our own needs, we end up wanting more and more just to satisfy our ever-growing loneliness. But as soon as we begin to share what we have with others, we become more contented with what we have. This is the reason behind why giving is so beneficial.

                         Now that we know that we receive more when we give more, we may be inclined to go out on a giving spree. "Woo Hoo! Here's some money for you... and you..."

Original Photo by elycefeliz available on Flickr.com

Original Photo by Matthew Burpee available on Flickr.com

         

                  

                     







                        Hey there, wait a minute! Not so fast! It's not as simple as it seems...

                        To be wise with your money, you shouldn't direct your most generous donations to just anyone and everyone. If you do that, you will waste what precious resources you have and end up in ruin yourself.

                         Keep in mind, we still must have enough to provide for ourselves and our loved ones. Without being careful and planning our assets, our good intentions of giving could end up causing ourselves and our family financial harm instead.

                         To understand the cause and effect relationship behind an act of generosity, let's reflect on the Law of Cause and Effect one more time.

Good deeds bring good results.

Bad deeds bring bad results.

Your own deeds bring your own results.

                         The three lines above represent universal truth. This means that these words remain true at all times: past, present, and future. They also apply everywhere throughout the entire universe. The Law of Cause and Effect always remains true without even a single exception. 

                          In Buddhism, the term law is not like the legal rules made by man. The laws made to govern a society can differ from country to country and can even change with public opinion over time. Scientific laws can even be altered as new advances in our understanding are made. The Law of Cause and Effect, however, is unchanging, unwavering, and boundless.

                           Let's say you give a few dollars to someone who seems impoverished, but that person secretly has bad intentions with your money. You may think it must then be the fault of the other person and not your own, but if that person uses your kind gift to do bad things it counts as a bad deed for you as well.

Original Photo by David Goehring available on Flickr.com

                         Even if your intentions remain the very best, helping a thief remains wrong. Of course, going out and intentionally committing bad karma is still the worse act between the two. But it's still important to know that when we accidentally or unknowingly do wrong, it still will yield us a form of negative result.

                            If you give a sudden windfall of money to the wrong person, you may be paying them to feed their addiction problem or even to commit crime. Once under the influence of a drug or narcotics, the results can be very dangerous to that person's health.

Original Photo by Roberto Trm available on Flickr.com

                         Now if a criminal receives those funds, the lives of others are then put in peril. No matter how well-intentioned you are, putting others in harm's way, even by your own mistake, can't produce a positive result.

                         Whenever we experience or even see bad results happening in our environment, we should reflect on our own actions to investigate if we ourselves are contributing to those problems in some way. By considering how we directly affect others and the world, we learn how to make better decisions that receive better results for our own future and those around us.

                         Many times we forget that it is our responsibility to decide how best to give the right kind of help to the right person. That's why whenever we give, we must remember to have both wisdom and compassion. It's very important to think deeply if a person or group will use the resources we offer in the same way we intended. 

                           All causes have effects; all effects come from causes. So according to the Law of Cause and Effect, that means human beings, life on Earth, and everything in the universe as we know it all exists together within a continuous chain of interconnected events.

Original Word art by BK available on Flickr.com

                            Since all our actions become causes that will bring us effects down the road, it is wise for us to focus our most generous actions toward the most favorable conditions.

                            A condition is something that assists or helps a cause bring about an effect.

                            Shakyamuni Buddha taught us how to utilize our generosity effectively by a metaphor known as the Three Fields.

                             Each of the Three Fields represent a type of person or group that act as the very best of conditions for us to harvest good effects.

The Three Fields

Field of Respect -  We owe the most gratitude to Amida Buddha, Shakyamuni Buddha and true Buddhist masters like Master Shinran. (We will learn more about these important figures in Pure Land Buddhism in future posts.) For now it is important to know that they have all helped guide us toward the true teachings so we can obtain absolute happiness in this life.

                              To those around us who actively dedicate their lives to Buddhism, we must also definitely show our respects. We can offer donations and/or words of gratitude in order to support their continuing activities of sharing Dharma with the world.

                               The role of any good Buddhist teacher is to transmit the truth that is contained within the sutras in a accurate, easy-to-understand way. Even though some who teach Buddhism may appear more prominent to us than others, what remains of most importance is to honor the teachings themselves more than any one person. It is the teachings of Buddhism that we revere the most since they are what contain the truth, a truth that is so rare to find.

