Charity

Swamy Rama aTirtha

       Charity does not mean indiscriminate dispensation of wealth. The World comprises two types of people. The vast majority is far from being charitable. The rest indulge in unintelligent charity. Indiscriminate charity has resulted in a lot of misery. It has bred respectable beggars in Society. True charity emanates from proper judgment of the intellect. Not something that oozes out of a weak emotion of the mind. In its purest form, charity has the distinction of benefiting the done as well. Not just the donor.

       I drew circle. What you are giving is one dot here, Bill Gates is small dot here. These dots cannot solve the poverty of the World. Because, it is not done intelligently. Therefore, giving is not that easy. So, first of all you have to find what is your obligations. Your obligations is to give. But, the problem is nobody wants to give. Because it is so painful. But, once you learn the art of giving, it is most pleasurable thing. Doing exercise is most painful. But once you learned it and put into practice, you may feel sluggishness if you skip exercise one day. Everything is right, if you do it right thing at right time. Waking-up in the early morning by 4 am is very difficult. So difficult.

       Prophet Mohamed says he is best among you who is best in GIVING. That is a difficult thing to give. But once you give all the nakedness can be cleared and taken care of.

       One businessman from South Africa, confessed that he has 55 watches. What is he doing? The pain of giving is the problem. In the Old Testament, Moses went up to the Mountain, the voice of God told Moses to hold a life serpent and Moses hesitated. So frightful and difficult. Voice said, Hold it Moses and he plunged and killed that snake. Instantly, it became a famous star of the Mosses. You could achieve impossible things with the Star. What is the Star? If you do the thing, it is so painful in the beginning and it is a right thing. Your obligation is to share. If you catch the snake, it becomes a great benefactor. But you must practice it. You got get into that. Giving will pleases you. Unless you give the right of sharing, it will not please you.

Swamy Rama Tirtha

       During 1873 to 1906, Swamy Rama Tirtha was a greatest saint lived in Punjab, India. He uttered a famous statement in USA in the year 1902. He proclaims that: The way to gain anything is to lose it. The more you run after wealth, the more it recedes. The more you crave for it, the more it eludes you. Leave it alone, it follows you. Work dispassionately, the reward of work courts you.

Nature

       Take a look at nature. Learn your lessons from the Sun, Moon and Stars. They work tirelessly. Impersonally. The good Earth yields vegetation. The rivers flow. Flowers bloom. Give out sweet fragrance. With no ego prompting them. No personal motive. No selfish desire to fulfill. You find Sun giving vitality. It rises every morning and sets in the evening. If it does not still you have trouble. Meticulously it raises and gives vitality to the world. Gayathiri Mantras says “thank you Sun for coming and thank you for going’. That’s about all. We have to learn acknowledge the blessings.

       The clouds are giving rain throughout the World. It fills all the tanks and goes away. Without which we won’t survive. Earth gives vegetation over and over again. It produces same nutritious vegetables. Everything around the World working in a spirit of giving. Rose gives fragrance. Nightingale sings. Only a human beings wants to take. The more it gives, the more it has abundance. Sun is giving so much heat, now it becomes cold in Winter season. The more you give the more you have. The fear is to find out from the person who has given. The more you give, the more you have.

Lessons from Vigbyoric colours:

       The phenomenon of colours illustrates this law of life. Light is constituted of seven vibgyoric colours. When an object is bathed in light the seven colours impinge upon it. When the object absorbs, takes in all seven, it appears black. In effect, it loses all the colours. Whereas, when the object does not take in any colour, gives away the seven colours it appears white. When an object appears blue, it has actually given away blue and taken in the other six. It appears in the colour it parts with. An object gains the colour it gives away. Learn this lesson from nature. The more you give, the more you have in abundance. Your obligation to serve, sacrifice. Unless you get the taste of giving, it is difficult. Hence, taste the art of giving.

Story of a fake Sanyyasi or Saint

       The King of state was anxious to meet a sannyasi or sage, a recluse who has renounced everything in life. He enquired of his minister if he could find one such person. The minister took the king’s wish lightly and averred that there were many around. The king waited for a while. There was no response. One day, he summoned the minister and gave him a week’s time to fulfil his wish. The minister then realised that the King was serious. He tried hard to find one. But his attempts were all in vain. In utter desperation he devised a clever plan. He chose a young man to put on an act of sannyasi in return for a large sum of money. The man readily yielded to his request. He was dressed in ochre robe with other spiritual accessories to adorn his faked religiosity. He was asked to sit under a tree in a secluded place. The stage was set. The minister announced that he had located the sanyyasi. The King and his retinue was brought to the scene. The King was inspired at the sight of the feigned sannyasi. He prostrated at his feet. So did the queen. The King looked enquiringly t the minister. He had to prostrate too! The King offered trays of money, clothing and food. The sanyyasi would not accept any of them. The King was amazed at his spirit of renunciation. He reverentially took leave of the holy man and returned to the palace with his retinue.

       The minister rushed back to the scene. He commended the young man on his great performance. And offered him the promised payment. The sanyyasi refused to accept it. The minister was confused. He told him that the play was over and bade him accept the money. The young man gestured to the minister to sit down and spoke these words of wisdom, “Dear sir, did you not witness the beauty and grandeur of life in our episode? Have you not learnt a great lesson today? Do you realize I feigned an act of renunciation for a short while. The King, the Queen and the entire retinue were at my feet. Just an act of abstraction, a show of renunciation showered so much wealth and reverence upon me. What then would be the power of true renunciation? Realise that sir, and take back your money.” He became a great Saint thereafter.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Source: Excerpts from the lectures delivered by Swami A Parthasarathy.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------