Summary: Episode Description: In this talk, Matthew Kozan Palevsky discusses the perfection of generosity, Dana Paramita, which includes three kinds of giving: material things, goodness, and fearlessness. Kozan begins with a story from the Jataka Tales, a body of literature from ancient India on the previous lives of Gautama Buddha. The story describes a young prince who takes pity on a starving tigress and her cubs and consequently decides to sacrifice his life so that she and her cubs may survive. The metaphorical story underscores the role of Dana Paramita in the spiritual path of a Bodhisattva, and raises some interesting notions about what it means to give in a whole-hearted, joyful way. After a brief discussion with the audience, Kozan continues to talk about different forms of generosity as well as more contemporary ideas such as Norman Fischer’s conception of Dana Prajna Paramita as a kind of justice rather than a form of charity. This idea of justice emphasizes the natural flow to generosity, and it asserts that our job is merely to stop occluding this natural flow. Kozan finishes with a story of being with his father in the ICU near the time of his passing, where his father gave the silent gift of Dana Paramita to Kozan and his mother through a presence of fearless joy.<br> <br>
