The following talk was given at the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California.

Please visit our website at audioderma.org. So welcome to this third talk of a series title to transform the world.

And may it be that the way we walk through this world

contributes to it becoming a better world and one of those transformative steps that I think

somewhere in all cultures, all religions emphasize the value of generosity of giving.

And a marvelous Jataka tale, kind of a vable, Buddhist fable,

involves a little parrot and in the forest that the parrots lives in there starts a

gigantic forest fire and the animals run from the fire but they run

towards this huge body of water a lake where they can't swim. And so they become trapped between the, they're going to

be trapped between the fire and the water. And the parrot of course can fly but

sees all this and says something has to be done.

And so the parrot flies into the water to wet its wings and then over this gigantic forest fire it flies above it and

Shakes its wings to the drops fall on the fire and the and so the and over and over and over and over again this parrot went and ripped these drops on the fire.

And so this was a great act of generosity, of compassion, of care, that had such a

cosmic effect that it warmed the throne of the great God Brahma.

And the kind of is great God Brahma,

who is doing this wonderful act that should warm my throne?

So Brahma turned himself into an eagle and flew down to sea and found this parrot over and over again sprinkling water on the huge fire.

And as an eagle Brahma said, what are you doing?

And the parrots are trying to put out the fire

to save all these animals in the forest.

And the eagle said, isn't that ridiculous?

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