If you buy a branded shirt/pant, do you know major part of the money goes to the dress designer who is already a rich person. Very small amount goes towards really making it. Same happens when we spend on designer jeweleries, watches etc. When we buy food items from farmers directly, money directly goes to those who produce it rather than buying food at the stores. Similarly spending money on luxurious items also redirects money to the undesirable sources. Similarly buying a product that is new in the market having a certain oomph factor also causes money to go to unwarranted resources. I would rather like to wait till the craze goes down and buy the product after proper evaluation..
Now coming back to the continuation of my last topic on giving back to the society - Are we doing enough? Here is something I would like to discuss..
Here, in DFW area, Texas, there is a temple and every sunday devotees sponsor food for anybody who visits the temple. Most often the money is a donation by a particular family, and sometimes the cost of food exceeds the donation money. In that event, the rest is arranged by the temple trust. Now, at the outset this appears as a very noble act. There are lots of volunteers who just turn up for cooking and cleaning and serving. Initially, I thought - what a selfless act!! Even, the moment I came to Texas, I thought of signing up for the temple services during the weekends. It seemed perfectly logical, but during my 2 and half years stay in Texas, my temple visits was very limited - can be counted in fingers. Have I lost morality or faith or mind? Well, the reason I don't have much affiliation for temple activity stems from the events I have described above.
Now how often we end up visiting birthday parties, wedding parties and gift generously to the otherwise well off people for the occasion? Probably, we are hypocrites and don't want people to think that we are cheap. And in order to hide that, we end up giving something that can be right fully used more effectively if we donate that to people in need! Lets talk about the temple free food event. Almost all the people that are visiting the temple on sundays are quite well off people, riding big cars, having good jobs etc. They just come to the temple, enjoy the free food and leave. Does it accomplish anything or serve any purpose for the volunteers? I don't think so. Instead, if the cost of the food and the labor is charged for a price - which I think should be quite affordable to the affluent lot and the temple uses that money for some good cause, will be so much more meaningful.
We are from a developing country, and there are plenty of hungry people who need food on a daily basis. There are plenty of sick people that are denied of proper treatment. Then why do we shower our kindness to people who are completely capable of looking after themselves? Not only that they are capable of even doing something for the others.
People like the Amabnis spend crores and crores of rupees on organizing parties for the celebrities, but don't show any kindness towards people in the villages not having proper electricity and/or drinking water. Most of us earn enough money that is enough for our daily expanses, but still we don't feel like giving away the remaining to the poor. Most often we misdirect our kindness towards the unworthy people - be it for political reason or for any other reason. I wonder if we can learn anything from Khimjibhai on the True "art of giving"..
Finally thought of quoting some great excerpts from another web site:
“Rivers do not drink their own water ,
nor do tree eat their own fruit ,
nor do rain clouds eat the grains reared by them.
The wealth of the noble is used solely for the benefit of others?
Even after accepting that giving is good and
that one must learn to give ,
several questions need to be answered.
The first question is
When should one give ?
Yudhisthir asks a beggar seeking alms to come the next day.
On this , Bhim rejoices , that Yudhisthir his brother ,
has conquered death!
For he is sure that he will be around tomorrow to give.
Yudhisthir gets the message.
One does not know really whether one will be there tomorrow to give!
The time to give therefore is NOW.
The next question is
How much to give ?
One recalls the famous incident from history.
Rana Pratap was reeling after defeat from the Moghals.
He had lost his army , he had lost his wealth ,
and most important he had lost hope , his will to fight.
At that time in his darkest hour , his erstwhile minister
Bhamasha came seeking him and placed his entire fortune
at the disposal of Rana Pratap.
With this , Rana Pratap raised an army
and lived to fight another day.
The answer to this question how much to give is
Give as much as you can !
The next question is
What to give ?
It is not only money that can be given.
It could be a flower or even a smile.
It is not how much one gives but how one gives
that really matters.
When you give a smile to a stranger
that may be the only good thing
received by him in days and weeks!
“You can give anything but
you must give with your heart !
One also needs answer to this question
Whom to give ?
Many times we avoid giving by finding fault with the person
who is seeking. However , being judgmental and rejecting
person on the presumption that he may not be the most
deserving is not justified.
Give without being judgmental !
Next we have to answer
How to give ?
Coming to the manner of giving , one has to ensure
that the receiver does not feel humiliated ,
nor the giver feels proud by giving.
‘Let not your left hand know what your right hand gives?
Charity without publicity and fanfare ,
is the highest form of charity.
Give quietly !While giving let not the recipient feel small or humiliated.
After all what we give never really belonged to us.
We come to this world with nothing and will go with nothing.
The thing gifted was only with us for a temporary period.
Why then take pride in giving away something
which really did not belong to us?
