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TEACHINGS | EASTERN HORIZON 17

What are these things? Before Boston, where she hadn’t been able anxiety, and amygdala activation.
giving, the mind of the giver is to find the fruit. The taste of this The biological implications are
happy. While giving, the mind of the one persimmon was precious to her, startling, if not downright baffling—
giver is made peaceful. After having reconnecting her with memories of it would seem that humans, at least
given, the mind of the giver is her parents and grandparents the at certain times, are biologically
uplifted.” Before, during, and after! way only our senses of taste and “wired” to put others’ needs before
smell are able, as if magically. Only their own, a reality somewhat at
Here’s an example of my own: I then did the impact of this tiny act odds with our common assumption
love persimmons. They make me of generosity dawn on me. I am that self-interest drives survival.
happy. The sweet, bright orange moved by it to this day, so much so
fruit, whose name in Farsi is literally that the taste of the persimmon I Scientific studies only confirm
translated as “date–plum,” was the never ate gives me more joy than all what we can already know by
harbinger of autumn in Iran, where the ones I have eaten, combined. paying attention to our own minds
I grew up; persimmons can’t grow and bodies—both, after all, are
just anywhere, but they do grow in My experience is not unique, nor investigations into experience
California, where I now reside. A is the notion of generosity as a and reality. As the Buddha said,
few years ago, preparing to travel source of joy for the giver unique “Practitioners, if people knew, as I
from San Francisco to Boston, I to Buddhism or its teachings. In know, the fruits of sharing gifts, they
packed two persimmons, one of the West, research has shown would not enjoy their use without
which I ate in the flight departure that acts of generosity for others sharing them, nor would the taint
lounge, waiting to board the plane. make us happier than treating of stinginess obsess the heart. Even
A lady came up and asked from ourselves. A 2008 study by Harvard if it were their last bit, their last
which store in the airport the Business School professor Michael morsel of food, they would not enjoy
fruit was purchased. She looked Norton and colleagues found that its use without sharing it if there
a bit disappointed hearing that despite participants’ predictions was someone else to share it with”
it couldn’t be procured from any to the contrary, giving money to (Itivuttaka 18).
airport vendor and returned to her someone else increased their own
seat on the other end of the lounge. happiness more than spending it The Inner Dimensions of Dana
I thought to myself, I can give the on themselves.
When you hear the word dana,
second persimmon away. When I
what is the first image or thought
offered her the fruit, she at first Likewise, in a 2006 study with
that comes to your mind? Maybe
demurred, but when I insisted, she the National Institutes of Health,
it is giving an object—money,
was visibly glad and appreciatively neuroscientists Jorge Moll and
food, a present—to someone.
accepted. I went back to my corner Jordan Grafman discovered
But the external manifestation of
of the lounge, happy to have made that giving to charities activates
giving—money, persimmons, time,
someone else happy, and that, as far regions of the brain associated
affection—is only part of cultivating
as I was concerned, was the end of with pleasure, social connection,
generosity. As important as this
the story. and trust, creating a “warm glow”
aspect of generosity is for our
effect. Altruistic behavior releases
personal development, as well as the
Sometime during the flight, the lady endorphins, producing the positive
impact it has on communities and
caught up with me in the aisle to feeling known as the “helper’s high.”
society, let us not limit ourselves to
thank me again for the persimmon. Studies on “targeted generosity,”
it alone. As any practitioner knows,
She shared that she had grown where the giver knows the receiver,
there’s always more to it.
up in Japan, where there was a suggest additional positive impact
persimmon tree in the yard of her in increased social connection and
Another dimension of giving might
childhood home. She now lived in health benefits such as reduced fear,
be better conveyed by the related