Original Photo shared by Wikimedia Commons

                 

                      The Field of Respect also includes people who exhibit the very best qualities of virtue.  They set examples for us to follow by demonstrating exemplary character, morals, and ethics in their everyday lives. 

                      Individuals who perform continual, benevolent actions to help mankind are also worthy of our admiration and support. They include humanitarians from all walks of life. We must respect leaders who have spent their lives working for the common good of mankind and the fair treatment of all peoples.

Field of Gratitude - This field represents people who have done a lot for us in the past, and so in turn, they rightfully deserve our tremendous gratitude.

                  Our parents, whether we like them or not, brought us into this world and cared for us well enough to be alive right now. Our teachers and doctors are also worthy of our gratitude for taking care of us and giving us the knowledge we needed to live healthily. Our family members and even close friends can be there for us in our most difficult times and help us with their loving care and support.

Original Photo by thegoinggreenboutique available on Flickr .com

Original Photo by cybrarian77 available on Flickr.com

Original Photo by Lisa Brewster available on Flickr.com

Original Photo by Terrie Schweitzer available on Flickr.com

                      Whenever others go out of their way to help us, we must show our appreciation. To help us remember to say thanks, Buddhism teaches us that gratitude has three stages.

                         First, we must know what we should be grateful for, then we must feel grateful inside toward the person who offered us that kindness, and then we should repay our gratitude to that person in some special way that honors what they did for us fully.

1.) Knowing Gratitude -  In Japanese, the Chinese character for gratitude is on. On is made up of two pictographs. The top square box means cause; the various four lines below represent mind. 

 恩

                        Now let's explore what the two ideas in this character actually signify. 

                       When we're grateful for getting a gift, we're happy and experience that gift as an effect. This effect has come from a cause that occurred in the past. 

  
 (Friend buys us a gift.)  --->  (We enjoy it.)

Cause -----------> Effect

 
                        When we discover the cause of why we're happy, we realize the gratitude we owe to the person who provided us with that wonderful, happy experience. 

                       So to understand the two concepts together, gratitude is a mind that knows the cause or source of where happiness comes from. 

                         This means that the first stage of gratitude is simply to recognize or remember when others have shared a kindness with us that we enjoyed. 

                        To do this, look around and take in all the things around you that you can be grateful for. There are so many people we can easily forget to thank. Just think all the beautiful flowers in your city must have been tended by a skilful gardener. This person deserves our thanks (even if it's at first just in our mind from afar) for providing us with such a beautiful sight to see.  

Original Photo by Garry Knight available on Flickr.com

                          Consider the people in your life who deserve a lot of gratitude. Remember those times when you were given help right when you needed it the most. Think of people who helped you along the way that you might have forgotten.

2.) Feeling Gratitude -  Once you discover someone or something to be grateful for, allow yourself to really feel inside all the kindness that you received. Always reserve a big space in your heart for this tremendous feeling.

3.) Showing Gratitude - Finally, we must repay that kindness by showing our gratitude in some form of expression. It could be a sincere word of thanks, a gift as a token of appreciation, or a helping hand with a favor they need. A thank-you card or letter is a wonderful way of showing gratitude.

                            Showing our gratitude by saying or doing something nice increases the feeling of thanksgiving in our lives as well as rewards the kind person who helped us so much. Then we can continue to share that same kindness we received to others which expands the feeling of thanksgiving even more. This is what it truly means to "pay it forward."

Field of Compassion - People in the Field of Compassion are in desperate need just to stay alive from either the wages of war, illness or poverty. This field also includes those who lost everything from the devastation of a natural disaster. We must do our best to help young children, the elderly, and disabled persons who are genuinely unable to provide food and shelter for themselves. Even those who face extreme financial ruin from a layoff or long-term unemployment deserve our sympathy.

Original Photo by Jared Polin available on Flickr.com

Original Photo by UNICEF Canada available on Flickr.com

Original Photo by United Nations Photo available on Flickr.com

Photo by MediaStorm (cropped) original available on Flickr.com

                           When someone is in real distress, we must do what we can to help them, whether it's providing them with a loan, making a donation to a worthy cause, guiding them to a substance abuse program, or gifting someone an item that they really need like water, food or clothing.

                             Surprisingly, just offering our hearts and sharing words of encouragement can be a tremendous benefit to people in hard times.

