Generosity (dāna)
Part of key topic Foundations of Dhamma Practice
Includes tags: Generosity, Recollection/Generosity



Metta Retreat, Session 5 – Sep. 13, 2008

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2. “Would you explain the duties adult children have towards ageing parents and the duties of parents towards their children as taught by the Buddha?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Family] [Parents ] [Ageing] [Children ] // [Health care] [Culture/Asia]

Sutta: AN 2.33: The greatest gifts to one’s parents. [Virtue] [Generosity] [Right View]


The Gradual Training, Session 2 – Oct. 20, 2012

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9. “Can you speak more about the impermanence of goodness?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Impermanence] [Virtue] [Gradual Teaching] // [Conditionality] [Happiness] [Compassion] [Fear] [Suffering] [Clinging]

Sutta: AN 8.39: Five great gifts which give freedom from fear. [Generosity] [Five Precepts]

Quote: “The basis of Right View is knowing that this cup is a broken glass.” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah] [Right View]


Death and Dying, Session 1 – May. 9, 2014

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8. “What is Jeta’s Grove?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Buddha/Biography] [Death] // [Great disciples] [Ajahn Sucitto]

Vinaya: Anāthapiṇḍika purchases Jeta’s Grove (Khandhaka 16.4.8). [Generosity]


2014 Thanksgiving Monastic Retreat, Session 1 – Nov. 22, 2014

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1. “In what cases, if any, is it useful to try to assess whether stream entry has occurred? Or is this question best left aside?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Stream entry] // [Proliferation]

Sutta: AN 3.12: The place where one attains stream entry is never forgotten.

Suttas: SN 55.1, SN 55.42: Stream entry described in terms of faith in the Three Refuges, virtue, and generosity. [Three Refuges] [Faith] [Virtue] [Generosity]


Tea Time Q&A with Ajahn Pasanno – May. 16, 2021

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1. “You have so much community-building experience. Can you talk about what you have found challenging or effective in this? How did Ajahn Chah build community?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Community] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Ajahn Chah] // [Saṅgha] [Practicing in accordance with Dhamma] [Virtue] [Trust] [Communal harmony] [Compassion] [Culture/Thailand] [Ajahn Chah lineage] [Recollection/Saṅgha] [Sequence of training] [Wat Pah Nanachat] [Abhayagiri] [Eightfold Path] [Learning]

Sutta: MN 48: Kosambiya Sutta [Principles of Cordiality] [Goodwill] [Generosity] [Right View]

Story: Ajahn Pasanno pays respects to Ajahn Chah: “If you want to stay here, you have to stay at least five years.”

Quote: “The whole path of the Buddha is a path of learning, of education.”


Readings from The Island, Session 50 – Mar. 20, 2025

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11. “I’m curious about the timeline when the Buddha established the Five Precepts for householders.” Answered by Ajahn Amaro. [Buddha/Biography] [Five Precepts] [Lay life] // [Vinaya]

Vinaya: Mahāvagga 2.1: The Buddha establishes the Uposatha observance for the Saṅgha. [Lunar observance days] [Saṅgha]

Sutta: AN 8.41: Observing the Eight Precepts on Uposatha days. [Eight Precepts]

Sutta: AN 8.39: The eight streams of merit. [Merit] [Three Refuges] [Generosity]

Follow-up: “Did the ritual of requesting the Five Precepts originate in the time of the Buddha?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro and Ajahn Pasanno. [Ceremony/ritual] [Culture/Thailand] [Tipiṭaka]