Dasamsam

[Guest guest]

Dear Vandita Ma, Iam happy that you have taken your first step toward Divine Mother Rajarajeshwari I would like to broach upon Dasamsa Bhagavrata.I had given a few postings in this regard and many have benefited from the exercise/practice of this vrata both spiritually and materially.Do not consider this e-mail as someone who seeks donations for a temple. I have no say in the matter of the administration of the holy temple in Nanganallur and also Swami is the only one in-charge of the

temple finances. He has also not asked me to propogate thus. If you may so wish you can do the Dasamsa Bhaga vrata to any spiritual source which inspires you. I have taken the pain to e-mail you thus as you have shown some spiritual interest in the temple. It is out of unconditional love for you, and my Sweet Mother, Nanganallurvaasini, Rajarajeshwari Devi which makes me type this rather lengthy e-mail(which you may make a print-out and read leisurely) in this early hours of today at the expense of my sleep. Though my vision is hazy and blurry right now, my feelings and message is clear as you will see below. Dasamsa(Tithing) is a spiritual law of giving, where a person gives10% of their increase back to the source of their spiritualteachings. Those who have

practiced tithing have reported tremendouspositive results in their spirituality, finances, relationships, health and careers . Dasamsa is a spiritual law given by God to humankind to assist peoplein finding abundance, fulfillment and gratitude in their everydaylives. The tithing law is to give 10 percent of one's increase backto God, with God being represented on the physical level by thesource of one's spiritual teaching -- often a church, synagogue,mosque or

spiritual teacher. When a person tithes, the universe thatworks under the spiritual law of tithing says, "If you have that muchto give, that means you are open to receive more."As humankind fulfills its part of the covenant by giving 10 percentto God, then God fulfills his part by continually blessing us. So,you may want to check it out with a joyful attitude of saying, "Lord,I am open to receive whatever it is that you bless me with." And thendiscover for yourself the blessing of fulfilling God's covenant.Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food inmy house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if Iwill not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so muchblessing that you will not have room enough for it" (Malachi 3:10NIV).One of the fundamental errors that we have as human beings is greed,which is manifested mostly in terms of money or monetary value.Greed, by its

very nature, is a striking against the riches withinoneself because it appears that there is never enough here in theworld. Our eyes are always "hungry."We can help to break the greed pattern by tithing, giving 10 percentof our personal wealth. When we tithe, two levels are activated--alevel here in this world and, at the same time, a mystical, invisiblelevel. The mystical is a communication saying, "You are abundant andhandle abundance well, so here's some more." The other level, in thisworld, is when we look at our abundance and contribute joyfullythrough tithing. We are actually cheerful about it. This action setsup a countenance that is a form of glory in the human being, and thatglory attracts more abundance.When one person becomes free of materiality, it's like an infectiongoing the other way. Instead of greed affecting honest people, honestpeople start affecting the greedy. You let go and give to God,joyfully

and unconditionally.It's simple to tithe: you just give back 10 percent of what you earnto the source of your spiritual teachings. It's done for the joy ofgiving. When you lovingly donate in this way, the abundance starts tocome to you in many ways. Tithing is actually a spiritual law: to give back to the source ofyour spiritual teachings. When you commit to doing it,

somethinginside you works differently from that day forward. Conditions may ormay not immediately change in the physical, but inside, it can workwonders. In the heirarchy of giving, tithing is at the top. It is giving toGod -- the source of your spiritual teachings, in other words, God'srepresenativeon this level -- 10 percent of the harvest or increase. After that isfulfilled, then donations or givings to charity can be done.Knowing that all of

life's bounty and abundance comes from God,Hindus take joy in giving back a generous portion. Here men, womenand children bring baskets of fruit, cloth, jewelry, foods and moneyto lay at Divine Mother Rajarajeshwari's Saffron lotus feet for Shaktha and Srividya worship to flourish on theEarth. Dasamamsa or our Religion's DuesNOW I SHALL EXPLAIN HOW THE SPIRITUAL PRACTICE OF TITHING, PAYINGMONTHLY RELIGIOUS DUES OF TEN PERCENT, CREATES WEALTH OVER TIME FORINDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES ALIKE -- A WEALTH THAT IS BLESSED TO NEVERGAIN LOSSES, but to perpetuate itself generation after generation.Read on and learn! Tithing is giving ten percent, not a dollar more,not a dollar less; not a rupee more, not a rupee less; not a poundmore, not a

pound less; not a lira more, not a lira less. ESHWAREE'S MONEYEverything from a lump of carbon to a dazzling diamond, a molecule ofoxygen to the galactic explosion of a star gone supernova is of theBeing of God. We place lesser and greater value upon things usuallydependent upon our

interests. Ultimately, we would have to say thateverything is God's, including what we manufacture from nativeelements. Indeed, if all the trillions of dollars, rupees, yen,pounds, rubles, Deutschmarks and francs, and all the precious metalsand gems were gathered and compressed together into one giant cube,any Hindu would readily have to admit that man's money and theplanet's minerals are really God's.So, in the first sense, God's money is the sum of all monetaryvalues. Connecting this idealistic perspective to a practical one,where we as individuals are engaged in the dharmic pursuit of wealth,God's money is what we dedicate to God, as our religious dues, toperpetuate His greater spiritual design for our planet. This is alsotrue for our personal use of time. God's time is what we dedicate, asroughly ten percent of our time, toward service that furthers ourreligion. This is outside of the time spent in our personal

