Three weeks ago I wrote about the Second Mindfulness Training, today I would like to continue to comment upon it.

"Aware of the suffering caused by exploitation, social injustice, stealing, and oppression, I am committed to cultivating loving kindness and learning ways to work for the well-being of people, animals, plants, and minerals. I will practice generosity by sharing my time, energy, and material resources with those who are in real need. I am determined not to steal and not to possess anything that should belong to others. I will respect the property of others, but I will prevent other from profiting from human suffering or the suffering of other species on Earth." This is the Second Mindfulness Training - what a wonderful precept to try to live by!

When we practice generosity, we are actually practising refraining from stealing. This week I am going to make a suggestion that for the next seven days we all act upon every single thought of generosity that comes into our hearts and minds.

The Second Mindfulness Training asks us not to steal, so instead of stealing we practice generosity. Not to take what is not ours. We need to look at our greediness and see that we do not take too much. To live we need animals, plants and insects for we all live in this world all sharing its wonderful resources.

If we didn't have bees to pollinate our crops for us, we wouldn't live. If we didn't have earthworms aerating our soil, we couldn't grow our crops. If we learn to love nature around us, we can be content with whatever we have or whatever we do.

To cultivate generosity towards all living things is a way of living a spiritual life. However, we have to remember to practice generosity. Sometimes we forget to be generous. The Buddha said, "I would not let a single meal pass without sharing it in some way". Christ said, "Give and you shall receive"

There are three kinds of giving and I encourage everyone to develop generosity at whatever level comes into your hearts. The first is tentative giving, maybe of some material resource. We take an object and say to ourselves that we probably do not have any use for it.

We think, maybe I will give it away. This creates joy for our self and helps another being. It is about sharing and connection. The next level is friendly giving, or helping others to rely upon themselves. We think, it is a pleasure to share what I have and I am enjoying it as I do it. It is about sharing our time, our knowledge, our energies and the material things we have. We do not need a lot of possessions to be happy. It is the relationships in our lives that determine our happiness or misery.

Joy arises in the heart only in relationships. The third level of giving is queenly or kingly giving, or the gift of non-fear. It is again our time and energy, or an object that is the best we possess, and we give it to someone happily and hope that they will enjoy it. Folk are afraid of many things; we are insecure, fearful of being alone, fearful of sickness and dying. To help others with these fears is to practice the third kind of gift giving.

The second Mindfulness Training is a very deep wonderful practice. It is about time, energy and material resources. Time is for being with others, being with someone who is sick or dying, or suffering in some other way. We all suffer daily in many small ways. Truly being with a person for only five minutes is a true gift - it can involve a lot of deep listening. Time is not only to make money; it is to give of ourselves deeply and to share all we have with others.

As we practice generosity - giving more of our time, energies, goods, money - not just to please our self-image or an external authority, but just because we want to, we will find that we become more peaceful and content. We do not have to give everything away - remember to always first to be compassionate and kind to your self. However, this kind of open kindness and generosity is very special. In giving of ourselves, we receive far more in return.

The Mindfulness Practice Community of Bermuda meets every Sunday evening at 5.14 p.m. at 71 Victoria Street (at Union) for one and a half hours. All are welcome. Call 236-4988 or e-mail iamhomeibl.bm.