Giving as Practice: A Reflection from David Green
David Green is a longtime BCBS practitioner, having attended more than 40 retreats since 2016. A former BCBS board member, he has been deeply engaged in both the practice and the community for many years. Here, he reflects on generosity and what inspires him to give.
My name is David Green. I live in Providence, Rhode Island, where I had a law practice for many years until retiring eight years ago.
I donate for a few simple reasons. First, it makes me feel good. It feels good to help others. It also points me towards something bigger than myself. Giving is the opposite of selfishness.
My spiritual path began approximately 20 years ago with mindfulness classes at the UMass Center for Mindfulness. I found the initial course, and the mindfulness courses that followed, very beneficial. But I eventually began to want to know what was behind the mindfulness and where the mindfulness came from.
Over the years I attended courses at a variety of retreat centers and city centers in the US. Oddly enough BCBS was the last one where I attended a retreat although it was the geographically closest to me. I was not consciously looking for a spiritual home, but I found one at BCBS when I was first there around 10 years ago. I continue to attend programs there both in person or online. I also participate in the Daily Sit sangha.
So why do I donate to BCBS? It is a unique retreat center. It offers both study and sitting, and therefore a combination of education and practice. My questioning mind was curious as to topics such as the history of Buddhism, the different traditions, forms of practice, and explanations of the key teachings of the Buddha’s dharma.
If you have been to BCBS you know how special it is. Small class sizes, loving and supportive staff, lovely accommodations and farmland, caring teachers, and healthy food! I feel seen and a part of the community when I am there. I expect you feel the same if you have also been there.
Being a donor allows others to also be there. Due to scholarships and financial assistance, financial status is not a barrier to attending programs. Being a small center, I feel my donations actually make a difference.
Generosity allows me to be of service to the retreat center and provides a means to show my appreciation to BCBS for the benefits I have received.
At BCBS, generosity is what makes this work possible.
It allows us to offer financial assistance so that anyone who wishes to study and practice can do so, regardless of financial circumstances. It sustains our teachers, supports our staff, and helps care for this place that so many experience as a spiritual home.
If BCBS has been meaningful in your life, we invite you to join in this practice of generosity.
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