Most of us have been taught that giving is a good thing to do, but we don’t often reflect on what it is and why it is such a fundamental teaching in so many religions. The Buddha, for example, declared the practice of generosity as fundamental to the spiritual path and said that giving is the way to Nirvana. Let’s explore the practice of generosity and its significance in our lives.

Michãel Palmer has been a seamstress, amateur boxer, researcher, and crisis counselor. She continues to be a printmaker, Zen student, chronic volunteer at local nonprofits, and (with her partner) parent to two children and multiple pets. She is the general manager at the Bozeman Dharma Center, teaches Intro to Psychology at the Bozeman Field School, and recently ordained as a priest in the Soto Zen tradition.