At Mid America Dharma retreats, none of the registration fees go to the teachers for their work in offering the teachings. Registration fees cover food, rental, transportation, and other expenses. Any money left over is used to support Dhamma activities such as our retreat scholarship fund. Our teachers receive financial support for their work only by a separate donation from individual retreatants. Donations are usually offered near the last day of the retreat. In our practice tradition this is known as dana.

Dana (the first “a” has a long “ah” sound) is a word in the Pali language. It means generosity. For over 2500 years these teachings have been offered in a spirit of generosity. Dana makes the teachings available to all who want to hear and practice without putting a price on them. The tradition of dana also expresses the interdependence of those who teach and those who receive the teaching. Teachers have relied solely on the generosity of students in order to freely offer the teachings.

To allow the teachers to continue their Dhamma work, support from students is needed. There is no expected amount and dana is totally voluntary. We encourage you to support the teacher and the continued sharing of the Dhamma by giving to the extent you are able and comfortable.

Dana is not just a donation. It is a practice of generosity. We encourage you to experience the good feeling that comes with cultivating and expressing generosity.

We appreciate your generosity and are very grateful for any support you offer our teachers. When you register for and attend a retreat you will be given instructions as to how to donate directly to the teacher. We and the teachers thank you for your generosity.