What is Dana?

"Dana, or generosity, is one of the 'perfections' (parami) that we seek to cultivate, along with patience, loving-kindness, humility, joy, gratitude, equanimity, compassion, resolution truthfulness, effort, mindfulness and wisdom. In Theravada Buddhism there are 12 perfections that all strengthen our progress on the path. In this way, dana is an important part of the dharma we teach, the dharma of sila (moral awareness), panna (wisdom) and Samadhi (mindfulness and concentration).

There is a beautiful teaching from one of the Buddha’s lives, when he was a Bodhisattva before he was the Buddha. A blind man asked him for one of his eyes. He plucked out one eye and handed it to the blind man. The blind man then threw it on the ground and stepped on it, shattered it. An observer asked the giver if he was not enraged at the misuse of this precious gift. He replied that the eye was freely given; he had no attachment about its use.