8th Gathering

Selfless giving as a formal religious act is directed specifically to a spiritually-developed person. In Buddhist thought, it has the effect of purifying and transforming the mind of the giver. Buddhists believe that giving, without seeking something in return, leads to greater spiritual wealth. As Dr. Chan quoted from a famous writer, W.H. Auden in her previous Dhamma Talk "We are all here on earth to help others; what on earth the others are here for I don't know."

The theme for this week's gathering is

SELFLESS GIVING

Dāna, the pali for giving, is one of the Ten Pāramī (Ten Perfections), known in Chinese as 波罗蜜 stated in both Theravada and Mahayana Buddhist scriptures (Buddhavamsa and Lotus Sutra respectively). The best example of selfless giving is the recent IMU Blood Donation Drive that was coordinated by new members of the society. We do not know who we are donating to, but despite that, we contribute a pint of blood to save that unknown's life. It is also shown in the great effort of the organizing committee for giving everyone the opportunity to perform Dāna. That is the great spirit of Dāna. Of course this is just the start of perfecting this virtue.

Venue: SR3

Time: 1.15pm-2.15pm

Date: 2 October 2009

As usual, please have your lunch before the event and please be punctual.