CHARITY

[Guest guest]

Dear Ajit Singhji,

 

Follow the dictates of your grandmother and that of the Gurubani, you cannot go

wrong.

 

God is the giver and He is the taker too, everything in between is nothing but

an illusion. This is the ultimate Truth because there is none other than Him,

------ Advaita Vedanta. Through charity try to realize it. Guru Nanak realized

it while counting when he got stuck at number thirteen (Tera .................

Tera, meaning its all His).

 

God created the poor for two reasons, it works like a double edged sword, one to

exhaust their bad Karmas and secondly for the well off to earn good Karmas for

themselves. Acts of charity are a permanent record which stay with us even after

death until we have the opportunity to enjoy their fruits. One rupee given in

charity goes much farther than a million spent on one's own comforts and the

comforts of one's family.

 

God Bless,

radhakutir

 

 

-

"sardarajitsingh" <the-hermit

<>

30 October, 2003 4:46 PM

Re: why Shri Krishna should be called GOD?

 

 

, but she always said " I give alms for my

> satisfication if the other is not using it for good purpose that is

> not my problem" IS IT THE RIGHT VIEW FOR CHARITY ?

>

> Is charity not an acknowledgement and assertion of our Ego, and

> looking others as inferior to us altogether ?

>

> ajit

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Your use of is subject to

>

>

[Guest guest]

Namaste

 

> Always the giver has an upper hand. It is up to the giver where to

give, whom to give.

 

Respected Dr. Yadu Ji : I beg to disagree on this point.

IMHO I feel it is the taker who is greater than the giver. The giver

gives with the objective of benefitting from the donation and not the

receiver. And the giver should be thankful to the receiver for

accepting the donation. I do not like quoting (which is again a good

topic for discussion ) but there is a very good discussion by Swami

Vivekananda in the Complete Works.

 

SwamiJi says about helping others as:

Yet we must do good; the desire to do good is the highest motive

power we have, if we know all the time that it is a privilege to help

others. Do not stand on a high pedestal and take five cents in your

hand and say, "Here, my poor man," but be grateful that the poor man

is there, so that by making a gift to him you are able to help

yourself. It is not the receiver that is blessed, but it is the

giver. Be thankful that you are allowed to exercise your power of

benevolence and mercy in the world, and thus become pure and perfect.

All good acts tend to make us pure and perfect. What can we do at

best? Build a hospital, make roads, or erect charity asylums. We may

organise a charity and collect two or three millions of dollars,

build a hospital with one million, with the second give balls and

drink champagne, and of the third let the officers steal half, and

leave the rest finally to reach the poor; but what are all these? One

mighty wind in five minutes can break all your buildings up. What

shall we do then? One volcanic eruption may sweep away all our roads

and hospitals and cities and buildings. Let us give up all this

foolish talk of doing good to the world. It is not waiting for your

or my help; yet we must work and constantly do good, because it is a

blessing to ourselves. That is the only way we can become perfect. No

beggar whom we have helped has ever owed a single cent to us; we owe

everything to him, because he has allowed us to exercise our charity

on him. It is entirely wrong to think that we have done, or can do,

good to the world, or to think that we have helped such and such

people. It is a foolish thought, and all foolish thoughts bring

misery. We think that we have helped some man and expect him to thank

us, and because he does not, unhappiness comes to us. Why should we

expect anything in return for what we do? Be grateful to the man you

help, think of him as God. Is it not a great privilege to be allowed

to worship God by helping our fellow men? If we were really

unattached, we should escape all this pain of vain expectation, and

could cheerfully do good work in the world. Never will unhappiness or

misery come through work done without attachment. The world will go

on with its happiness and misery through eternity.

 

Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda - Vol 1, Karma Yoga

 

I would like to raise this issue for discussion in a later post: How

far can qouting great figures take us? Isn't it necessary to gain a

first hand experience before one can use it, or atleast some amount

of questioning the idea before accepting it. Usually we tend to

accept an idea if it is said by a great figure. Maybe some

elaboration is necessary on the question. Again just some ramblings

from a childs mouth. So please forgive any mistakes.

 

Humble pranams,

Shubhanan

[Guest guest]

While I was searching for Swami Vivekananda's thoughts about charity,

came across this very interesting piece of article in the Complete

Works of Swami Vivekananda, Vol 2.

http://www.ramakrishnavivekananda.info/vivekananda/volume_2/practical_

vedanta_and_other_lectures/yajnavalkya_and_maitreyi.htm

 

It is a dialog between Yajnavalkya and Maitreyi taken from the

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad. It speaks about the nature of love. It

declares that

"It is not for the sake of the husband that the wife loves the

husband, but for the sake of the Âtman that she loves the husband,

because she loves the Self."

