Recently I attended an online retreat that was offered on a dana basis. This meant that there was no registration fee and I was free to offer whatever amount I wanted to or was able to towards the cost of the retreat. I could even attend the retreat at no cost. This was different from other retreats I had attended where there was a fee to be paid at the time of registration. Many times these fees were set on a sliding scale basis and I could choose which level to pay, but I needed to pay something or request a scholarship to be able to attend.
I had heard of a dana retreat before, but didn’t know exactly how it worked. When I learned more about it, I wondered what it would be like for Mid America Dharma to offer a retreat like this.
Now from the viewpoint of the President of the Board of Directors of Mid America Dharma, I am concerned with the financial viability of the organization. How would this work? Would we bring in enough money from voluntary donations to cover the cost of a retreat?
I decided to consult with someone in another Dharma organization. This person told me that they could only offer retreats on a dana basis when the retreat was held online. With in person retreats, the costs are more complicated. With no meals, no rooms, no retreat center, no teacher lodging and travel, the costs were much less. And since the costs were lower, voluntary contributions were able to cover them.
Now you might be wondering, what are the costs of an online retreat? Well, we need to maintain the website, and pay our web designer. And then there is the cost of insurance for the organization and the costs of developing the newsletter and the PR for the retreats and classes. And there is the Zoom account. There are also other miscellaneous expenses I am leaving out. So even though all the board members and retreat managers serve on a totally voluntary basis, there are still costs for an online retreat.
The person from the other Dharma organization told me that they went into offering online retreats on a dana basis with hearts open, not knowing if their costs would be covered. What they did know was that the Dharma was being shared all over the world. They have made enough to cover their costs and continue to offer online retreats on a dana basis.
This is what dana is all about. Giving on a voluntary basis, so that the teachings can continue to be shared.
Maybe this is also a benefit of the pandemic. Without the pandemic, would we even be considering online retreats?
The following is from an article by Gil Fronsdal which appears on the website of the Insight Retreat Center in Santa Cruz, CA
“…we offer our…retreats freely at no cost to anyone who participates. We do so because we believe Buddhist practice unfolds best in a field of generosity, gratitude, and goodwill. We also believe the freely given aspect of retreats exemplifies the remarkable inner freedom that Buddhism champions. By demonstrating an alternative to the dominant materialism and acquisitiveness of our culture, we hope these retreats inspire open-heartedness and open-handedness.
When we offer a retreat we think of it as offering a gift to those who attend. This is one reason we use dana, the Buddhist word meaning “gift”, when we describe our retreats as dana retreats. The other reason we use dana to refer to our retreats is because all the support that allows us to put on a retreat has come as gifts. Dana Retreats are both gifts and gifted.
In offering retreats freely we are happy that it removes a financial obstacle for some people. It frees us…from…administer[ing] scholarships and eliminates, for many people, the awkwardness of asking for a scholarship.
Retreatants are neither required to donate nor are there any dollar amounts suggested. But when they do make a donation their generosity is what allows others to participate in upcoming retreats. When people give knowing others will benefit, their giving can be a source of joy. Giving benefits the giver.
While the clarity of knowing a set cost can have advantages, it doesn’t allow people to experience the joy of being generous. When people pay for something there is often a belief that they deserve something in return, an attitude that can get in the way of the personal work meditation requires. Because people don’t pay for our retreats, people are less likely to assign responsibility to others. Instead, people are more likely to feel gratitude…Gratitude, in turn, can help people relax and trust, qualities that support meditation practice, and inspire people to do the inner work that meditation is about. Gratitude benefits the grateful.”
To me, this says it all so well. Please look forward to seeing some retreats and classes offered by Mid America Dharma on a dana basis.
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