spiritualpractices: home puja, scripture reading, japa, sadhana and meditation.This resource is about joyously returning each month ten percent ofour earnings and gifts to God for our own spiritual upliftment andeconomic welfare, and for the support and perpetuation of our Hindureligion, the Sanatana Dharma, the "Eternal Path." This is thespiritual practice, the unfolding process of dashamamsha. In the Westit is known as tithe, which means "a tenth." Among the world'sreligions and faiths, it is an ancient common denominator. In theearliest known historical civilizations, Egypt, Sumeria (Mesopotamia)and the Indus Valley, all of which were theocracies, or "God-governed," the totality of the annual produce of the land was inprinciple pledged to the Gods in their temples, then redistributed tothe populace. Imagine the phenomenal results if the ancient practice of dashamamshawere fully revitalized today. There are over a billion Hindusworldwide. Some 940 million live in India. A large percentage ofthose, say 600 million, are financially poor -- the per capita annualincome in India is around US$444. Yet even if each offered one dollar(which is only a little more than two thousanth's of one percent) asGod's money every year, that would total $600 million annually forHindu institutions from the poor sector alone. If a full ten percent paid, the amount would be $26.64 billion each year. Theremaining 330 million Hindus in India, being mostly in the newlyformed middle class (paying, say, an average of $400 tithe per

year),would provide an additional annual fund pool of $132 billion. Thisdoes not take into account over sixty million Hindus living outsideIndia, some of whom, especially in Western countries, make very highsalaries, many as doctors or engineers, and even dot com foundersmaking hundreds of millions. This ancient spiritual levying ofdashamamsha, religion's dues, would give Hinduism some $150 billiondollars each year. Since dashamamsha is paid by each individual tothe institution of his choice, the distribution of the money would befairly evenly widespread.Hinduism, having fully entered the 21st century, urgently needs thismonetary strength. Hinduism is incalculably rich in religiousknowledge, mystic ceremony and spiritual experience. This innertreasure house of Hinduism will never diminish. But the greatperiphery that touches every Hindu's life does need constantsustenance. Our temples should look like exquisitely

wrought jewelry,worthy earthly abodes for God and the Gods, spiritually uplifting fordevotees. Our monasteries and lecture halls, schools and culturalcenters should glow with inviting beauty and radiate the best theHindu mind can offer to the world. All Hindus should be well-educatedin their faith and have every facility available for advancingspiritually, socially, economically and culturally. In the past, thepresent and into the future, the practice of dashamamsha has no equalin instilling closeness to God through our dharma of gaining wealth,and in a steady provisioning of our religion. It is a proven systemneeded now.In this brief presentation, I also outline the benefits anindividual or an organizational body will gain from giving God'smoney. Saiva Siddhanta Temple has been managed for almost fifty yearson a tithing basis. It achieves results of people's lives unfoldinginto a greater spirituality, financial

security and religiousfellowship. These are day-by-day rewards, not easily summed up in afew sentences. But it distills down to the fact that members, largelybecause they practice dashamamsha, are happy, healthy, at peacewithin themselves and among themselves and energetically enthusiasticabout advancing their religion. They have cultivated a deep sense ofselflessness that recognizes God in all dimensions of their lives.The practice of giving God's money, religion's dues, has become adoorway into tangible inner experience.Hinduism has always celebrated the merits of giving, both of wealthand knowledge. The householder gives to the children, the poor andthe sadhus, the children give to the parents in old age, the elderlygive to the community, the student and sadhus give to the guru, andthe guru gives to all. It is so much a part of our soul nature togive. Every time we give, more of our soul nature is expressed. Yet,when

it comes to our hard-earned money, which in Hinduism we callartha, "wealth," it is sometimes difficult to give, especially on aregular basis and to a society or institution we may not have a voicein governing. Nevertheless, it is our dharma to give of our artha.Only by our generous contributions, individually and as a group, willHinduism flourish and grow from strength to strength. On that thescriptures are unequivocal.The powerful man should give to one in straits; let him consider theroad that lies ahead! Riches revolve like a chariot's wheels, comingto one man now, then to another.Rig Veda, 10.117.5. VE, P. 850-851To not give generously and regularly is to be unduly self-interested,a condition that will cloud our divine nature and make us feel guiltyand stressful. The practice of tithing will do just the opposite:create positive karma

of abundance and financial opportunity,cultivate family and community bonding and enhance healthy states ofmind. And, a group that is jointly paying religious dues will enjoy afulfillment, accomplishment and spiritual joy that is collective.Examples An excellent example of the practice of tithing is a group ofdevotees of Lord Murugan who, to support His temple, generously gavean even larger portion of their income than ten percent. They are

theChettiar salt merchants of Tamil Nadu, South India, who 400 years agobegan dedicating one-eighth or 15 percent of their earnings to LordPalani of the Palani Hills Temple. Recorded testimony of themerchants states that, because of the payment of religious dues,their businesses prospered to the extent that even the maharaja tookfavorable notice. In the Hindu traditions of South India, donating tocharity a fixed percentage of one's income is called makimai in theTamil language. (Swami Narayan)A contemporary example of tithing is the Swaminarayan Fellowship,whose leader, Sri Sri Sri Pramukh Swami Maharaj, was accorded theRenaissance Award by HINDUISM TODAY and named 1995 Hindu of the Year.His congregation of hundreds of thousands all pay their religiousdues through dashamamsha. With so many dedicated Fellowship devoteespaying their tithe to their guru, and on top of that giving gold eachyear in measure equal to his weight, and selflessly contributing vastquantities of their time and encouraging their children to do thesame, that all adds up to a truly powerful force in the world. On thestrength of a tithing membership, they built a $4 million temple inthe middle of London, inaugurated in August of 1995. They support astrict monastic order of over 650 sadhus, run numerous socialservices and are single-handedly educating millions of

