The Buddha emphasized the joy of giving. Dana is not meant to be obligatory or done reluctantly. Rather, dana should be performed when the giver “is delighted before, during, and after giving.”
Gil Fronsdal
Spirit Rock Residential Teacher
Gil Fronsdal has practiced Zen and vipassanā since 1975 and holds a PhD in Buddhist Studies from Stanford. Trained by Jack Kornfield, he is the founder and primary teacher at Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City. A husband and father, he is the author of The Issue at Hand and translator of The Dhammapada, among other notable Buddhist publications.