We all tend to do things that are selfish and destructive, even persons walking a mindful path of awareness can get tripped up by desire. The current economic and political systems we’ve created reward those who are self-interested, trying to ‘better themselves’.

2020’s Covid-19 fallout has rocked the planet. Many people in positions of power have seen their wealth explode. We’ve witnessed panic buying, isolation and division, and disagreement over how we should be behaving.

The system is stretching its far-reaching tentacles - some media, marketing and advertising messaging designed to create feelings of separation and lack, intended to create consumers who driven by misery and loneliness seek satisfaction through buying things.

But we can resist. Though competition is rife and encouraged, though it drives much of our ideology, we can opt-out. We can take actions that benefit others, rather than seeing everyone else as a rival. We can care.

We get caught up in self-importance, self-protection and self-consciousness because of the stress we face from grasping. We generally grasp in four ways; when we don’t get what we want, when we get what we don’t want, when we try to protect what we have and we lose what we loved.

Generosity is the antidote to the tendency to grasp, it is the essence of letting go. When we can renounce and let go our ability to give generously will grow immeasurably.

In Tibetan Buddhism generosity, Dana, is the first in a series of six paramitas or ‘perfections’. The word paramita can be translated as ‘crossing over to the other shore’. Through developing these noble qualities we travel from a shore of suffering, through misunderstanding, attachment and aversion, to a shore where we are liberated from this suffering, able to mindfully understand and be aware.

The Buddha’s first training was the practice of giving. Practising generosity is the most basic way to experience freedom. Happiness, stability and ease grow through generous acts.

Think for a moment about a time in which you were generous - how did you feel? Now consider a moment when you tried to protect or serve yourself - how was that experience?

While some are building walls and trying to protect what they have, or make gains, others are doing a great deal of good with creative initiatives that benefit those in real need.

Our smallest actions can make the biggest difference.

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