And then SwamiJi says, that when the person is not aware of the Self,

then it is termed as selfishness, but when the person has realized

the Self, then it is Self-ness.

 

It is so true. Even the most selfless act that a person does has some

end behind it. The end might be a noble one but it cannot be

completely free from personal gain.

Come to think of it, such a subtle truth!

 

humble pranams,

Shubhanan

[Guest guest]

Namaste Ajit,

 

Once Arjuna and Krishna were going around the city in cognito. There

were some beggars and Arjuna asked Krishna, ' Oh Krishna ! There are

so many people here who are begging for money. Some of them may be in

dire need and need this money to buy their food and to feed their

kith and kin. Others may need this money to run the family. Others

might need it to buy milk for their babies. Still other may have

various legitimate uses of this money. However there also could be

people who'll use this money to buy liquor , or bidi or to visit

dasis or other illegal purposes. Then is it or isn't it a sin to give

money in charity to such vile acts?"

 

Krishna replied, " O Arjuna, Charity is such a noble act where you

help the poor and the needy. At the same time you are also indirectly

responsible for how your money is being used. When your money is

being used to feed hungry people or to buy milk for unfortunate

babies, you indeed get a share of this good deed. You get punya (

good merit ) for this act of yours. However if your money is used for

illegitimate purposes, like liquor / cigars/ women, then you are

partly responsible for their heinous acts, for without your help they

could not have commited this sin. You are indirectly responsible and

have a share in the sin ( paap). Just like how you get a share in the

good deed, you also get a share in the bad deed."

 

>From this arose the Tamil proverb " Pathiram arindu Pichchai podu"

(Know the vessel into which you drop the coin.

 

Once a devotee asked Sai Baba the same question and Baba replied, ( I

can't trace the text and am writing his teachings in my own words

from my memory) : " All of us who are fortunate and are in a

relatively better position must help those who are less unfortunate

than us. Everybody must do some kind of charity every year, and can

even set aside a portion of the salary , say 5 % towards charity.

However you must also make sure that your money is reaching the right

people for the right cause. Instead of giving money blindly you can

buy food for the hungry. You can do Anna Dhanam. You can donate money

to orphanages, and other non profit organisation. You can sponsor a

child's education. Visit hospitals, and sponsor a surgery for a

really needy person. Go out and seek the needy and help them."

 

I am just stating what Krishna said, what Baba said and a Tamil

proverb and withhold my opinion. I leave it to you to make a decision.

 

However I wish to add one note on charity. As Lotus Within pointed

out, we do charity not really to help but for the sake of our own

self. As Maharshi said, No matter how unselfish the act seems from

the outside, there is always a selfish ulterior motive.

 

If we perform charity is it really to help the needy or to satisfy

our own ego, " I am a good person, for I have donated something

today. I am a good person for I have helped somebody today." There is

inherent happiness within ourselves which drives us to do good.

 

Hari Aum !!!

 

, "sardarajitsingh" <the-hermit@i...>

wrote:

[Guest guest]

Dear Respected Lotuswithin:

 

 

 

>>>>>>

I beg to disagree on this point.

> IMHO I feel it is the taker who is greater than the giver. The

giver

> gives with the objective of benefitting from the donation and not

the

> receiver. And the giver should be thankful to the receiver for

> accepting the donation.

<<<<<<

 

Your point is well taken. But, this was already mentioned in my

previous post #5408

 

>>>>

As per our scripture, after giving daana, one is required to give a

daxina to that individual. The reasoning for such is extremely

profound. DaxiNaa after daana implies a special thank you to the

acceptor that thank you for accepting my donation. I may have

something to give but it is up to you to accept it. You can always

refuse to accept it. That is why the phrase "daan-daxiNaa" is

expresses together..

<<<<<

 

It is said about rahiim that he was well known for his donations and

was always eager to give, but although being aware of this he never

was proud that people call him "daanshuura" and "mahaa-daani"

 

While giving alms it was observed thatas he started raising his hands

for giving his eyes started lowering (closing). One of his

contemporary Ganagakavi wrote a doha and sent it to rahiima:

 

siikhe kahaa.n navaavajuu\, aisi denii daina .

jyo.n-jyo.n kara U.nco karo\, tyo.n-tyo.n niice naina .. ga.ngakavi ..

