Dana

The Practice of Generosity

 

Dana is the traditional term used to describe donations made to the Zen community. Dana allows each of us to take responsibility for what we receive through our practice, and help to offer it to others.

 

Students are asked to contribute monthly dana, as noted below. Participation in such things as retreats, Dharma Assemblies, kata classes and meals call for a dana contribution. Suggested dana levels are set by the Administrative Council, with the approval of the Practice Council.

 

                    Suggested Monthly Dana

Practice Interviews-Preliminary students:   $10 per interview
Associate students $80 per month
General students $100 per month
Associate public students

$40 per month

General public students $70 per month
Formal students $125 per month

 

                               Other Dana

Retreats $40 per day/$30 partial day
Sesshin $35 per day
Dharma Assemblies $40
Yaza/Joya $25
Meals $7 breakfast/ $10 lunch/ $10 dinner
Temple Dana $108 (offered upon acceptance as a general student, general public student, or formal student)

 

 

Dana Contributions: Pre-authorized Remittance:

Pre-authorized remittance is the preferred means of contribution as there are benefits to both students and White Wind Zen Community. You will have the assurance of knowing exactly when your dana contribution will be withdrawn from your account (the 20th or 21st of every month), and will no longer have to wonder whether your supply of post-dated cheques has run out. The monastery relies on dana and residents fees to just meet expenses in excess of $11,000 per month, and the regularity of pre-authorized remittance ensures there will be funds available when needed and significantly reduces the bookkeeping samu related to processing dana.
      You can make your regular dana contributions through pre-authorized remittance (automatic monthly debit from your bank account of a pre-determined amount), thanks to a low-cost program run nation-wide by the United Church of Canada.
      For the monastery, contributions by pre-authorized remittance will provide a steady cash flow and will considerably decrease the bookkeeping samu related to processing dana.
      Signing up requires only filling out a form and providing a voided cheque, and of course you are able to cancel at any time. Please contact Mishin tando, Treasurer at mishin@trytel.com for more information or to enroll.

Cheques:

Please make cheques for dana contributions payable to "White Wind Zen Community". Post-dated cheques are preferable as they simplify book keeping procedures.

 

Please direct information about the amount that you will be contributing, or any questions about dana, to the Office of the Treasurer at dana@wwzc.org. White Wind Zen Community operates financially on a very narrow margin of cash each month, and the suggested level is what will be assumed.

 

Financial Hardship

If you are experiencing severe financial hardship and so are unable to offer the suggested amount of dana, it is appropriate to offer a regular samu contribution of 8-10 hours per month. Please contact Saigyo chiden at saigyo@telecomottawa.net to make arrangements for this.

 

We do ask you to remember that dana provides over half of the revenue needed to cover monthly expenses for White Wind Zen Community. Your contributions provide a significant proportion of the financial means to support this practice environment, undertake the necessary repairs and renovations to this heritage property, and pay the mortgage.

 

Traditionally, it is the contributions of lay students that support the work of monastics to make this practice available to students. To date, however, this has not been the case in White Wind Zen Community and monastics have paid for much of the Community's expenses, undertaking paid employment in addition to significant samu (Caretaking) work.

 

Monastics each offer countless hours a year without remuneration to the Community in order to support the practice of students like yourself. This work includes presenting teisho and Dharma Talks; meeting students in daisan and practice interviews; offering Introductory Workshops; email correspondence with students and face-to-face meetings with those in preliminary stages of practice; making the Teachings available through copying teisho tapes and CDs, transcription, re-mastering deteriorated teisho tapes and tape mailings to public students; producing the weekly newsletter, the "eMirror" and maintaining, updating and upgrading the WWZC Web Site and Sound Archives Site.

 

None of this is possible without your financial support.

 

Thank you for your generosity.

 

May all beings be happy

May they be peaceful

May they be free.