                           Ivan Turgenev is the author of the classic literary work, Fathers and Sons. During difficult years of recession in Russia, Turgenev once had a poor person come knock at his door to beg for alms. But being in the midst of poverty himself, he had nothing tangible to give the beggar who had come all the way to his doorstep.

                             So instead the author firmly embraced the man at his door. Tears fell from his eyes as he said, "Brother, I am so sorry I have nothing to give you."

                             Recalling the occasion many years later, that man said he had never expected to receive a hug from Turgenev.

                            "Never in my life had I received anything as precious as his genuine and giving spirit that day."

Original Word Art by Celestine Chua available on Flickr.com

***

                            Good fortune grows for us as a direct result of our own planting of good seeds. Seeds represent the actions we choose to perform on a daily basis.

                             By planting good actions in each of these Three Fields, a crop of good effects will be able to grow the quickest and yield a better result for us. And before long, those seedlings will surely sprout and then bloom into happiness for us.

                          Now a farmer planting seeds might think he's actually losing because he is giving up his seeds at the time of planting, but once the time of the harvest comes he gets exactly what he planted... and many times over.

                          Understanding the value of giving in no way makes it easier to give. We always remain full of desires known as worldly passions. In Buddhism, it is taught we are made of 108 Worldly Passions. The three main worldly passions are Desire, Anger, and Envy\Ignorance.

                         We can often become way too busy with these desires. Then we start procrastinating and become stingy when it comes down to actually sharing with others or helping them.

                         The Buddha shared a parable about someone who decided to put off giving until later. It's the story of a man whose greed to give became more important than the act of giving itself.

***

                        Once upon a time, a farmer living in the countryside decided to invite a lot of people to his home for a party. 

                        "Hmm, what can I offer everyone that evening?" he thought. "Well, I know I have a cow in the stable, so I definitely should serve fresh milk to drink."

                        The man went over to the cow and began to ponder how much milk the animal could produce for the number of guests he wished to invite.

Original Photo by Sara B. available on Flickr.com

                         "One cow surely can't supply enough milk for everybody. There's just too many people. Now, if I work too hard by storing up all that the milk, it won't be as fresh and is most likely going to go bad before they get here. Hmmm, what to do..."

                           And then the thought struck him.

                           "Ah--HAH! I got the answer! I won't do anything! I'll just keep all the milk INSIDE the cow until the moment I need it!! HAHAHA!! This is brilliant."

                         Soon the day came, and all the guests arrived at his front door.

                         "Welcome, everyone!!! Please take your seats. I'll be right back with some milk! You'll all love the fresh taste!"

                         Everyone became overjoyed with anticipation. Meanwhile, the farmer quickly sped over to the barn and began to squeeze the cow's utters. But not a drop came out.

Original Photo by Dennis Jarvis available on Flickr.com

                           "WHA--?! That's strange!" the farmer gasped. "What on Earth did I do wrong? There isn't any milk coming out at all!"

                          Slumped over from embarrassment, he went back inside to the party and confessed to all his guests that he had made a mistaken calculation. All of them went home very upset and quite disappointed.

                          The Buddha shared an insight with everyone about the farmer's mindset.

                          "I often hear people say they will give plentifully when they become rich," Shakyamuni began. "Such people are just like the farmer in this story. They only dream about giving abundantly in the future without taking the proper steps to give in the current moment. They falsely believe that at some other time they will begin to donate in vast quantities."

                           "Instead their greed continues to endure as the right amount of wealth never seems to quite arrive. For those who think this way, giving thus becomes impossible."

***

                            
                                   A cow delivers fresh milk when it is milked regularly at a moderate pace.

                                   In the same manner, we should be consciously and consistently giving all the time whenever we can. Instead of planning some day to give next week, we should get started right away, today.

                                 Let's do our best to perform wisely-planned good deeds in each of the Three Fields: the Field of Respect, the Field of Gratitude, and the Field of Compassion. As we practice sincere acts of giving toward these three types of individuals, we will become happier and come to know ourselves better as well.

Original Photo by Bill Gracey available on Flickr.com

               
                           Although practicing generosity toward each of the Three Fields is very good for us, there remains one good deed that is the very best -- listening to the teachings of Buddhism.

                             Next time, we will explore the paramita of Generosity - Sharing the Dharma with Family & Friends.