You’re With Us on This Journey

12.30.2022 YOU’RE WITH US ON THIS JOURNEY Buddhist teachings and practices offer an approach to finding peace within ourselves; they also inspire us to help others work with the myriad internal and external sources of conflict and confusion all of us face. At Lion’s Roar, our mission, and our daily work, is rooted in that inspiration. Our immediate goal is offering the dharma to help people relieve the suffering in their lives — in small ways, moment to moment. Our long-term goal is no less than reducing the suffering of the world; taming materialism and ego; and realizing a more compassionate, harmonious society. Over the course of forty-plus years, Lion’s Roar has grown from a small community newsletter to a nonsectarian, nonprofit Buddhist media organization reaching a diverse audience of Buddhists, mindfulness practitioners, and spiritually aware people from across North America and around the world. We aim to be a bridge-builder for those on the path of the dharma. We’re deeply committed to doing our part, but we aren’t making change on our own — we have you to thank. From our very beginnings, readers like you have been the heart of Lion’s Roar. Through your subscriptions and donations, you provide the vital support we need. More than ever, we rely on you to help us communicate Buddhist wisdom and practices, and further the development of Buddhism in the modern world. If you value our work, you know we have something precious to share with the world. By donating to Lion’s Roar, you join your resources with ours in pursuit of sharing Buddhist wisdom and supporting practitioners — and the dharma — worldwide. Below are three teachings on the heart of generosity that also reflect why we’re so grateful for yours. We are honored to have your support in these efforts. Thank you — and please — continue with us on this journey. —Ben Moore, Publisher, Lion’s Roar

Generosity’s Perfection Giving up, giving in, just plain giving — Sharon Salzberg says that’s the truly transformative experience. Generosity opens our heart, frees us from attachment and is the basis of all good qualities. It’s the foundation of the Buddhist path. If we practice joyful giving, we experience confidence. We grow in self-esteem, self-respect and well-being because we continually test our limits. Our attachments say, “I will give this much and no more,” or “I will give this article or object if I am appreciated enough for this act of giving.” In the practice of generosity, we learn to see through our attachments. We see they are transparent, that they have no solidity. They don’t need to hold us back, so we can go beyond them.

First, an Open Hand In any presentation of the paramitas, dana, or generosity, always comes first — Nikki Mirghafori explains why. Gratitude and generosity form a circle. When we feel the abundance of our life, our hearts feel spacious. Numerous studies link gratitude to happiness and well-being. Through gratitude, we can “train” ourselves to be more generous. In a study conducted at the University of Oregon, neuroscientist Christina Karns observed the fMRI measurements of participants who kept a gratitude journal and found that over time, they derived increasing joy from giving. Pragmatically, the research suggests that at a minimum, one can proactively choose to practice giving to others in ways that increase one’s own joy. How neat is that?

The Heart of Generosity Gina Sharpe offers a short introduction to generosity, explaining how it can be the beginning of the end of suffering. The heart of generosity — giving, sharing, and caring for others — breaks this cycle of attachment and the resultant suffering. Through generosity, we let go of self-centeredness and our mind/hearts open into loving-kindness, compassion, and tenderness. We experience our interconnectedness—how we rely on the generosity, caring, and hard work of others for our well-being. These realizations are direct antidotes to dukkha. Aligning our actions with them brings us true happiness.

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