I met Workneh, my adopted son, in November of 2009. I traveled to Ethiopia, connecting with 10 other families at the Addis Ababa airport. We would spend the week getting to know our adopted children before heading back to the United States. We would stay in a guest house, next door to Wide Horizons house, an interim home for adopted children and families.
We were given a suggested packing list for our adopted children. Workneh was six years old so the list of supplies for older children consisted of shoes, clothing, books, toys, and a backpack for the plane trip home. They also asked for in kind donations needed for the nurses and children at Horizon House such as clothing, medical supplies, school supplies and toys.
I had a large suitcase that I filled with my clothing and Workneh’s clothing, leaving a small space for donations in kind. I bought small medical supplies like aspirin, Neosporin, and toys for the children.
When I arrived at the airport in Addis Ababa, the ten other families and I met in the parking lot with our luggage. We would travel in a van to Wide Horizon House. I noticed that many of them had their own luggage plus one or two large trunks filled with in kind donations.
I remember standing there feeling a combination of foolish and liberated. I thought they actually bought luggage specifically for the donations. Why didn’t I think of that? I only thought of stuffing things into my already full luggage and it never occurred to me to bring extra luggage. The staff at Wide Horizon House took all of our donations, large or small, with open hearts.
In yogic philosophy. Chitta is the sanskrit word for mind. Chitta can be focused anywhere, in any location, and sustained in a single location. It can be small and petty or vast and boundless. It can be focused anywhere and in any location. We are bound by greed, hatred and delusion and one antidote for this is to practice generosity. The Buddha described three types of generosity.
Gift of material wealth or resources, give what you have
Gift of fearlessness, when others are afraid, you offer bravery, show people they need not be afraid by your own fearlessness
Gift of the spiritual teachings, offered to all for liberation from suffering
In practicing generosity, we experience our boundless capacity to give and realize we are only bound by the tightness of our minds.