Sunny Side Up: Giving is the gift that keeps on giving

Giving without expecting anything back in return, not even gratitude, is the true spirit of generosity, says the columnist. — 123rf

May 31, 2026, marked Wesak Day for Buddhists, an important festival commemorating the birth, enlightenment, and passing of the Buddha some 2,500 years ago. Buddhists marking the occasion typically visit temples, make offerings, practise meditation and prayer, and take part in symbolic ceremonies. For me, it also became a chance to return to something I’d been reading recently.

The book is Stillness Flowing (2018), a biography of Thai Buddhist master Ajahn (Thai for teacher or master) Chah, written by Ajahn Jayasaro, an English monk ordained by Ajahn Chah in 1980. On Wesak Day, I spent some time reading passages on giving, especially the idea that generosity isn’t only about the act itself, but also about the state of mind behind it.