people allover the world in the cultural sophistication of India's wonderfulHindu traditions. If more Hindus were to follow their tithingexample, Hinduism would be even stronger than it is today. We lookforward to an abundant future in the decades to come.Hindu ChildrenHere is a true story that demonstrates the spirit of dashamamsha. Abusinessman in Texas had made several large gifts to the temple andto local charities. Few calls to him for contributions ever failed toreceive a willing response. His generosity to community causes waswell known to many people who were identified with the organizationshe supported. One evening he was introduced as the key speaker at abanquet. The chairman told of a number of instances when the man'sgenerosity had helped to make financial campaigns successful. Whenthe Texas businessman arose to begin his address, he was evidentlyembarrassed. "I want to make it clear that I do not

deserve creditfor what I give to my temple or to any cause in our community," hesaid. "The way I look at it is that I have contributed none of my ownmoney. The money all belongs to God; for, you see, I am a tither,having in early childhood taken my tithing vow, my dashama bhagavrata."Most long-time tithers are humble about their regular habit ofsetting aside a tenth of their income, especially if they started thehabit at an early age. For they truly have come to feel that they arebut the stewards of God's money and pay their religion's dues with aheart full of gratitude for their abundance, whether large or small.A California financier related the story of how he began the habit oftithing. He was one of four boys, all about twelve years of age, whowere received into membership of a Hindu society. At the conclusionof the puja, an observer remarked to a respected temple elder, "Thatwas certainly a very auspicious

event, wasn't it, Sir?To what doyou refer?" the trustee inquired. "Why, those four boys comingforward into membership and surrendering themselves to our Gods," theman replied. "Yes, it was," the trustee commented, "but they did notbring fruit and flowers as an offering, nor did they give anything tothe hundi."One of the boys (the financier) overheard the conversation. Later heapproached the elder and asked what he would traditionally beexpected to give when coming to pujas and for the support of thetemple. The elder explained that every Hindu should bring fruit andflowers when coming to a puja and that it is a spiritual privilege topay one-tenth of one's income to God in appreciation for Hisblessings. The elder asked how much the boy was earning. He repliedthat his part-time wages were only $35.00 each week. The eldersuggested that the lad think of $3.50 a week as his contribution forthe support of the temple and

that he should take the dashama bhagavrata before he begins to set aside his dashamamsha. In Sanskrit,vrata means vow or pledge, dashama means tenth, and bhaga means partor share, the elder told the boy. Dashamamsha means tithe, and tithemeans a tenth. Immediately setting aside the tithe as soon as moneyis received sanctifies the remaining balance. Once the money has thusbeen blessed, it would be difficult to use it for a profligate,adharmic purpose.The elder explained to the boy that this is a custom as old as ourHindu religion and that many other religions practice it as well.Thus, the taking of the dashama bhaga vrata and then beginning to paydashamamsha, religion's dues, can be a very important part of everymodern Hindu's life. The lad was pleased to hear that dashamamsha wasan ancient religious practice of giving one-tenth of one's incomeback to God and the Gods to perpetuate their work on Earth. At thenext

auspicious occasion in the temple, the boy prostrated beforeGod, Gods and a picture of his guru and took his vrata withouthesitation. A few elders witnessed the event, smiled and signed hiscertificate. All were pleased to see the brightness on his face as heput the envelope with the $3.50 into the hundi before he left thetemple. He was now truly one of the congregation in his heart and inthe hearts of all.Now the pattern was set and the boy began the life-long habit ofsetting aside one-tenth of his income for God's work. Years later, asa seasoned businessman, he declared that he had never ceased totithe. He felt that he was helped personally more by tithing than byany other habit he had observed throughout his life. It is importantto note that the financier began tithing as a boy. Many of the menand women who tithe in this generation say that they also began thepractice in their early youth. Tithing ought to begin in childhood. If boys and girls have theexample of their parents to encourage them, the decision to tithewill not be a difficult one to make. Devout children who have beenraised in a kindly manner readily respond to the suggestion that Godhas given us so much that it is only right that we should set aside aportion of all we receive and bring it as an offering to the templefor its support. This is one way of thanking God and the Gods fortheir goodness. And this is the only way that we truly bless theremaining nine-tenths. Yes, the pattern of a lifetime can best be setby carefully teaching a young person to begin tithing with the firstmoney he or she is given or earns.Paying

Religion's Dues Monthly (Lotus temple in India) Many Hindus have never learned to give systematically. They follow noplan in facing their responsibility to the temple they worship in,the society they belong to or the community they live in. Tithingprovides a spiritual plan for meeting these responsibilities. The keyis to regularly, on a monthly schedule, set aside in a special savingaccount or envelope one-tenth of one's income as soon as it isreceived; then, again on a monthly schedule, to give that sum to areligious organization of one's own choosing.Most Hindus give if they are specifically asked for a contributionand their name is published. Others give generously if they hear thetemple needs an extra amount to pay a deficit. Many such persons

feelvirtuous if they are enabled to pull the temple out of what theythink is a "financial hole." They fail to consider that the deficitwould never have occurred if they, and others, had voluntarily andregularly contributed their share during the first week of eachmonth. Some Hindus give only if they like the priest, others if theyare supporting some phase or all of a special festival. Still othersonly give out of a sense of appreciation for prayers being answered.We were acquainted with a negligent Hindu in London who never failedto boast about how he had helped to erect a temple, even though hehad not attended a puja for many years. Yet, he often bragged that hehad helped build the temple. We came to believe he had given a verysubstantial sum for the building. He had left such an impression withso many people. But one day someone took it upon himself to look intothe past financial records of the temple and discovered that

