Generosity And Kindness As The Foundational Practices For Spiritual Development

[Erlend K]

Kindness and generosity has always been a fundamental part of most major spiritual tradition. The practice of these qualities has been strongly advocated by most of the wisest and most enlightent people of every culture on every continent through the ages. The centrality of these practices is one of the few examples we have of truly universal wisdom.

For instance, when the Buddha was asked by beginners which practice to focus on, his typical answer was the practice of generosity.

However for many modern, western practices this aspect of the spiritual journey seems to be neglected or downplayed in favor of the technical, introspective practices. This leaves many with a mechanical, soulless, self-focused "spiritual" practice. I think many listeners would benefit from an explanation of the indespencable role generosity and kindness plays in any serious spiritual path, and practical advices for how to cultivate these qualities.