Give with grace and with a feeling of gratitude.
What should one feel after giving ?
We all know the story of Eklavya.
When Dronacharya asked him for his right thumb
as “Guru Dakshina”.
He unhesitatingly cut off the thumb and
gave it to Dronacharya.
There is a little known sequel to this story.
Eklavya was asked whether he ever regretted the act of
giving away his thumb when he was dying.
His reply was “Yes ! I regretted this only once in my life.
It was when Pandavas were coming in to kill Dronacharya
who was broken hearted on the false news of death of
his son Ashwathama and had stopped fighting.
It was then that I regretted the loss of my thumb.
If the thumb was there ,
no one could have dared hurt my Guru?
The message to us is clear.
Give and never regret giving !
And the last question is
How much should we provide for our heirs?
Ask yourself , ‘Are we taking away from them the “gift of work? – a source of happiness!’
The answer is given by Warren Buffett:
“Leave your kids enough to do anything ,
but not enough to do nothing !
I would conclude by saying:
let us learn the Art of Giving ,
and quoting Sant Kabir:
“When the wealth in the house increases ,
When water fills a boat ,
Throw them out with both hands !
This is the wise thing to do!
This is another watershed kind of Article
I am still assimilating it …
I will be reading it again and again
[this is taken from soul searchers website http://www.soulsearchers.co.in - it is written by Gurudev Shri Rudrabhayananda]
nor do tree eat their own fruit ,
nor do rain clouds eat the grains reared by them.
The wealth of the noble is used solely for the benefit of others?
Even after accepting that giving is good and
that one must learn to give ,
several questions need to be answered.
The first question is
When should one give ?
Yudhisthir asks a beggar seeking alms to come the next day.
On this , Bhim rejoices , that Yudhisthir his brother ,
has conquered death!
For he is sure that he will be around tomorrow to give.
Yudhisthir gets the message.
One does not know really whether one will be there tomorrow to give!
The time to give therefore is NOW.
The next question is
How much to give ?
One recalls the famous incident from history.
Rana Pratap was reeling after defeat from the Moghals.
He had lost his army , he had lost his wealth ,
and most important he had lost hope , his will to fight.
At that time in his darkest hour , his erstwhile minister
Bhamasha came seeking him and placed his entire fortune
at the disposal of Rana Pratap.
With this , Rana Pratap raised an army
and lived to fight another day.
The answer to this question how much to give is
Give as much as you can !
The next question is
What to give ?
It is not only money that can be given.
It could be a flower or even a smile.
It is not how much one gives but how one gives
that really matters.
When you give a smile to a stranger
that may be the only good thing
received by him in days and weeks!
“You can give anything but
you must give with your heart !
One also needs answer to this question
Whom to give ?
Many times we avoid giving by finding fault with the person
who is seeking. However , being judgmental and rejecting
person on the presumption that he may not be the most
deserving is not justified.
Give without being judgmental !
Next we have to answer
How to give ?
Coming to the manner of giving , one has to ensure
that the receiver does not feel humiliated ,
nor the giver feels proud by giving.
‘Let not your left hand know what your right hand gives?
Charity without publicity and fanfare ,
is the highest form of charity.
Give quietly !While giving let not the recipient feel small or humiliated.
After all what we give never really belonged to us.
We come to this world with nothing and will go with nothing.
The thing gifted was only with us for a temporary period.
Why then take pride in giving away something
which really did not belong to us?
Give with grace and with a feeling of gratitude.
What should one feel after giving ?
We all know the story of Eklavya.
When Dronacharya asked him for his right thumb
as “Guru Dakshina”.
He unhesitatingly cut off the thumb and
gave it to Dronacharya.
There is a little known sequel to this story.
Eklavya was asked whether he ever regretted the act of
giving away his thumb when he was dying.
His reply was “Yes ! I regretted this only once in my life.
It was when Pandavas were coming in to kill Dronacharya
who was broken hearted on the false news of death of
his son Ashwathama and had stopped fighting.
It was then that I regretted the loss of my thumb.
If the thumb was there ,
no one could have dared hurt my Guru?
The message to us is clear.
Give and never regret giving !
And the last question is
How much should we provide for our heirs?
Ask yourself , ‘Are we taking away from them the “gift of work? – a source of happiness!’
The answer is given by Warren Buffett:
“Leave your kids enough to do anything ,
but not enough to do nothing !
I would conclude by saying:
let us learn the Art of Giving ,
and quoting Sant Kabir:
“When the wealth in the house increases ,
When water fills a boat ,
Throw them out with both hands !
This is the wise thing to do!
This is another watershed kind of Article
I am still assimilating it …
I will be reading it again and again
[this is taken from soul searchers website http://www.soulsearchers.co.in - it is written by Gurudev Shri Rudrabhayananda]
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