Our annual temple bazaar in June is a precious opportunity to practice the teachings of the Buddha. At bazaar time, we may think about putting the Buddha’s teachings on generosity into practice by using our material wealth to purchase food items or donate items for the silent auction or craft boutique. There are also many ways in which we can practice generosity at bazaar without relying on material wealth.
The Buddha’s teachings in The Storehouse of Sundry Valuables describe seven forms of generosity that do not require material wealth: 1. The gift of kind eyes: To see goodness and beauty in all people and not look down on others. 2. The gift of peaceful and joyful facial expressions: To refrain from frowning and making angry faces even in times of difficulty. 3. The gift of kind words: To speak gently to others, refraining from coarse and rude speech. 4. The gift of a kind and helpful body: To reach out with a helping hand for those in need. To show attentive and respectful body language to all people. 5. The gift of a generous heart: To be able to see things from another person’s perspective, sharing in their joys and empathizing with their struggles. 6. The gift of a comfortable seat: To offer the most safe and comfortable seat to a guest, even it means giving up one’s own favored seat. 7. The gift of welcoming hospitality: To warmly welcome all guests, making them feel at home in one’s company.
I have observed all of these forms of generosity at our temple bazaar over the years.
The gift of kind eyes
My first year at the San Mateo Buddhist Temple bazaar I felt I did not know most of the attendees. Seeing an unfamiliar face, I might think “I don’t really have a connection to that person.” However, after ten years serving the temple and building relationships through family services and Sangha activities, I now look around the bazaar and see many familiar faces. I have come to appreciate the truth that I did indeed have a karmic connection with those people I saw during my first year at the bazaar, I just did not realize it at the time. When we see a new face at bazaar, we can offer the gift of kind eyes by thinking “I wonder what kind of connection I might have with that person.”
The gift of peaceful and joyful facial expressions
Seeing all the smiling faces is one of the great joys of our temple bazaar. When attendees see peaceful and joyful expressions on the faces of our volunteers, they too may be moved to contribute a joyful smiling face to the gathering.
The gift of kind words
I believe that one of the reasons that the food we enjoy at bazaar tastes so delicious is that it is often accompanied by joyful conversation with our friends and family. Furthermore, we may find that the pleasant conversations we share while volunteering at the bazaar make long hours of work pass by quickly and comfortably. Listening joyfully in conversation and sharing in thoughtful dialogue is a cherished gift of kind words that we can share during bazaar.
The gift of a kind and helpful body
Each of our volunteers at bazaar contributes according to their unique talents and abilities. Some have the strength to move heavy tables or large pots of cooked rice. Others pass on the construction skills they have honed over years of participating in the set-up for bazaar. Members who are no longer able to work long shifts the way they did in the past, can still offer the precious gift of a kind and helpful body by sitting together with their fellow volunteers and helping out as they are able.
The gift of a generous heart
This gift can be experienced when we recognize that a fellow volunteer is tired out and respond by stepping in to lend a hand, or when we see a child delighting in the bazaar and find inspiration to work to carry on the tradition of bazaar for the next generation.
The gift of a comfortable seat
The comfortable seat that we offer at bazaar is not just a chair to sit on, but a place of genuine welcome that we create for our guests. That seat can be found sitting together reunited with old friends, or perhaps when a first-time visitor finds the place of belonging that they have been seeking.
The gift of welcoming hospitality
I have heard that in the past, members of the Boy Scouts would camp out at the temple to keep an eye on the temple overnight during bazaar. In this way, we can see how the temple has been a spiritual home for our Sangha over the years. It is my sincere hope that by practicing these forms of generosity, we can offer the welcoming hospitality of the Nembutsu to all the attendees at our temple bazaar.
Namo Amida Butsu