the manhad contributed the "magnanimous" total of $101! All this time he hadavoided his responsibilities to the Gods and to their temple bygiving the false impression that he had given so much that he shouldnot be expected to contribute any more. The Rediscovery of TithingOur young generation of modern Hindus are awakening to an awarenessof the need for a fuller and more dedicated life in Godconsciousness. The trends in current civilization in thistechnological age indicate that we must go deeper into our faith andinto ourselves if we are to spiritually unfold and experience thebliss that is ours to enjoy. Thoughtful contemporary Hindus are

madeaware every day of the conflicting forces which war in the worldduring this time in the Kali Yuga. They know that it is a time whichcries out for a more complete surrender of money, time and talents tothe will of God and our Gods. They are also well aware that it is thereligious institutions that keep the knowledge of Hinduism alive inthe world and that the temples provide open doors for devotees. ManyHindus conclude that they must teach their children the spiritualmerits of tithing from their gifts and later from their earnings. (Rajarajeshwari Devi) Money has assumed a place of increasing importance in the life ofeveryone this century. With each passing year fewer people live thekind of existence in which they themselves produce the basicnecessities of life. Money has become the buying power to satisfyalmost every physical demand. Even the farmer has come to rely uponmoney. Only a few decades ago the tiller of the soil raised the foodwhich met the needs of his family. The power to work his fields camefrom animals which themselves had their subsistence in the land. Butnow he needs money to operate a farm. He buys rather than raises much of his food. Money pays for the electric power to operate

hismachinery and for the fuel to run his tractor. His clothing is boughtat a store, and his recreation is purchased by the investment hemakes in a radio or television.What has happened in recent years to the farmer has long been theexperience of millions of workers who earn their livelihood in thefactory or the office. For many people the possession of money hasbecome an end in itself in life. The growing importance of money hasturned the focus of attention from the true source of the world'sgoods. The man who worked the fields to produce the necessities forsustenance was in a position to observe the creating and sustainingpower of God and the Gods in his life. When he was dependent upon the rainfall, the sun and the fertile earth for his well-being, it wasnatural to recognize loving Gods. But such recognition becomes moredifficult when money is the source of one's physical andpsychological satisfaction. It is harder to see

God and the Gods atwork in the product of a machine or a factory. Then man is tempted togive his worshipful devotion to a pay envelope or a checkbook. Thatmeans money to him. It is the source of his personal comforts andpleasures.A New Standard Is NeededIn this technological age people are tempted to believe that theirskills and ingenuity which produce material commodities come fromthemselves alone. They either assume the absence of God's power inthe world, or God and the Gods are pushed back so far in their mindthat no vital contact is felt with these great beings or even theirown Divinity. A new standard is needed to put God consciousness first.When Hindu children recognize God's creative gifts by setting aside atithe from their gift or income immediately upon receiving it, beforeany money is spent for themselves or others, they express theirconviction that God is the giver of all that they have. Each

youngperson inwardly admits that the product of the mine or the fertilefield can only be explained by the long creative process which is thedirect result of the existence of God and the Gods that Hindusgratefully acknowledge. The money that the computer engineer, thebaker or the manufacturer earns has its ultimate source in thoseelements which man did not and could not create. Each occupation orprofession engaging the efforts of mankind deals with factors beyondthe range of man's ability to make.Children who pay their tithe learn that God continues to be the ownerof the material possessions entrusted to them. They know that thefinal title to property or money does not rest with the individual,but with God. They learn that people may be stewards of worldlypossessions for many years; yet, inevitably they must surrender thatstewardship at the end of their earthly life. The trust is thentransferred to some other person.

They slowly come to realize throughexperience that people do not own the material world; they are merelyits stewards.Honoring God by Sharing William Colgate American-born entrepreneur William Colgate was a tither throughouthis long and successful business career. He gave not merely one-tenthof the earnings of Colgate's Soap Products; he gave two-tenths, thenthree-tenths and finally five-tenths of all his income to the work ofGod in the world. During the latter days of his life, he revealed theorigin of his devotion to the principle of tithing. When he wassixteen years old, he

left home to find employment in New York City.He had previously worked in a soap manufacturing shop. When he told the captain of the canal boat he was traveling on that he planned to make soap in New York, the man gave him this advice: "Someone will soon be the leading soap maker in New York. You can be that person.But you must never lose sight of the fact that the soap you make has been given to you by God. Honor Him by sharing what you earn. Begin by tithing on all you receive." William Colgate felt the urge totithe because he recognized that God was the giver of all that hepossessed, not only of opportunity, but even of the elements used inthe manufacture of his products. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON DASAMSA BHAGA VRATAHow can Dasamsam help eliminate debt? My finances are a mess. Dasamsamhelps to establish order in mind and affairs; and when order exists,debt is vanquished. All conditions that are not in order areeliminated. New avenues of supply open up. Intuition is strengthened.Giving opens the door for receiving.Shall I do dasamsam before my debts are paid? Yes, dasamsam is the best-known and most practical method of consecrating all your finances toEshwaree. You can 'dasamsam' your way out of debt if you do it through prayerand in the spirit of love and understanding. Practiced

