Meditation Groundwork is a pay-from-the-heart or “dāna” based program to support you in your aspiration to practice meditation regularly.

What is Dāna?

Dāna means generosity. It is akin to the 'pay from the heart' model, but different. As the bedrock of all traditions, generosity helps us to let go. Since everything is impermanent and subject to suffering, all we can do is to practice letting go into each moment and try to hold on to nothing. Dāna is a practice, like meditation. 

If you would like to offer dāna for the program, we invite you to do it as part of a practice of dāna. As with meditation, this practice takes discipline and honest self-awareness. So, consider offering something each week you join, or each month if you prefer. And watch any tightness or resistance that goes with it. Watch how it feels to give something. Watch the mind that chooses to let go. Or, watch how it feels to ignore the opportunity. Watch the mind that thinks, "I can't give enough so I won't give anything". Watch the mind that 'forgets.'

Exercise

Dāna is not just about offering money for a class or meditation program. Each day, consider offering three kinds of dāna, or generosity, to different people: physical, mental, and emotional. Offer something physical, like a cookie or cup of coffee; something mental like an uplifting viewpoint or interesting fact; something emotional like a smile or a kind word. 

And let us know how it goes!

How to offer Dana for the Meditation Groundwork program

Most of our regulars send Dana at the start of each month they plan to attend. 

E-transfer or Paypal to: meditationgroundwork@gmail.com.