The paramita of generosity

Faults and virtues

• Without generosity we cannot get enlightened.
• The essence of generosity is to not have attachment. To give enriches us, to keep impoverish us.
• Among all the possessions, the highest is contentment. A person contented is rich (Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche: "For a yogi richness is enough")
• Desire and craving are like a bottomless well. In the Tibetan tradition, craving lead us to become like King Midas, who fulfilled his wish to transform everything he touches into gold.  Surprisingly, he could not enjoy anything, even eating, as by touching food become gold.
• We should do like the policy of General-Motors to become rich: give to people more of what they like, and less of what they do not like.
• Be rich and unable to give is like be poor.
• What has been given lead us to the enlightenment, while that we keep lead us to the path of suffering.

Definition

To give fully without attachment.

Classification

1. Material generosity
1. Impure motivation: wrong e.g. to harm, inferior, e.g. to avoid bad karma
2. Impure materials: like poison or weapons
3. Impure recipient: to a crazy person, giving food to a glutton
4. Impure method: unhappy, with disdain, with anger
5. Pure material: anything that benefits the person
6. Pure recipient: to people suffering, to people that you deserve respect like your parents or an spiritual teacher
7. Pure method: with happiness and respect
2. Provide fearlessness: is to protect from thieves, animals, diseases
3. To give the dharma (teachings)
1. Recipient: to someone that want and respect the teachings
2. Motivation: to benefit others
3. Dharma: teachings that are not corrupted and show the right path
4. Method: at an appropriate place and moment

Transcending

1. Wisdom: without pride or attachment
2. Intelligence: with good intention, and a positive motivation.  
3. Dedication: wish to share the benefits with the other beings.  The highest form is the intention to bring all beings to enlightenment

Meditation

• Settle your body and your mind
• Rest in open awareness for a moment
• Think on a difficulty you are going thru, consider that it will pass
• Think on a nice, wonderful experience you are going thru, consider that it will pass
• Impermanence is the nature of reality
• Make the wish to find a stable contentment through all the changes, that will reduce the power of good and bad experiences will have on you
• Countdown from 5 to 1
• 5. This too shall pass
• 4. Clarity, presence, stillness
• 3. This too shall pass
• 2. Clarity, stillness, peace
• 1. This too shall pass
• Rest in open awareness