properly,dasamsam will help solve the conditions that create debt. This hasbeen accomplished by thousands of others; it can be done by you. Thetithes that you lay at Eshwaree's lotus feet in loving consecration may belikened to drops of water that, drawn up by the sun, form rain cloudsand descend again to Earth in refreshing showers.Should I do dasamsam on the money I borrow to consolidate debt? No. Norshould you use borrowed money for any purpose other than that forwhich it was secured.If I am doind dasamsam and my debt becomes heavy, should I stop? A few dodasamsam for years and, when their expenses become heavy, stop in orderto meet their bills. In stopping dasamsam their desires increase anddebts are piled so high that there seems to be no way out. This alsoleads to a worldliness that causes a distance between themselves andtheir religious institutions.Would it be wiser for me to wait before

deciding to do dasamsam? If youfeel an inner urge to do dasamsam, now is the time to make a start. Thosewho wait until they feel they have abundance to spare usually neverbegin.Won't doing dasamsam change my accustomed standard of living? In Hinduism,one's standard of living is measured by the four aims: dharma(virtuous conduct), artha (wealth), kama (enjoyment) and moksha(liberation). Dharma governs artha and kama so that they are notoverly self-centered. Dasamsam is a dharmic act. Your standard ofliving will be spiritually higher, and in many cases the tither'sstandards are raised

culturally and financially as well.Will my income improve if I depend totally on Eshwaree Rajarajeshwari Devi to help? As you do dasamsam faithfully and your affairs become established in divine order,your visible supply will increase. You will be able to avoid debt andto learn to live as befits a child of God. The tithe always returnsto you, the tither, as further prosperity and abundance for you andfor your loved ones. You can't give anything away but that iteventually comes back to you, even God's money.Then dasamsam is an act of faith. Is this correct? Yes, dasamsam is anact of faith. When you give love with your religious dues, you becomereceptive to God's blessing of love. Dasamsam is a positive use of thelaw of karma. When you give freely and joyously with theconsciousness of plenty, you draw back to yourself abundance

and manyhappy experiences. This spirit of giving magnetizes the unseen devasof the inner worlds who then can give to you by opening opportunitiesfor you.Will I be convinced once I experience the positive effects of karmain my life as a result of tithing? People are most aware of thenegative karmic effects in their life. But when they become free intheir giving, they experience more in return. In conforming to thedivine law of karma, wonderful things occur in their lives. Karmiceffects (being either positive, negative or mixed) are createdunknowingly by most Hindus and knowingly by some. To use this law toyour best advantage, ask for divine guidance and wisdom in spendingyour money. You will be delighted to see how much more you can dowith it and all the benefits that will return to

you.Dasamsam for the Self-EmployedIs there one key to successful Dasamsam for the self-employed? Yes. Itis to separate one's business finances from one's family finances.This is done by maintaining two checking accounts, one for thebusiness and one for the family.How do the self-employed calculate their dasamsam? An owner or partnertithes on the income he receives from the business. Firstly, hedoes dasamsam on his monthly draw from the business. Secondly, he does dasamsam onhis share of any net profits earned for the year which exceed hismonthly draw.Please give an example to illustrate this concept for someone whoowns his own business. Firstly, a theoretical owner of a soleproprietorship draws $2,500 a month from the business by

writing acheck on his business account, depositing it in his personal account,then he writes a dasamsam check for $250. Secondly, in January theyear-end financial statements for the business are completed and showa net profit after taxes of $45,000. Since he has already drawn$30,000 during the year, the net profit exceeds his monthly draw by$15,000. Therefore, he needs to do dasamsam $1,500 on this amount. To dothis he draws an extra $1,500 from the business, deposits it in hispersonal account and writes a dasamsam check for the full $1,500.If my business is not earning a profit, should I still do dasamsam? It iseven more important to be doing dasamsam on one's family income if one'sbusiness is not doing well.I know this is rather technical, but how do I adjust my dasamsam if

theamount I have drawn from the business during the year exceeds myshare of the business's net profit? This is carried forward andadjusted from one year to the next. For example, say in 1995 youryear's draw exceeds your share of the net profit by $10,000. In 1996your profit share exceeds your draw by $8,000, and in 1997 yourprofit share exceeds your draw by $15,000. The extra dasamsam at the endof 1995 is zero, 1996 is zero and 1997 is 10 percent of the $13,000,or $1,300.Dasamsam and the Hindu InstitutionI have not even given a dollar or a rupee to the temple for a longtime. Now I am being encouraged to do dasamsam?When you ceased to give,did you not feel as though you had closed an inner door? Manydevotees give a little something as a means of opening the way into alarger measure of loving, living and giving, even if they do nottithe.How do I decide where to pay my religious dues? The most obviouschoice

is the Hindu leader or institution that is most relevant toyour spiritual life and represents the tradition you find solace in.This benefactor could be in your community, or 10,000 miles away. Orthere may be a temple in your community that you and your familyworship that would be strengthened and encouraged by your support. With this in mind, should I look carefully into each institution?Yes! Dasamsam should be approached much like investing in the stockmarket for a secure return. Religious leaders have a duty to performin spending the money wisely, as do corporate presidents. Choose aninstitution that will grow and bring spiritual dividends.One instituion that I can recommend because I have had positive personal experience with is the Sarvamangala Rajarajeshwari Ashrama Temple.Even as a student of Chartered Accountancy in India, I used to do Dasamsam of even my meager stipend check, now very gainfully employed in Canada I still do the

