Generosity
What would it mean to move through daily life with genuine generosity — not as a transaction, but as a way of being?
In this talk, Ginger Clarkson reflects on the Zen precept “Do not be stingy,” exploring generosity through small moments of kindness, unexpected gestures, and the simple act of paying attention to others.
Drawing on Buddhist teachings on dana, a Zen meal chant, the image of Indra’s net, and a vivid poem by Rumi, Ginger weaves together personal stories — from smiling at airport workers to her hospice visits with her service dog Amanda — to show how generosity flows in both directions and costs less than we think. She also gently points to what withholding does to the heart, and what opens up when we let go of the impoverished mindset that says there isn’t enough to give.
In preparation for a formal Zen jukai ceremony on August 9, 2026, I have been studying and practicing sixteen precepts. The essence of the 8th Grave Precept is “Do not be stingy” or “Do not be withholding.” I prefer to phrase the precept affirmatively: “Be generous.”
The Buddha taught, “If you knew what I do about the power of giving, you would not let a single meal go by without taking the opportunity to give.” On Zen sesshins or retreats, practitioners recite an ancient meal chant before both breakfast and lunch. The chant begins like this: “First seventy-two labors brought us this food. We should know how it comes to us. Second, we must be free from greed. All those of the spiritual worlds now I give you this offering. This food will pervade everywhere.” Basically, the food that nourishes anyone on the dharma path is for the benefit of all beings.
The smallest gesture of kindness can express generosity. When I walk through an airport, I smile at each person I pass, including workers who are emptying trash or sweeping floors. The last time I was in a women’s restroom at La Guardia Airport, I thanked a Latino woman who was cleaning the sinks. Her tense, tired facial expression relaxed, and she gave me a beautiful smile of gratitude for acknowledging her efforts. Both of us benefited from our simple kindly exchange.
Can we be prepared to be of help spontaneously? Sometimes I hold a door for someone who is carrying a load or fetch a tennis ball for a player who hit it outside the neighborhood tennis courts. It can be fun to surprise people with unexpected generous impulses. Mark and I have started an anonymous organization called the Neighborhood Beautification Committee or “NBC.” We pick up litter along our dog walks and give nods of approval for yards that are particularly well tended.
On the other hand, I find that giving others an opportunity to be generous is often welcomed. As I board a plane, I select a nearby muscular-looking young man or woman to request assistance with lifting my carry-on suitcase into the overhead bin. Rarely does anyone turn down my request, and most of my helpers are pleased to show off their physical fitness.
My Zen teacher Koshin’s husband, Chodo, says that an impoverished mind thinks, “I don’t have enough. I’m not worthy.” When we see ourselves through a lens of generosity, we are empowered to give to others. Instead of complaining about what is lacking, we can gratefully consider what we have as sufficient.”
According to Buddhist cosmology, Indra’s net covers the entire universe. At each intersection of threads is a shining jewel. We are all interconnected and do not have to act as if we are in separate domains. Internally our hearts all receive and give blood, and our lungs receive oxygen, while giving carbon dioxide.
Ann Frank wrote in her diary, “No one has ever become poor by giving.” The Buddhist paramita of dana conveys the spirit of generosity. As Koshin says, “Give your attention generously. Offer others your eyes and ears. Rest in the circularity of life’s give and take.”
When I am volunteering as a chaplain at the bedside of a hospice patient, I focus on observing and listening from the heart, sensing what is needed in that moment. My service dog Amanda accompanies me and seems to sense when a patient wants a furry companion to pet. Last week at Omega House, I commiserated with an elderly resident who was complaining about confusion and depression in the aftermath of a stroke. Suddenly he invited Amanda to jump into his easy chair for a comforting cuddle. As my soft white dog sat on his lap, he relaxed and smiled, thanking us both for our visit.
Can we move beyond transactional interactions—giving to get something—and learn to flow with life? If you ask someone, “How are you?” can you pause to listen carefully to the response?
Rumi, the famous Sufi poet, created a poem called “Dervish at the Door.”
A dervish knocked on the door of a house
To ask for a piece of dried bread—
Or moist. It didn’t matter.
“This is not a bakery,” said the owner.
“Might you have a bit of gristle then?”
“Does this look like a butcher shop to you?
A little flour then?”
“Do you hear a grindstone?”
Some water?”
“Does this look like a well?”
Whatever the dervish asked for, the man made some tired joke
And refused to give him anything.
Finally, the dervish ran inside the house,
Lifted up his robe and squatted as though to take a shit.
“Hey, hey!” cried the man.
“Quiet, you sad man.
A deserted space is a fine place to relieve oneself.
Since there is not a living thing here or means of living,
It needs a lot of fertilizing.”
The dervish began his own list of questions and answers.
“What kind of bird are you?
Not a falcon trained for the royal hand,
Not a peacock, painted with everyone’s eyes,
Not a parrot that talks for sugar cubes.
Not a nightingale that sings like someone in love,
Not a hopo, bringing messages to Solomon,
Or a stork that builds on the cliff side.
What exactly do you do?
You are no known species.
You haggle and make jokes to keep your own just for yourself.
You have forgotten the one
Who doesn’t care about ownership,
Who doesn’t try to turn a profit
From every human exchange.”
This is your life. Participate in it fully. Now is what you have been waiting for.
We learn and practice the precepts so that we can give their high ethical standards freely.
*SMALL GROUPS:
How do you withhold and how do you express generosity?
What is the impact on your body and heart from withholding?
How is your body and heart affected by giving generously?
