Our Dana Culture | Sandiṭṭhika Meditation Community

OUR DANA CULTURE

OUR DANA CULTURE

At Sanditthika we believe the Dhamma to be priceless, of incomparable value, and so we refuse to put a price on it. Since the time of the Buddha the teachings have been passed down from one generation to the next with an open hand, and we believe we have an ethical responsibility to continue this tradition. We therefore hold as one of our core values, that we will always be run entirely by your voluntary donations, or dana.

As the growth and continuation of Sanditthika depends entirely on your voluntary support, we offer these commitments to you in return:

We will always be run 100% by dana
We will use all dana to serve the community to the best of our abilities
We will always be 100% transparent about how our dana is spent
We will always offer the teachings with an open hand, free from bias or preferential treatment based on finance
We will live in gratitude, rejoicing for all donors on a daily basis

When offering dana, our wish is that you offer an amount that leaves you feeling a sense of peace and happiness; an amount that honours not only the value of our work, but also your own wellbeing.

By offering dana, not only do you support the Sanditthika community, you also strengthen beautiful qualities of mind such as gratitude, generosity, loving-kindness, renunciation, and wisdom – the very same qualities that we are developing through our meditation practice.

If you have any questions about our dana culture, please do not hesitate to contact us, or take a look at the FAQs below.

FAQs

What are the benefits of offering dana?

Offering dana allows us to continue in our work of providing a community home to dedicated meditators and supporting them on their path to liberation. Offering dana also gives us the opportunity to overcome unskillful habits of mind, such as craving, fear, and pride, whilst cultivating beautiful qualities of mind such as generosity, renunciation, gratitude, and wisdom. These beautiful mind states are the very same qualities of mind that we are cultivating in our meditation practice. They not only bring happiness and wellbeing in the here and now, but also create increased wellbeing for ourselves and others in the future, and create good kamma that can support us on our Dhamma paths even into future lives. Offering dana also strengthens community and connection, as it brings us closer to the truth of our interdependence on one another. In a community built on dana, we live together in abundance, enjoying giving freely of ourselves and receiving according to our needs.

How can I decide how much dana to offer?

When considering how much dana to offer, we would like for you to offer an amount that leaves you feeling peaceful and happy. This means offering neither too much nor too little, taking into account both your value and appreciation for our work as well as the reality of your own financial situation.

Can you tell me how much my time practicingwith you costs?

At the moment, we are not at the stage where we know what daily living costs will be. We’ll update you accordingly as the project progresses.

Is it better to offer a one off donation or a regular donation?

We greatly appreciate all donations made. Regular donations are especially helpful for us as they allow us to plan and budget for the future.

Can I decide how my dana is spent?

If you have a suggestion as to how you would like dana to be spent then we welcome you to contact us with your suggestions for our consideration. However all final decisions on how dana is spent will be made by our Management Team and Resident Teachers with advice from our team of Spiritual Advisors.

Can I offer dana with the condition that it be spent in a specific way?

We cannot accept dana that has been offered with the condition that it be spent for a specific purpose or in a specific way. All dana will be handled in common for the benefit of the community as a whole.

Who decides how my dana is spent?

All financial decisions will be made by our core community of Resident Teachers, Community Managers, and Spiritual Advisors.

Where do I find out how dana has been spent?

Financial transparency is very important to us. We plan to publish a financial report every year. Our first financial report will be prepared in September 2024.

Does my dana affect my chances of joining the Sanditthika core community?

No. Places in our core community will be given to those deemed most fit for the role, following a careful interview and selection process, then a six month trial period. The selection of people for these roles will be made totally independent of any dana that has been offered.

Does my dana improve my chances of being able to join a retreat or stay as a volunteer?

No. Places on our retreats and in our long-term volunteers community will be offered on a lottery basis, totally independent of any dana offered.

As a donor, can I remain anonymous?

Yes. If you wish to remain anonymous please just let us know and we will not display your name or donation in any of our published materials. Spanish regulations require us to keep the names of all donors internally for bookkeeping and anti money laundering purposes, however we will not make this information public.

Can you refund my dana if I change my mind?

Unfortunately, we are not able to offer refunds on dana once it has already been offered.

What benefits do I receive for offering a large amount of dana?

You receive all of the same benefits for offering large amounts of dana as you do for offering any amount of dana. We do not offer any additional preferential treatment to those who offer a larger amount.

Why is some dana held by Sanditthika in separate accounts?

Regrettably, due to financial regulations in the US, any money offered by a US Foundation to a foreign non-profit must be held in a separate account such that accounts can be shown for that money in particular. In order to comply with these regulations, we therefore hold individual accounts for dana offered from US Foundations. However we would like to make it clear that we see this as an unfortunate but necessary accounting practice only. We wish to emphasize that in spirit, all dana is held in common and is used for the benefit of the community as a whole.

How do I offer non-financial gifts?

We love to receive non-financial gifts, and believe that often the greatest gifts that we have to give cannot be reduced to a monetary value. If you would like to offer us your time or skills then please contact us. We take note of all the skills that we have been offered so that we can call on you when those skills are needed. If you would like to offer physical items then please first contact us to check that we have the space and capacity to receive your gifts. We will then advise you how best to proceed with delivering your gifts to us.