Tijs Breuer offers part of his work based on Daña. He often offers meditations, pensions and some treatments on the basis of a voluntary contribution. You may wonder why he does this. This happens in the Buddhist tradition of Damages. Damages is a Pali word that means 'generosity of heart' or 'release' means. It plays a central role in the history of Buddhism.
In our contemporary Western culture, many Buddhist meditation teachers still honor the traditional form of teaching. They depend for part of their income on the generosity of participants. One of the reasons is that the Dhamma, the teachings of the Buddha, cannot be expressed in money because its added value to your life can be priceless.
For example, in a retreat, both the facilitator and the participants are invited to practice generosity. The one who organizes the retreat does this unconditionally, without any particular expectation.
Titus Breuer: “Besides the meditations and retreats, I also sometimes work in individual sessions or trajectories based on Daña. This creates an equal starting position, in which you have the feeling that you are with a sparring partner instead of with a therapist or service provider. Afterwards, the other person shares what he or she has benefited from it and decides for himself what he or she wants to donate. Incidentally, VAT and income tax are also levied on donations.”
Damages is not a fee for the services rendered, but a gift from the heart. You give out of respect for the time the teacher has set aside for you and as a contribution to his livelihood. When a participant or client donates money to support the livelihood of his counselor, it is considered a genuine form of spiritual practice. The attendant humbly accepts any amount offered to him.
Often a guideline amount is mentioned and sometimes a minimum basic fee is requested to cover the costs of renting the space, facilities, management costs and food.
In the Buddhist teachings, . is hurts one of the most important exercises from the heart. It is also the first of the ten character traits that Buddha recommends to his students to reduce suffering and increase zest for life. The generosity and letting go of the "give a little, take a little"mentality can help both the giver and the receiver to develop more loving-kindness and compassion. You experience more interconnectedness and discover that non-attachment can be joyful.
With your voluntary contribution and your generosity enables Tijs to also help and support the less fortunate in their personal development.