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Friday, September 30, 2011

Giving

It is the joy of giving week. There was a report in the newspaper about how an aged spinster donated her big bungalow to an orphanage. I thought this lady must have had a big humanitarian heart to be able to give what she had and, probably, did not need. But, other than the lady, how big are our hearts? Leave aside giving something which is dear to us, are we big enough to give at least that which we don’t need?

Long time ago, in our country, there were brahmacharis, who would come asking for bhiksha on the doorsteps of other people. Their dharma suggested that they couldn’t demand, but humbly accept what was given to them. They could go to a few houses each day and ask for anna bhiksha. And people considered it a blessing to be able to give to these brahmacharis. At certain times when there would hardly be enough for the family, the lady of the house would never return a brahman empty handed when she heard “bhavati bhikshan dehi” and would share with him what little they had.

But that was a long time ago. Then it was even safe to leave your doors unlocked when you were not at home. Thefts were rare. Morality prevented people from even considering wronging others. There were not so many conmen then. People were genuine. Those were golden times.

Now is a different story. Gold prices have hit the roof. And desperate college students who need to meet their daily expenses have resorted to chain snatching and, sometimes, tear away the ear of an unaware passerby for some money worth gold ear rings, never mind the pain inflicted by the act or the life-long permanent disfigurement faced by the subject.

Looting is a common thing today. People bring certificates saying they are blind and ask for money for their eye operation. And when you try to help them, they attack you with their aides and loot you. So, now you have to beware such people. But how do you distinguish between people who genuinely need help and those that are conmen? You can’t! That’s why we have become sceptics and prefer not to help anyone. The times are bad!

And somehow, these changing times have changed our hearts too. It has given people free-wheeling to operate their selfishness. It is reason enough to say, “I don’t wan’t to give to anyone who comes by my doorstep! They are all cheats!” Even if you do help and give money or clothes to those who come asking for it, you are ridiculed and made guilty all your life for your ‘foolishness’. Who knows, they could be cheating all people with their lies! And you have fallen for it too. Stupid you!

But, is it right to let our miserliness take free reins? I sometimes feel small when I turn away a dumb and deaf child who comes asking for money to pay his school fees. He did not ask for 10,000 rupees, just whatever little I could contribute. What if I am being taken for a ride?

My grandma suffered from dementia. It was a difficult time to see this degenerative disease take her away from herself, and finally from all of us. It was a hard time for all of us. It was quite emotional, and sometimes emotions make you do things you never thought you would ever do. So, when you see an old woman on the road who seems to have lost her way, it doesn’t need logic to help her home. It just makes you think, it could be your grandma. Maybe, you will donate money to certain dementia care centres.

You don’t need such tragedies to be generous. Thank god for many philanthropists, the world is a better place. The world is still not void of good people. We must feel grateful for what we have- health, family, food, and security. Sometimes, we just need a heart.

2 comments:

  1. Thank you for this wonderful, inspiring post, Pooja! I really needed a wonderful reminder like this today.

    Belly B :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Belly B,

    Aww thanks. You are generous!

    ReplyDelete