The Six Paramitas - Generosity

Venerable Ani Lodro Palmo

On the March 8 of International Women's Day, at RKLA's first Buddha's Wisdom Retreat, many of us met our guest speaker, Venerable Ani Lodro, Director of Vajra Vidya Monastery & Retreat Center in Colorado. With a profound sense of gratitude, I would like to invite you all to grow the joy of learning from that day by practicing one of the Buddha's essential teachings she taught us: The Six Paramitas. Let us practice them in a way that helps us get through each week with greater wisdom and compassion. Starting today, for the next 6 days I will send you a blog post each day, exploring each of the Six Paramitas: 1) generosity, 2) ethical discipline, 3) patience, 4) diligence, 5) meditative concentration, and 6) wisdom. This week, we will learn them according to Ani's book The End of Suffering: Finding Love, Self-Compassion, and Awakening in a Chaotic World. Next week, starting Monday, we will learn the same teaching again according to Buddhism for Today, by the founder of Rissho Kosei-kai, Nikkyo Niwano. I hope these two weeks of learning will contribute to the end of suffering and unfolding of buddha-nature for everyone who practices with us. Please download a weekly practice sheet, print it out, and make it your own dharma journal. I will print copies and place them at RKLA entrance for you to pick up and share with your friends and family.

1. Generosity

The first of the Six Paramitas is "generosity." The word paramita means "perfection" in the sense of cultivating one's inherent virtue. Cultivation means that you yourself must nurture your virtue through your own practice. In Ani's book, I find many eye-opening insights. She writes that each of the Six Paramitas is "an antidote to specific dysfunctional states of mind; when applied sincerely, they offer healing not only for ourselves but for those we interact with in our relationships and vocations. (105)" I have been reading Buddhist books for more than 20 years, but rarely have I seen this practice framed so clearly as healing. I found this perspective both profound and meaningful. On pages 106-107, she explains that generosity "directly opposes the clinging self." She continues, "In psychological terms, generosity challenges the scarcity complex, a state often rooted in trauma, neglect, or intergenerational fear. (106)" It helps us to cope with "unconscious fear that 'there won't be enough' of love, resources, safety, or time. (106)" The generosity practice includes this merit: "When we engage in acts of kindness or service, we are often less focused on our suffering, creating shifts in perception that can alleviate our negativity and symptoms like anxiety and depression. Generosity not only benefits ths recipients but also nurtures the giver's mental well-being. (107)"

Her words helps me to see that Buddhist practice of "generosity" means giving out of joy & gratitude. My generosity practice for today is to spend time with my children and my wife Emily after 5PM. I have been having difficulty cherishing moments with them simply because I am often not at home. I spend most of my day in my office, in meetings, or learning in classes. In my practice today, I will try my best to give my full presence and accept my kids' various requests that often catch me off guard. If they want to play soccer with me, I will do it even if I am tired. If they want to go hiking, I will take them. If they want to go to In-N-Out Burger, I will take them despite my financial concerns. I tend to be a strict father. Accepting their spontaneous requests once in a while may open up a doorway to my own growth and awakening including my whole family. As the Lotus Sutra teaches, everyone around you is a bodhisattva for you. I will see how it goes. I will let the world express itself, and I explore it. What generosity practice would you offer today? After your practice, write down how your act of kindness made you feel in the practice sheet below.

The Six Paramita Practice Sheet

Six Paramita Journal (2026).pdf

Download PDF • 67KB

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p.s. Sandra, our leader, thank you for putting everything together!, and RKLA board to have approved this retreat idea.

Wondrously,

Kyohei