All our classes and
retreats are conducted on a dana basis, which means our teachers do not receive a fee or salary for their work. Instead, they offer the teachings in a spirit of generosity. For most Spirit Rock events, fees cover only the basic costs of organizing and running the event. This allows us to keep the coast of events as low as possible so that we can make the teachings as widely available as possible. Teachers support themselves and their families through donations from students. This system gives students an opportunity to cultivate their won practice of generosity and to express their appreciation to the teacher and for the teachings.
In addition, the development of Spirit Rock as a retreat center has been funded almost entirely by donations from individuals. Future development plans depend on the continued generosity of committed supporters. Support of both the Center and its teachers will allow us to flourish and others to benefit from their teachings.
Dana (pronounced "daah-nuh") is the Pali word for generosity. According to the Buddha, generosity or sharing what we have is one of the central pillars of a spiritual life. In the act of giving we develop our ability to let go, cultivate a spirit of caring, and acknowledge the interconnectedness that we all share. The Buddha created a system to develop this quality of open-handedness whereby those who share the teachings are dependent on those who receive them. Monks and nuns go on daily alms rounds with a begging bowl, relying on the generosity of lap people of support in continuing their teaching and spiritual life. The practice of dana has kept the Buddhist tradition alive for more than 2,500 hundred years, and as the ancient teachings of Asian Buddhism move to the West, we at Spirit Rock hope to keep alive this joyful tradition.
All our classes and retreats are conducted on a dana basis, which means our teachers do not receive a fee or salary for their work. Instead, they offer the teachings in a spirit of generosity. For most Spirit Rock events, fees cover only the basic costs of organizing and running the event. This allows us to keep the coast of events as low as possible so that we can make the teachings as widely available as possible. Teachers support themselves and their families through donations from students. This system gives students an opportunity to cultivate their won practice of generosity and to express their appreciation to the teacher and for the teachings.
In addition, the development of Spirit Rock as a retreat center has been funded almost entirely by donations from individuals. Future development plans depend on the continued generosity of committed supporters. Support of both the Center and its teachers will allow us to flourish and others to benefit from their teachings.
