SPP2025 Sesshin Day 1: No Gift, No Giver: Dogen’s Method of Guidance on Generosity

In this talk during the Spring Practice Period Sesshin, Sensei Ryotan explores the first of Dogen’s Four Methods of Guidance: Dana (generosity). Dogen himself lived in a tumultuous era of social upheaval, war, and natural disasters, in the midst of which he chose to deeply contemplate and write about generosity. Ryotan explains how “this idea of generosity is radically reimagined in the hands of buddhists… it is completely saturated in our understanding of interconnection.” Buddhist generosity transcends transactional exchanges through the truth of interconnection, “giving begins with the recognition that there is nothing but giving in the universe,” she quotes Alan Senauke, and continues… “the earth and the cosmos is giving us air to breathe… giving us water [to drink].” Ryotan emphasizes three dimensions of generosity: material giving, sharing the dharma, and offering fearlessness. Ultimately generosity is a tool for awakening ourselves and all being, as Dogen writes, “The mind of a sentient being is difficult to change. You should keep on changing the minds of sentient beings from the first moment that they have one particle to the moment that they attain the way – this should be started by giving.” To access the resources page for this program, please sign up by clicking here.