Benefits of Dhamma Service

　　- by S. N. Goenka

　　(The following is based on a talk given by Goenkaji for ten-day students at Dharmaśhriṇga, Kathmandu on 15 April 2000.)

　　You have completed a ten-day Vipassana course. But this is not enough. Now you have to learn how to apply it in your day-to-day life. When you go out, you will have to face the world. And whatever equanimity you have learned here, see that you apply it in your life in spite of all the difficult situations. You know, and I also know, that the world is such that it is so difficult to maintain equanimity in life. But this is what you have to learn.

　　For that, one important way is that you learn to apply equanimity in an atmosphere of a Dhamma centre where a course is going on. You can come for some time whenever you are free and give service, ten days of Dhamma service. The atmosphere here is definitely better than the atmosphere outside. Outside, the entire atmosphere is full of negativities. Here, the students who come will also generate negativity time and again. But the atmosphere will not be so strong. You can face it. So first, you learn in a Dhamma centre how to remain equanimous dealing with people who are generating negativity. This is a training ground for you.

　　And moreover, you will not be serving the entire day. Whenever you are free, you have an opportunity to meditate. This is how you will strengthen yourself.

　　Besides this, there are many other benefits of giving Dhamma service. One important benefit is that you will develop your pāramīs. It is only your pāramīs that will take you to the final goal. And you get a good opportunity here while you are serving people to develop your pāramīs.

　　One pāramī you will develop is mettā. Whenever you serve people, naturally you generate mettā for them, love and compassion for them. And that helps you to develop your own pāramī of mettā.

　　Another important pāramī, especially for a householder, is the pāramī of dāna. It is a very important pāramī. When you give dāna of money and of other things required by people in the world, this is good. But here the dāna is the dāna of Dhamma, the greatest dāna in the world.

　　Why is it the greatest

　　 Because the law of nature is such that whatever the seeds you plant the fruit will be exactly according to that and multiplied. When you give food to somebody, then in return when the time ripens, you will get food in bigger quantities.

　　You are now joining a course to give Dhamma. Of course, the teacher gives Dhamma. And it takes time for someone to reach the stage of becoming a full-fledged teacher or even an assistant teacher. But still you can be a partner in this Dhamma service, in this dhamma-dāna.

　　Understand, a teacher cannot give dhamma-dāna unless there are proper facilities. So those people who are helping to construct proper facilities are also partners in giving Dhamma. Similarly, Dhamma cannot be given if the management is not proper. So those who are managing a Dhamma course are also partners in dhamma-dāna. And so also, Dhamma cannot be given unless there are good Dhamma workers to help. So, you are also becoming a partner. And you get the benefit of this.

　　And I know, from my own experience, how much benefit one gets. From the time I finished my first course until I was appointed a full-fledged teacher after fourteen years, I kept going to my teacher and to the centre to give Dhamma service. I benefited immensely.

　　Similarly, the students who give Dhamma service keep on reporting to me that, "By giving one ten-day Dhamma service, I received so much benefit."

　　When you plant the seed of Dhamma and giving the dāna of Dhamma is planting the seed of Dhamma you receive a large quantity of Dhamma in return for yourself. Your Dhamma becomes stronger and stronger. Th…

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