We’re grateful to be able to offer our spring 2020 retreat in a full Gift Economy model, with scholarships available for all who need them. More than half of the retreat participants have requested some amount of scholarship support, and it is only through the generosity of the larger community that we are able to fulfill these requests and make practice as accessible as we want it to be.
Any teaching events we produce ourselves are based on a Gift Economy structure, which you can read more about here, and depends completely on the generosity of the community to be sustainable. And when community comes together, it works! The system of giving called dāna has sustained the Buddhist monastic Saṅgha for millenia. We need your help to continue offering teachings in this radically open way, particularly to be able to offer scholarships for retreat practice. Click the link below (or here) to offer your support to students this month, and to build a base of support as we grow into a vibrant community of engaged practitioners.
Gifts from students and community members in 2019 made it possible for us to plan two retreats this year, and continue to build an online resource for dedicated students around the world. Practitioners on every continent except Antarctica (as far as I know) have joined our Tuesday night Satsang livestreams, listened to talks and meditations, and taken the History of Yoga course. It’s been such a pleasure to make connections with dedicated students in all these places, and discuss together the teachings of the Buddha around how to meet our communal moment with wisdom and grace.
Supporting students to attend retreat affordably can be deeply satisfying and an integral part of your own practice. As the Buddha famously says in the Dhammapada, “The gift of dhamma exceeds all other gifts.” (Dhp 354)
We’re now set up to accept both one-time and ongoing monthly gifts, which help tremendously in guaranteeing a base of support through the year. Thank you so much for your practice, and for your generosity that makes teaching in this way possible.
Give the gift of support
