Episode 85: The Paramita of Generosity, Talk 2 of 2
Description
[This episode originally aired on September 6, 2022] Continuing our exploration of the paramita of generosity • generosity is like the expanding universe: it just keeps expanding and expanding without limit • the practice of generosity challenges us to stretch beyond our fear and territoriality and sense of impoverishment • Buddhist teachings recommend working with three dimensions of generosity: material generosity, psychological generosity, and the generosity of offering the dharma or the teachings • material generosity refers to giving what is needed, whether it be food or clothing or any other material object • psychological generosity refers to giving the gift of confidence or fearlessness; it has a tone of empowering others, supporting others, giving others the strength to face life • the generosity of offering the dharma means offering others inner support for their spiritual development • in all three cases, we are working in the realm of relationships; we are learning to tune into situations so we can respond with what is most appropriate.