Dana in Buddhism is a wholesome act. It is another way the Buddha teaches that we are all interconnected beings. The monks’ practice of accepting what is served in their begging bowl, without even plucking a fruit, is a reminder of this.
Long ago, during Vipassana, I heard S. N. Goenka (through his taped Dharma talks each evening) share the story of Anāthapiṇḍika. Once upon a time, Anāthapiṇḍika was one of the wealthiest merchants who contributed immensely to the Sangha. Later, he ended up in poverty, bankrupt, with no wealth. Still, the story says he would take a fistful of soil from his home, walk to Jetavana, and place it under a tree. That story stayed with me.
May be very serendipitously I could observe one aspect of this teaching the very next day at the dining hall of Igatpuri Vipassana centre. Just ahead of me, an old Buddhist monk in his robes was standing in line. The volunteer who was serving as food, placed a banana on his plate. Though the monk , took another banana and after a moment kept it back with a smile and moved on.
Ever since, I have tried to live without clinging to whatever I earned. Infact after being thrown out of my job at Infosys by Pai and Co, immediately I could move back to my alma mater Wipro. The day I had HR interview at MG Road office was the day my father late Sankara was in Surgical ICU after a bypass at Wockhardt , Bannerghatta road. The lady who conducted the HR interview asked me about my expectations. And I said whatever they feel appropriate. I had to rush back to the hospital so that I don’t miss the visiting hours at hospital. The same day evening, my father had passed away. I remember the day , 20 November 2006. I literally ran up the stairs to the SICU after hearing the news. There in the corner of SICU , nurses were cleaning up the dead body of Sankara. Absolutely naked. They were wiping away all the blood stains as monk cleans up a dish in the Zendo or another putting up an ikebana flower arrangement. And the Doctor on Duty, whom I recognized as one of the cardiac surgeons in that hospital tried to console me saying , that day was a very special day to die.. it so seems it happens once in 12 years. The Panchalinga Darshana at Talakadu . I literally would have held that Dr’s collar in rage. It was all rage. There were no tears. That came after a week or so. Wipro had send the appointment letter. And they had matched my CTC I was getting at Infy to the last digit.
Now I receive a monthly pension of INR 1612. 1/1000th of my annual CTC of 2007. A substantial part of that goes to buying biscuits for Zendog Bhim and Zencat Wuji. Some Sangha members, aware of my financials, also buy and offer them biscuits. Once, Olaf, a Zen master in our Sangha, told me that Bhim’s predecessor, Zendog Mu, was attached to me because of the cookies I gave. I felt that was not true. Even when I did not have biscuits, they sought me out if I was standing away from the crowd. When Mu passed away, Fr. AMA wrote to me , the dog was very fond of me and would accompany me everywhere. Bhim and Wuji are no different. The other day, as we were all in Zendo hall for Fr. AMA's Q& A , Wuji was sitting on the window pane behind altar waiting for me to come out. Perhaps, as self‑realised Zen masters, they understand that small acts of generosity from a princely sum of INR 1612 are sacred, wholesome acts.
Last November , I launched Kokoro-Zen-Do in action an online coaching program . It was a fundraiser for the Zendo. All the money came in went to the Zendo account. Sooner, Fr. AMA realised that I don’t have much money with me and he had instructed the office to take care of my medicines. He takes care of my boarding and lodging. Even took me out for my last birthday and gave a treat. And his teaching and spiritual guidance is priceless, even Elon Musk would not have been able to afford.
I get that free too. And I accept it in gratitude.
Dana becomes wholesome when it is given wholeheartedly and accepted with gratitude. If it comes out of coercion, or if the giver feels compelled, then those negative feelings pass into what is given. Just as food taken from suffering carries the imprint of suffering, so too does giving under duress carry the imprint of resentment.
This is why certain traditions do not encourage meat eating. No prey or butchered animal gives its flesh wholeheartedly. In front of the butcher’s knife, the animal undergoes the greatest fear—the fear of death. Anxiety arises, chemicals surge, and those traces enter the body of whoever ingests them. I feel this is true. As a thumb rule, carnivores are short‑living. Though Manu corrected me, saying sharks are among the longest living animals. Nature resists neat rules, but the intuition remains: fear and violence leave traces.
I happened to write this in my Writing to the bones journal today morning after a call I ahd with coaching client of mine. He is a CEO and he was checking whether he can pay me lesser than what he was paying. He is aware that I dont have any other sources of income currently. Still.... And I had replied that he can choose to pay me whatever he thinks appropriate. Even, I am willing to add him to my pro bono list and if he sees value in coaching with me he may continue. He was previously had coaches like Paddy Upton and Dr. Rao etc. Still I felt, though absolutely wealthy, he seems to be in need of that money much more than a poor Zen monk like me needs.
The Buddha taught that intention (cetanā) is the seed of karma. If the seed is tainted with coercion, fear, or greed, the fruit will carry that taste. Soil offered in devotion, food offered without harm, generosity offered without compulsion—these are the earthy gates of Dharma.
Dana is not transactional. It is relational. A fistful of soil, a bowl of rice, a gesture of gratitude—each affirms our interconnectedness. To Fr. AMA, Sankara, Thara, Manu , Rishi, Bhim, Wuji and to the CEO Coaching client.
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