The Heart of Dana

The Heart of Dana Dana, or generosity, is a mental factor predominantly. Wise people understand that physical actions are often beyond their control, yet they maintain the purity of their minds and guard their mental volition. Whether giving freely or facing corruption and unfavorable circumstances, they keep their intentions pure. This mental clarity and purity ensure that their merit is substantial, regardless of external conditions.

Case 1: The Generous Old Lady An elderly lady known for her kindness, decided to donate her only piece of land to build a monastery. Her physical gift was substantial, but it was the purity of her intention that held the true value. "This land will serve a higher purpose, a place of peace and learning," she said with a serene smile. Her volition was driven by a selfless desire to contribute to the spiritual growth of her community. Her pure intention preceded and elevated her physical act of giving, creating immense good kamma. The monastery flourished, its foundation rooted in Her genuine compassion and right intention.

Case 2: The Poor Man’s Gift
A poorman, struggled to make ends meet but was rich in spirit. He gathered a small bundle of materials to contribute to the monastery's construction. Though his offering was modest, his intention was pure and heartfelt. "This is all I have, but I give it with all my heart," he said. The monks and villagers recognized that his act was born from pure volition, not material wealth. His right intention was the basis of his merit, demonstrating that the value of an action lies in the mental factors behind it. His simple gift, given with a pure heart, generated great kamma.

Case 3: The Wealthy Landowner Vikram, a wealthy landowner, donated a vast expanse of land to the monastery, seeking recognition and social status. His physical act of giving was grand, but his intention was superficial. Despite the material benefit, his lack of pure volition limited the merit of his deed. The monks and villagers sensed the disparity between his outward generosity and his inward motivations. His example illustrated that without right intention, even the grandest physical actions could not yield significant merit.

Case 4: The Steadfast Noble In a nearby kingdom ruled by a corrupt king, a nobleman served reluctantly. Though he had to follow the corrupt king's orders, he maintained a heart filled with right intention and moral clarity. Arjun's actions, though constrained by external circumstances, were driven by his steadfast commitment to righteousness. His right intention was the predecessor and foundation of his deeds, enabling him to accumulate great merit despite the corrupt environment. He kept his mind stainless and pure unctouched by the physical actions around him, in his heart he didn't support corruption and maintained clear view. Maintaining right intention, even when bound by a corrupt system, allowed one to rise above and remain unscathed by the surrounding immorality. His inner purity and volition shone as a beacon of hope and integrity.

Case 4 is the situation where the mental voiltion has the most challenges, those with very high confidence in dhamma and grounded in right view, right intention and right volition can meet this situation and stay established in purity. Mental factors are the predecessors and basis of actions, determining the true value of deeds. The purity of one's heart and mind is the essence of generating good kamma and living a life of genuine merit. The teachings of kamma emphasized that every action, born from pure volition, could transcend material constraints and create lasting positive effects.

Quality of effort: Sometimes gentle and sometimes strong

  

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Sometimes it is a heads-on battle,
Facing gross instincts with quiet resolve,
Effort firm, like a river against the stone,
Uprooting weeds of doubt and desire,
Aware of sensations, leading to awareness of anicca

The enemy Mar/delusion is disguised and hidden ... and even if he is visible, you win by unwavering stance.

Hidden Mara, unseen foe,
You keep steady breath, mind on sensations,
Power of anicca begins to show.

When you work with vipassana, base instincts and defilements that caused the body to be stiff come up and begin to loose hold. Body becomes stronger and more flexible over time, breathing softer and steadier after initial tumultuous phases .. as you continue to work through. Lust that used hold us down gets replaced with beautiful quality of love and care, like in the deva world. The mind gets refined. But the struggle of rising up from the gross feelings is a long war with numerous battles with continuous rise and fall ... work through the tumultuous phases that come up to get released. Let layer after layer get uprooted. 

Base instincts, once held tight,

Loosen their grip, losing might,

Gross desires transform in light,

To love and care, pure and white.

Meditating calmly, like grass bending in the storm

To come out of mechanical practise and develop qualities of awareness and investigation ... it is a continuous practise, you have to tune into anicca sometimes by being gentle, bending like grass and surviving the storm. Tuning in the effort ...

Mind soft as morning dew nourishing the garden

As blades of grass bend safely in storm ... when strong trees get uproot and break. 

With gentle but unrelenting effort, penetrate the truth with anicca.