dhammadasa<\/p>
Dana\r\nTeachers listed with the Open Sangha Foundation as individual instruction do not \r\ncharge students fixed amounts but rather accept donations from them. This means \r\nthat students can contribute what they are able to based on their circumstances. \r\n\r\nThis is dana in action.\r\n\r\nDana, which translates as \u2018sharing\u2019 or \u2018generosity\u2019 in English, is an important and \r\nrich concept across the Buddhist traditions, not least in how it relates to the \r\nteaching and learning of the Dharma.\r\n\r\nFrom the time of the Buddha to the present day, monastic sanghas do not charge for \r\naccess to the teachings. Instead teachings are offered as a gift, as dana, with an \r\nopen and compassionate heart to those that seek them. In response to this priceless \r\ngift, people in turn have supported their teachers, out of generosity, out of dana, \r\nand from a place of responsibility and so ensured that their teachers can continue \r\nto share the practices and teachings. Traditionally, this would take the form of \r\noffering food, clothing or medicine to the monks and nuns. \r\n\r\nWhile this traditional paradigm is still the norm in most heritage Buddhist cultures \r\nand communities, it is an aspect of the teachings that has been neglected by some as \r\nBuddhism has spread globally in the 20th and 21st centuries. Instead the Buddhadharma \r\nis often taught and learnt in something more akin to a capitalistic paradigm. This \r\nparadigm creates barriers to the Dharma, limiting who can access it, and alters the \r\nnature of the transmission in a potentially problematic way.\r\n\r\nIn the Open Sangha Foundation we are encouraging and supporting teachers to teach \r\nwithin a traditional dana based context to whatever extent they feel moved and able \r\nto. For this model to flourish outside of heritage Buddhist cultures though both \r\nteachers and students of the Buddhadharma need to train in and trust in each others\u2019 \r\ngenerosity. This acting from generosity then has the potential to form an integral \r\npart of our Dharma practice, as teachers and students, and allows us to divest ourselves \r\nfrom modern naratives of separation and take on greater responsibility in our \r\nrelationships and in our lives.\r\n\r\n\r\nhttps:\/\/youtu.be\/kQvlHo9aYQY<\/pre>\n<\/h6>\n