Fwd: Giving, dana, is the third great religious practice, or niyama

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Hare Krsna Dana: GivingGiving, dana, is the third great religious practice, or niyama. It isimportant to remember that giving freely of one's goods in fulfillingneeds, making someone happy or putting a smile on his face, mitigatesselfishness, greed, avarice and hoarding. But the most important factoris "without thought of reward." The reward of joy and the fullnessyou feel is immediate as the gift passes from your two hands intothe outstretched hands of the receiver. Dana is often translated as"charity." But charity in modern context is a special kind of givingby those who have to those who have not. This is not the true spirit ofdana. The word fulfillment might describe dana better. The fulfillmentof giving that wells up within the giver as the gift is being preparedand as the gift is being presented and released, the fulfillment ofthe expectancy of the receiver or the surprise of

the receiver, and thefullness that exists afterwards are all a part of dana.Dashamamsha, tithing, too, is a worthy form of dana--giving God's moneyto a religious institution to fulfill with it God's work. One who isreally fulfilling dana gives dashamamsha, never goes to visit a friendor relative with empty hands, gives freely to relatives, children,friends, neighbors and business associates, all without thought ofreward. The devotee who practices dana knows fully that "you cannot giveanything away." The law of karma will return it to you full measureat an appropriate and most needed time. The freer the gift is given,the faster it will return.What is the proportionate giving after dashamamsha, ten percent, hasbeendeducted. It would be another two to five percent of one's gross income,which would be equally divided between cash and kind if someone wantedto discipline his dana to that extent. That would be

fifteen percent,approximately one sixth, which is the makimai established in South Indiaby the Chettiar community around the Palani Temple and now practiced bythe Malaka Chettiars of Malaysia.If one were to take a hard look at the true spirit of dana in today'ssociety, the rich giving to religious institutions for a tax deductionare certainly giving with a thought of reward. Therefore, giving afterthe tax deductions are received and with no material benefits or rewardsof any kind other than the fulfillment of giving is considered by thewise to be a true expression of dana. Making something with one's ownhands, giving in kind, is also a true expression of dana. Giving a giftbegrudgingly in return for another gift is, of course, mere barter. Manyfamilies barter their way through life in this way, thinking they aregiving.

But such gifts are cold, the fulfillment is empty, and the lawof karma pays discounted returns.

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