dasamsam.Iam currently in India for a temporary visit and will be going to USA soon for higher studies(MBA). My GMAT and TOEFL scores were on the higher side because of this singular practice and also I have applied to some good B-schools from here and have already got admission from one top school.(Also, Iam very young(age wise))Is there a responsibility on receiver as well as the giver? Yes! Bothare stewards of Eshwaree's money. Wisely choose a worthy temple, Hindu temple or institution that you feel good about paying your tithe to.Ways and Means of GivingMy dasamsam will not be much to begin with. Will the leaders judge mebecause of this? My first dasamsam was a mere Rs30! I did the dasamsam from the meagre stipend they used to give

for Chartered accountant apprentices those days. A religious leader does not or should not judge theofferings of devotees. Hindus give according to their means. If adevotee's circumstances dictate a small dasamsam, then that dasamsam isworth great value to Eshwaree, for the wealthy can easily afford to tithe.Dasamsam is totally fair; for each one is paying his religious dues often percent of his income, small or large. Someone earning $300 amonth or someone earning $300,000 dollars a month are giving the sameproportionate amount.Is dasamsama gift? The religions of the world don't look at the dasamsam(tithe)that they receive as a gift. They look at it as a payment. More thanoften, those who cannot pay their tithe also do not pay theircreditors.Is it appropriate to give more than ten percent? After the dues ofdasamsam are paid, further religious giving can take place, such assponsoring temple construction and supporting other religiousendeavors. There is a big difference between dashamamsha, which is anobligation or payment, and religious giving from the remaining 90%.Many dasamsam-givers give five to ten percent above and beyond their tithefor building funds and other inspiring projects. This is especiallyfrequent in the case of single men and women.Does dasamsam include produce grown on one's property for non-commercial purposes? Yes, give a tenth of any food you grow: onecoconut for every ten, one banana for every ten. This is only proper,for the one

coconut, one banana are not your own. They belong to Godand the Gods.What about dasamsam of one's time? What do you all think Iam doing here daily for my Sweet Mother Rajarajeshwari? Even when Iam not motivated a particular day to post something due to some demands on my time, I STILL DO IT because then I remind myself of Dasamsa with regard to time for my devi.But most of the times I exceeed the time too(not just 10%) out of love for my Mother.This is natural for many devotees. In other words,Dasamsam can and should also beapplied to time, skills and talents. For example,

if a devotee is acarpenter or seamstress, those skills may help a local Hinduinstitution. Everyone, no matter what their skills, can and shouldgive ten percent of their time each week in service to theirreligious institution. We calculate it as four hours a week, which isten percent of a forty-hour work week, which amounts to 208 hours ayear. It is also acceptable to tithe one's time in intense projectsall at once, rather than each week. For example, many of the devoteeswho helped build the Swaminarayan temple in London took time off fromtheir professions for a full month and labored twelve hours a day tobuild that magnificent edifice. It has been our experience that thosewho tithe openly, honestly, spontaneously also give 10 percent oftheir time in service. Those who live beyond their means, juggletheir income and manipulate don't have time to give 10 percent oftheir time for religious service. That has been my

experience.Shall I do dasamsam on my monthly social security check? Yes. As the amountof your social security check has no direct relationship to theamount of social security withholdings over the years from yourpaychecks, it is best to look at what was withheld as a tax that youpaid to the government for the privilege of receiving social securityin your retirement years. Your employers have also contributed to thesocial security program based on the wages they paid to you. It iseven possible that the amount of your total social securitywithholdings is only a small fraction of what you receive back fromsocial security in monthly checks.What is the difference between gross and net income? Gross income isyour salary or wages before any deductions are taken. Net income isthe amount after deductions which, of course, is the amount of thepaycheck. Deductions are withholdings for federal and state taxes,social security

and other such items. The dasamsam is calculated as tenpercent of the gross income.The Proper Spirit of DasamsamWhat are some of the abuses of dasamsam? Many clever people who are inbusiness create "dasamsam/tithing shelters." They only pay themselves a littlebit out of their own business, and the rest of the profits go towardbusiness expenses, like the rent, the food and everything. In otherwords, they establish a tithing shelter, so they won't have to givemuch tithe. Finally, their conscience will come up and hurt and theywill straighten out their methodology. Others are happy to tithebecause they save on taxes. They figure out right to the penny, rightto the rupee, how much tax they save by how much they tithe. That isalso not the spirit of tithing. There are those who have taken apledge to tithe who, instead of tithing monthly, actually use God'smoney for two or three months to get interest or to pay debts,

thenfinally regather the funds together and tithe with a great effort.Bargaining and manipulating in that way is not the spirit ofdashamamsa.Devotees of the Nanganllur temple do dasamsam freely, wholeheartedly, withoutthought of such matters. The Singaporeans or the Malaysians get notax benefits from tithing. They do dasamsam because of their heart, andtherefore, punya, good merit, comes back to them. So, we can see itas a spiritual practice, not an intellectual practice. Dasamsam is avery simple practice, giving the first payment first -- giving one-tenth of God's money back to God. Someone gives you ten dollars; onedollar goes to God, and the rest is for you. If you get a paycheckfor $1,000 before deductions and $700 after deductions, you don't sayto yourself, "Well, I can't give $100 of the $1,000, because some wasdeducted for social security and other benefits." No, tithing is ongross income and the right way is to

give the full $100.What is the best attitude to keep in mind to avoid such abuse?Dasamsam, giving one-tenth of one's income, possessions or time, is adeeply religious commitment. It is not a business proposition. It isa religious commitment, based on the principle that 100 percent ofone's energy comes from God, 100 percent of one's belonging comesfrom God, 100 percent of one's activity and creativity comes fromGod. God gives back 90 percent. And God and the Gods keep 10 percentfor their work. What is their work? Uplifting humanity throughreligious organizations of all kinds.There is a great swami in India who began his entire organizationlargely on income from coconuts. Of every thirty coconuts thatreligious growers take off their trees, they give him three. Theydon't give excuses and say, "Swami only needs two out of every thirtycoconuts, because I am saving one coconut out of that batch for mysocial security."