 

Overall Meaning: Where did you learn to express such bashfulness

during the process of giving by closing your eyes. You start closing

your eyes as you start raising your hands for giving.

 

Rahim replies - Who am to to give? The one who really gives is

someone else. People thus mistake (bhrama karai) me as a great

giver, therefore I have I close my eyes.

 

denahaara koU aura hai\, bhejata so dina-raina .

loga bharama hama para dharai.n\, yaatai nice naina .. rahiima ..

 

 

The Yajnavalka story is also very important and thanks you for

reminding me. However, Yajnavalka's story does not really apply here

because, the back drop for it was when yaj~navalka decided to take

sanyaasa. So he called both of his wives katyaayani and matrareyi

and asked for their openion about dividing his worldly possessions.

kaatyayani accepted her share but maitreyi said I do not wat this

money (dravya) all I want is Atmaj~naana. Learning this yaj~navakla

gave everything to kaatyaayani and went into forest after initiating

the j~nanopadesha to maitreyi.

 

(Above information is taken from The History of Dharmashastra

compiled by Dr. Bhandarkar and bhaaratiiya sanskriti kosha by Pt.

mahadepshastri Joshi Vol. 7 - pp 633)

 

So in reality that cannot be considered as a donation per say.

 

Regards,

 

Dr. Yadu

 

 

 

, lotuswithin <no_reply> wrote:

> Namaste

>

> > Always the giver has an upper hand. It is up to the giver where to

> give, whom to give.

>

> Respected Dr. Yadu Ji : I beg to disagree on this point.

> IMHO I feel it is the taker who is greater than the giver. The

giver

> gives with the objective of benefitting from the donation and not

the

> receiver. And the giver should be thankful to the receiver for

> accepting the donation. I do not like quoting (which is again a

good

> topic for discussion ) but there is a very good discussion by Swami

> Vivekananda in the Complete Works.

>

> SwamiJi says about helping others as:

> Yet we must do good; the desire to do good is the highest motive

> power we have, if we know all the time that it is a privilege to

help

> others. Do not stand on a high pedestal and take five cents in your

> hand and say, "Here, my poor man," but be grateful that the poor

man

> is there, so that by making a gift to him you are able to help

> yourself. It is not the receiver that is blessed, but it is the

> giver. Be thankful that you are allowed to exercise your power of

> benevolence and mercy in the world, and thus become pure and

perfect.

> All good acts tend to make us pure and perfect. What can we do at

> best? Build a hospital, make roads, or erect charity asylums. We

may

> organise a charity and collect two or three millions of dollars,

> build a hospital with one million, with the second give balls and

> drink champagne, and of the third let the officers steal half, and

> leave the rest finally to reach the poor; but what are all these?

One

> mighty wind in five minutes can break all your buildings up. What

> shall we do then? One volcanic eruption may sweep away all our

roads

> and hospitals and cities and buildings. Let us give up all this

> foolish talk of doing good to the world. It is not waiting for your

> or my help; yet we must work and constantly do good, because it is

a

> blessing to ourselves. That is the only way we can become perfect.

No

> beggar whom we have helped has ever owed a single cent to us; we

owe

> everything to him, because he has allowed us to exercise our

charity

> on him. It is entirely wrong to think that we have done, or can do,

> good to the world, or to think that we have helped such and such

> people. It is a foolish thought, and all foolish thoughts bring

> misery. We think that we have helped some man and expect him to

thank

> us, and because he does not, unhappiness comes to us. Why should we

> expect anything in return for what we do? Be grateful to the man

you

> help, think of him as God. Is it not a great privilege to be

allowed

> to worship God by helping our fellow men? If we were really

> unattached, we should escape all this pain of vain expectation, and

> could cheerfully do good work in the world. Never will unhappiness

or

> misery come through work done without attachment. The world will go

> on with its happiness and misery through eternity.

>

> Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda - Vol 1, Karma Yoga

>

> I would like to raise this issue for discussion in a later post:

How

> far can qouting great figures take us? Isn't it necessary to gain a

> first hand experience before one can use it, or atleast some amount

> of questioning the idea before accepting it. Usually we tend to

> accept an idea if it is said by a great figure. Maybe some

> elaboration is necessary on the question. Again just some ramblings

> from a childs mouth. So please forgive any mistakes.

>

> Humble pranams,

> Shubhanan