Generosity and the Perfection of Giving

Generosity is a state of being, a state of being generous in our body, speech and mind.

Generosity in Buddhism is the first of the “Six Perfections”. These perfections are listed as Generosity, Ethical Self-Discipline, Patience, Joyful Effort, Mental Concentration, and Discriminating Awareness or Wisdom. Each of these refers to a facet of enlightenment or the realized embodiment of the Self. In this brief article I want to discuss this particular aspect, Generosity and how we can apply it as a practice for both insight and mindfulness. As we will see, generosity is a state of being, a state of being generous in our body, speech and mind.

Mindfulness, as a practice, is a method for gaining insight into one’s self. In Buddhism, each individual is both one and the many. We are therefore an entity and a collective consciousness. Without anything happening within us, to us, or around us we quickly lose our sense of being an individualized self and we become “no-thing”.

From the standpoint of our ego, our very existence, our “sense of self”, and who we think we are is dependent on the people in our lives. For better or worse, we are defined by our past experiences with ourselves and with others.

From a Buddhist perspective, each person has three aspects of being, we have a body, we have speech, and we have mind, however, these three terms are not what we typically think of them as. For example, the term Body in Buddhism includes your physical body and your day-to-day environment. Each of these aspects interact with the world. They each give and they each take. Each of these aspects can be a source of generosity.

Generosity of Body

The body, in Buddhist thought, has several meanings and is one of the three vehicles that ironically keeps us both in ignorance and reveals to us the nature of an underlying unity or reality.

As physical beings, we are impermanent. This is a basic and profound lesson and insight. Our bodies are constantly changing. What good comes from judging ourselves or others based on appearances? The perfection of generosity can begin with a determination to apply this basic truth. We can experience the breath of freedom when we cut the ties we have with the idea that our appearance defines us and others.

What good comes from judging ourselves or others based on appearances?

Since our body includes our environment, we can be generous with our expertise, relationships, time, material possessions and so forth. The perfection of generosity entails seeing all these as a means to end suffering and to promote the realization of their basic nature which is Goodness. If others see goodness in you, it is simply the goodness that resides within themselves.

Generosity of Speech

Like the body, Speech in Buddhism is not only the words you speak and words you hear. Speech includes your silent thoughts, and the thoughts you say silently as words. It also includes the words you read, music you listen to, the content from the internet, television and radio, all forms of communication and expression are included as speech. So what is Generosity as it applies to speech?

Generosity regarding speech is that it is loving and kind.

The Perfection of Generosity regarding speech is that it is loving and kind. It reflects our basic nature which is radiant and life-affirming. When we awaken to our creative power to affect our inner and outer life through our speech, we become a real force for positive good in our world.

We are what we think we are, and we are constantly reaffirming our own self-images and our opinions of everyone and everything else through the instrument of our speech. Thoughts are actually things. Just as we can exchange material things such as presents, we are constantly giving and receiving thoughts that impact us through our words and our perceptions.

As a mindfulness exercise, simply observe the content you generate and the content you consume from the perspectives of, “Is what I am giving and receiving constructive and life affirming or is it negative and destructive?”

We can turn the tide of negativity in our life through mindfully cultivating generosity of thoughts, words and actions. Choosing words and thoughts of loving kindness affirms the basic goodness that lies within the heart of each and everyone. This basic assumption can become our own lived experience through the practice of generosity. Refrain from negative talk and harmful ideas and soon you see the world is kinder than you thought.

Generosity of Mind is to allow yourself to experience its true state through meditation.

Generosity of Mind

According to Buddhist thought, Mind is everywhere equally present. Everything is intelligent and responds to our thoughts, words and actions. Our brain is not “the thinker” but simply the organ of thought.

It is “mind gone astray” that keeps us from knowing that all things are connected and related. The mind, when allowed to settle into itself, begins to experience a kind of spaciousness and buoyancy. Therefore, the Perfection of Generosity regarding the Mind is to allow yourself to experience its true state through meditation. That state can be described as a radiant presence that pervades all that is.

Meditation acquaints us with our basic nature which is Loving Kindness. As we experience that basic nature within ourselves, we quickly find the motivation to change the things in our life that are blocking or obscuring loving kindness in our life. This act of generosity rewards us and others in remarkable and indescribable ways.

Life is a Path

Since life for all beings is about learning, then all beings can be seen as being on the Path of Life. For human beings, the path becomes an endless revelation regarding the nature of reality. Every religion and philosophy has a description or way of viewing what life is about, and we all begin somewhere, but wherever that somewhere is can never be the end.

All people who reflect on the meaning of life begin with a hope that life has some meaning. For some that hope grows into a belief, and then with experience belief develops into faith.

If we continue in our search, our faith becomes certainty. When one has experienced faith as certainty, the Perfection of Generosity can be understood. There is certainty in regard to life’s purpose as being a process for realizing the inexhaustible nature of being which can be simply described as “Basic Goodness”. The Perfection of Generosity then is simply helping others to get a glimpse of their own basic goodness.

What you see in yourself is the same as that which you see in everyone.

Suggested Meditations

Mindfulness Meditation on Spaciousness - This mindfulness meditation draws on the practice of watching thoughts and observing the “space between thoughts”.

Watching the Mind - This meditation represents a fundamental teaching within Buddhism that basically our experience of reality arises from the nature of mind. As we endeavor to keep the mind focused on the mind itself we begin to see that the nature of mind is not our thoughts, rather the nature of mind is awareness.

Suggested Recorded Meditation Class:

The Eightfold Path with Greg Tzinberg - This class covers each of the eight practices on the path that leads to enlightment.