Sati Center for Buddhist Studies

What does it mean to give skillfully—and why does it matter for our practice? Drawing on early Buddhist discourses on dāna, this half-day study class explores giving as a practice that shapes communities, delights the heart, and opens the path to liberation.
We will examine the Buddha’s praise of giving at all levels: that even rinsing water offered with goodwill is beautiful, and explore the Pāyāsi narrative’s lesson that how we give—with care or indifference—determines how the act generates kamma (DN 23). Looking at the story of Anāthapiṇḍika the great donor, we’ll reflect on giving as social action, wealth redistribution, and mutual aid—supporting the Saṅgha but also creating a radical alternative economy based on gift rather than commerce.
Through text study, reflection, and discussion, we’ll look at dāna as both an ethical and contemplative practice—one that reduces clinging, builds right relationship, and plants seeds for awakening.