Recollection of Generosity

PURPOSE/EFFECTS:
The recollection of one's own generosity aids us in combating negative thought patterns that arise in our minds at times when meditating. So the purpose of this meditation is to foster a positive self-image as a foundation block of practice.

Generosity (Dana) does not only apply to material objects such as money, or items, but also to giving our time, and personal skill set in service of another.

METHOD:
Summary
Focus on the skilful qualities you have developed, and see clearly how worthwhile you are.

Instructions

1. Settle into a comfortable & erect posture.
   
   
2. Bring your awareness to the body, focusing your attention on the sensations of touch and pressure in your body where it makes contact with the floor and any support you are using. Spend a few moments exploring these sensations, and then direct your attention to the posture, paying attention for any tension being caused by poor posture, and uneven balance, straightening and adjusting the posture to ease any discomfort.
   
   
3. Now bring your awareness to the breath coming in and out of the body at the point where a sensation of breathing is most prominent - be it a sensation within the nasal passages, or the lips & mouth, chest, & abdomen movements, or anywhere else. As the breath moves in and out of your body, take several deep breaths to get fully acquainted with the sensation before allowing your breath to relax into its natural flow, allowing what is to be, especially noticing how the breath is, whether short & shallow; or long & deep. 
   
   If there is any discomfort or strain with the breathing this may show a unconscious controlling influence on the breath, so if it persists, breath deeply a few times again and experiment with the breathing to find a rhythm the body is comfortable with before once again relaxing into the breath
   
   
4. Move your attention to the other areas where the breath can be observed - be it within the nasal passages, or the lips & mouth, chest, abdomen, or anywhere else - to know the different sensations of the breath within the body. Focus your awareness on the movement of the body during the slight stretching as the abdomen or chest expands with each inhalation, and of gentle deflation as it falls with each Exhalation, or the coolness of the touch sensation at the nasal passages, or lips & mouth on the inhalation and warmth of the exhalation, as best you can, taking several deep breaths to get fully acquainted with the sensations before allowing your breath to relax into its natural flow. Again noticing how the breath is, whether short & shallow; or long & deep, as-well as the slight pauses between the inhalation and exhalation, and between the exhalation and inhalation.
   
   
5. Once you are familiar with the breath at different prominent areas, bring your focus to the sensations at the nasal passage or lips & mouth continuing to follow the breaths natural rhythm while observing the flow of the breath through the body from the beginning of the inhalation to the end of the exhalation.
   
   
6. At some point the mind will stray away from its focus on the breath to thoughts, moods, planning, daydreams, or simply drifting along with the sensations in a state similar to sleep. This is just what the mind does daily, simply following its normal routine of trying to find pleasure, not that you are doing anything wrong or proof one can not meditate. When you notice that your focus has not been on the breath this is being clearly aware & a sign of engaging in the practice of being fully aware of the present moment! You should know what state the mind has been in & bring the focus back to the breath. No-matter how often you notice the mind wandering off, simply keep bringing it back to the object.
   
   
7. Bring to mind a situation where you have been generous. Generous with your possessions, time, knowledge, or skills. A situation where sharing with another happened without expectation of getting something in return.
   
   
8. Remembering the situation clearly, become curious about any emotions that have arisen associated with generosity, and fill your mind with the positive emotions.
   
   
9. Bringing the breath partly back into your awareness, cultivate these emotions. Imagining skilful qualities entering on the inhalation, and unskilled qualities leaving with the exhalation.
   
   
10. At some point the mind will stray away from its object of focus to thoughts, moods, planning, daydreams, or simply drifting along with the sensations in a state similar to sleep. This is just what the mind does daily, simply following its normal routine of trying to find pleasure, not that you are doing anything wrong or proof one cannot meditate. When you notice that your focus has not been on the breath this is being clearly aware & an engaging in the practice of being fully aware of the present moment! You should know what state the mind has been in & bring the focus back to the breath and positive emotions. No-matter how often you notice the mind wandering off keep bringing it back to the last emotion you were focusing on.
    
    
11. After you have gone through the whole body in this way, spend a few minutes being aware of the body as a whole, and of the breath flowing freely in and out of the body and in later sessions you can adjust how you spend time in this practice by doing a shorter Breath practice, spending longer, or the entire time with an emotion.

HISTORY:
The recollection of one's own generosity is a practice that stems from the “gradual instructions” The Lord Buddha and his disciples gave, as found in the Suttas.

CAUTIONS:
When practising being generous you should give only what you can, what is surplus to your own requirements. However, as noted earlier (Generosity in the context of this practice) is not only material giving, rather, it includes anything that is relinquished for another, be it listening non-judgmentally, time, skills, or anything else.

SEE ALSO:
AN 11.12 Mahanama Sutta: To Mahanama (1)