GENEROSITY/ DONATION (DANA)
In Buddhism, dana is the practice of cultivating generosity. Opening our hearts and minds to sharing in the abundance that we have been so blessed to receive opens the channels to our own increased flow of spiritual and material wealth. Generosity is also the gateway to enlightenment in that we see and experience the importance of letting go, the essence that all is impermanent and the reality that sharing fosters connection in a positive and meaningful way.
In the tradition of Buddishm, teachers are not paid for sharing in the Dharma (Buddhist teachings). Students give dana or donate directly to the teacher. Our teachers still have living expenses and so our generous donations make it possible for them to continue to share in the teachings which have the capacity to transform our lives. Donating directly and generously to our teachers makes it possible for us to keep our fees affordable.
In an effort to include everyone, we have changed our retreats from tuition based to donation based. We ask that you donate as much as you can to help with the operating cost of Flowering Lotus. We suggest a minimum donation of $50 per person to the teacher (our teachers donate their services to the center), and a minimum of $150 to the Center. A range reflecting what is more usual would be $100-$150 to the teacher and $295-$425 to the Center.