As we sat eating our Vesak breakfast, we each placed a portion of our milk rice and beans into an alms bowl. Although each individual contributed only a small portion, coming together as a community, we insured that our monks would be well fed. Later, the members of Wayne State University’s Sri Lankan Student Association practiced dana by providing the food that nourished us at lunch.

As I reflected on my Vesak experience, I considered how deeply the practice of dana /giving applies to transformational experiences within education.

For me, the most transformative experiences have taken place as a result of personal interactions; interactions that involve a spirit of giving in the context of community. As Bikkhu Bodhi explains in his introduction to Dana, “The practice of giving is universally recognized as one of the most basic human virtues, a quality that testifies to the depth of one’s humanity and one’s capacity for self-transcendence.”

The monk who carries his begging bowl from person to person is not fully nourished by any one individual. But because he receives a bit of food from each devotee, his needs are satisfied. As faculty, we each provide some nourishment to our students. Yet, I must remember that students cannot get a well rounded education by only interacting with me. It takes the full community to provide all the nourishment required.

Furthermore, dana involves action on the part of the recipient as well as the giver. Monks take their begging bowls into the community. For transformation to take place in the classroom, students must be prepared to accept the nourishment that is offered; a task that is not as easy as it appears. As Gautama Buddha counseled, monks should neither favor the homes of people who give the best food nor avoid the homes of those who cannot cook.

While I encourage students to seek out the best classes based on their learning styles, they rarely find themselves in a totally ideal environment. For example, a student who desires a great deal of structure finds himself in my classroom where there is an extreme amount of fluidity and flexibility. Or the student who enjoys the type of project driven class I teach finds herself in a classroom where the professor only lectures

I remember taking a class from a terrible professor who consistently modeled the behavior he lectured us to avoid. While the rice he prepared was less than flavorful, I engaged with the material he so poorly offered and learned a great deal. I much preferred the other professor with whom I worked that semester. But both nourished me.

Finally, we must remember that nourishment is not just something that professors provide our students. On Vesak, the Sri Lankan students filled my lunch plate with the food they had prepared and washed my hands before serving me desert. Their decision to practice dana allowed me to fully engage in the Vesak Sil and I benefited from their generosity.

Early last semester, a student began a comment with, “I don’t mean to challenge you, but…” I immediately informed him that I would hope he challenged me; that I look to my students to take an active role in the educational process. If I am not open to being nourished by students, I hinder my intellectual development. Likewise, their transformation is hindered if they are denied the opportunity to contribute to the community.

While I was observing Vesak, my dear friend David Grant Smith was preaching his Good Shepherd Sunday sermon. The Reverend Smith discussed the role of a nurturing community with his congregation by explaining that “As followers of Jesus, we are empowered to use our gifts and resources for the common good. We are called upon to leave behind us any notion that we only need to do whatever is ‘good enough’ to help others with a bare minimum; but rather we are called upon to embrace the idea that when we look at our blessings, gifts and resources, we can declare ‘Good: there’s ENOUGH!’ and then share.”

Approaching the classroom with a spirit of dana, we are able to look around and proclaim, “Good: there’s ENOUGH.” From that ENOUGH, all the members of the community can share our talents. Only then, can transformation take place.

–Steven L. Berg, PhD