They don't look at all the coconuts and say, "I'llgive Swami the smallest ones, the ones that I cannot sell." No.Because they are true devotees, they take three of the best coconutsand give them to the swami. The swami sells those coconuts to helpsupport his religious institutions. And through this practice theentire community has come up. There is another Guru Mahasannidhanam in South India. His localdevotees give 10 percent of the rice they harvest. They don't counteach grain. They simply take a 10 percent portion and present it tothe swami. We have been at his ashrama and seen rice piled twelve tofifteen feet high in the great

hall.Begin DASAMSAM, Then Take Your VowIf you, as an adult, have not already taken the Dasamsam vow yourself,there is no better time than now. But first begin tithing for sixmonths or more to set the pattern in your own mind that, "yes," youcan in the long run actually fulfill this commitment. Once you haveconvinced yourself, then set an auspicious date to take the vrata.Include your children. If they believe in the divine laws of SanatanaDharma and have faith in the principle of dashamamsha, they may beready to begin tithing. Once they also feel comfortable and fulfilledwith this ancient religious practice and you feel they are ready, letthem take their dashama bhaga vrata. Those taking the vow shouldrepeat the following paragraph in the home shrine or temple beforeGod and the Gods, family, guru or a respected elder. Repeat thedashama bhaga vrata, the vow to pay religion's dues, three times andcreate a covenant

to tithe. We have enclosed here a vrata certificateto document the vow taking. It can be photocopied and enlarged,signed and then framed or kept safely with other valuable papers. O Divine beings of all three worlds, let us bring our minds to restin the darshana of Him who has one tusk. Let us meditate on Him whohas the form of an elephant with a curved trunk. May He guide usalways along the right path. I, ________________ [name of devotee],believe in you, the one Supreme Goddess, Goddess Rajarajeshwari Devi, and the Goddesses of ourSrividya path, and in the Shaktha Dharma. In love and trust I recognizeyour goodness in providing for my every material and spiritual need.I accept the principal of dashamamsha (giving one-tenth of my

grossincome) as the method by which I may acknowledge my gratitude to you,Goddess Rajarjeshwari Devi, and share in helping you fulfill and perpetuate your workon Earth. As an act of dedication, I am resolved this day to begin(continue) the regular practice of Dasamsam.Announce Your Intent to do DASAMSAMAfter you have made your vrata, tell the trustees of your Hindu temple or society about the decision to pay your dashamamsha,your religious dues, to their organization during the first week ofeach month. They will be pleased that they have been chosen by youand be able to plan your contributions into their yearly budgets.SOUND FINANCIAL PRACTICESOnce you have been inspired to do dasamsam regularly, there are a fewfinancial practices that will assist you. These have been developedover several decades of tithing experience.1. Make Dasamsam Your First Budgetary ExpensePut dasamsam at the top of your

household budget list. We suggest thatyou purchase a book on household budgeting from your local bookstoreand, if you don't already have one, purchase a household budgetprogram for your computer. Putting our dashamamsha first creates afine feeling and presence of God in our home and lives. We know thatour income, as it goes toward home, food, clothing, education,entertainment and culture, is sanctified because ten percent wasdedicated to God. As we enjoy our home, its furnishings and thebounty of our life style, we can also feel content that God's work,the welfare of Hinduism and our local Hindu institution are wellprovided for.Everybody dreads the time near the beginning of the month when theysit down to pay the bills. Try not to treat the setting aside ofGod's money as paying one of the bills. Why not create a separatetime at the beginning of the month when God's money is calculated andthe check is written or cash

placed in an envelope? This will helpcreate the proper spirit and attitude. While calculating yourdashamamsha, think how it is helping your religion, your fellowHindus, yourself and your family now and in the future. Try to sensehow you are both a steward of God's money and a partner with God Sivaand the Gods in earning and providing for the family, the community,the nation and the religion.2. Complete a Formal, Written Reconciliation AnnuallyFor your and the institution's records, it is important to executea "dashamamsha reconciliation" once a year. We have provided twosample forms for this procedure, one for individual use and one forself-employed businesses or partnerships (you may photocopy andenlarge these for actual use). These reconciliations give tithers aclear record of their tithing for the year and enable benefitinginstitutions to create realistic financial plans based on the tithingof its

members.Nandinatha Sutras on God's MoneySutra 161: ONE-TENTH BELONGS TO SHIVASiva's close devotees take a vow and joyously tithe ten percent oftheir gross income to their lineage monthly. This is God's money.Using it otherwise is forbidden -- a karma reaping loss exceeding allanticipated gain. Aum.Sutra 162: TITHING IS THE FIRST OBLIGATIONMy close devotees consider tithing their first expense. They providea written reconciliation each April, including with it all unremittedtithing. Those behind in tithing are counseled to help them fulfillthe vow. Aum.Sutra 163: TITHING'S MANY BLESSINGSSiva's close devotees delight in the unfailing law that by tithingfreely and wholeheartedly, with a consciousness of plenty, theybecome receptive to God's blessings and draw to them abundance andhappy experiences. Aum.Tiruvalluvar's

