Generosity and the Powa Retreat
Generosity
Once while still a boy, my father told me to have caught his father ill advised, near his death, contemplating the palm of his hand in meditation, sitting in his old armchair. And put him a question: “What are you thinking, father? — I am thinking about generosity, of all virtues, the most difficult to be practice”. Some time later, he passed away.
Today, as a Buddhist, I have just finished attending, an unprecedented POWA retreat at Khadro Ling, where I learned so much of the dying process in relation to our practices of life, listening to beautiful teachings of Khandrol-la, our Vajra Master (Pure generosity !!!).
Chagdud Khadro at Dechhen Ling. Photographer: Ann Goddard
And then during those days I was able to contemplate that we must also never forget to be generous with ourselves while we work diligently to extend our generosity to others, altruistically, even at the time of our death.
And today, at day-break, following my early morning meditation, I read a passage of a great master that touches in a special way what I learned in my retreat and in my childhood.
“Never forget to be generous to yourself while you’re working so hard to extend yourself to others“. Dzochen Ponlop in “Rebel Buddha”, pg 128. Shambala, 2010.