Tirukural on Earning and Utilizing WealthKURAL 81: The whole purpose of earning wealth and maintaining a homeis to provide hospitality to guests.KURAL 85: If a man eats only after attending to guests' needs,whatfurther sowing will his fertile fields require?KURAL 87: Charity's merit cannot be measured by gifts given.It ismeasured by measuring the receiver's merits Try it. Test it to see if it's true or not. Almost everybody whodo dasamsam keeps doing it because they say it works. Do Dasamsam, to try Eshwaree,and She'll pour blessings upon you. Some people

think, "If I do dasamsam,I'll get lots of money." That isn't what was said. It was said thatEshwaree will pour blessings upon you.You may suddenly lose your headaches, or a backache may disappear. Oryou may find that your spouse is getting along real well with you, orthat the plumbing that was always getting stuck is no longer stuck,or that the person at the bank who was always hassling you has beentransferred. These little miracles of perfect timing take place, andyou say, "I can't believe this is all due to tithing."You have to check it out in order to know for yourself.Dasamsam/Tithing is an ancient Indian practice having it's roots in Agamas andVedas for those who think this is a Christian practice. The spread ofmassive spread of christianity is because of this singular practiceof 'Dashamsa'

Popularise the concept of 'dasamsa' to everyone. We should be proud ofHinduism and our ancient traditions and Im pretty sure almost 99.99% of what isgoing on the spiritual world today and in the past had their origins in Indiaand its hallowed spiritual traditions.This was a secret of the tantrics but took by Jesus to the west and theprosperity of the western world lies deep in this practice. Believe me Iam nottelling parrot stories here!! Certain things go beyond the realm of logic!YOU MAY WISH TO DO DASAMSAM OF YOUR GROSS INCOME TO : SHREE SARVAMANGALA RAJARAJESHWARI ASHRAMAM SREE RAJAGOPALA SWAMI-FOUNDER AND INCHARGE OF

RAJARAJESHWARI TEMPLESREE SARVAMANGALA RAJARAJESHWARI ASHRAM,18/29 16TH STREETTHILLAI GANGA NAGARCHENNAI600061TAMILNADUINDIAPHONE:011-91-44-22332330Dasamsha to this temple is very powerful as Rajarajeshwari is in the form ofSARVAMANGALA to bestow all forms of auspiciousness not just wealth and also inthe mantrarupini form in the mahameru prasthara form there urdha prasthara to bestow high spiritual powers and gnana.It is the only temple in India to have 43 yantras placed all over to give the benefit of visiting all shakthi peethas in India. Also it is the only temple in the country to have a shodasi rupa dharana of Rajarajeshwari Devi(at the behest of the Devi Herself).Devi Herself has ordained the construction of this temple and so be a part of its growth.Infact all is the sankalpa of devi.My posting this message and you reading it. And I know that those who have read this posting and are raring to do the Dasamsam are doing thus

because of the 'prerana'(inspiration) of Divine Mother for She alone knows whom to draw near Her. Iam just an instrument in Her Divine hands...maybe the dust beneath Her Holy Padukas(Holy sandals).There is no complusion...... Try it and reap the benefits! You may either 'vow',which will make it powerful and make you get the powerful protection of Shree Rajarajeshwari Devi or you may resolve to give and when you fall into the groove and find peace in the vrata you may then vow and make it a real 'vrata'(vrata means a sacred promise to God ..in sanskrit)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Please mention my name as Shreeram Balijepalli ofCanada when you talk with swamiji regarding sending the 'dasamsa' by cashier'scheck or money order.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~His and the temple contact details can be got in the first file in our

group. My Divine feelings and good wishes remain with you Vandita Ma as your spiritual brother. Already amny have started doing this vrata for the temple at my behest and have found solution to many of their angst including spiritual direction. OM AIM HREEM SREEM SVOM SARVAMANGALAAYAI NAMAHA SWAHA Happy 'Dasamsaming' and prospering,Shreeram Balijepalli vandita kandala <saidaya1980 wrote: Dear Shreeram Garu, Thanks for the info. provided . and Happy to know that you are from canada too. Best Regards, VanditaGroup Owner <para_anuloma wrote: Dear Vandita Ma, It is there in the first file of our group. Anyways Iam giving it here. But please do peruse the first file too. Shree Sarvamanagala Rajarajeshwari Ashramam Rajarajeshwari temple Sri A.V. Rajagopalan 18/29 16th Street Thillai Ganga Nagar Nanganallur Chennai 600061 Tamilnadu India ph:011-91-44-22332330 Iam happy you are visiting the temple.Please mention my name (Canada Shreeram) if you so desire for breaking ice with Swamiji. Swamiji lives next to the temple in the first floor in a two room set-up attached to the main temple.You may ask anyone there.You might also meet one lady by name Vaundhara(she is a teacher and is known as 'Teacher Amma' and tell my name as Canada Shreeram and she will be of immense help to you and will give an audience with Swami soon.She knows Telugu a bit(she speaks Dakshinaadi Telugu) But she knows English and Tamil fluently.) Hope this helps... Yours yogically, Shreeram Balijepallivandita kandala <saidaya1980 wrote: Dear Shreeram Balijepalli Garu,, please could you give me the Raja Rajeshwari temple adress from Chennai, I would like to visit the temple during my trip to India. Sorry for the trouble to ask you again as I know that you had provided this in your past many e-mails. regards, Vandita for Good - Make a difference this year. Purity, Powers, Parabrahmam... Click to join Rajarajeshwari_Kalpataru

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