Informative

Charity: The art of giving

Once, Lord Vishnu tried weighting charity on one scale and salvation on another. He found out that the scale of charity was heavier than salvation. And hence, he decided to take ten avatars on earth for the betterment of the commoners. That’s the weight of charity.

Ancient Indian text Dharmashastra is one of the oldest texts, written during the Indus Valley civilization, dated the first millennium BCE. Dharmashastra discusses the stages of life, social classes, life goals, nonviolence, and many other topics. On the subject of charity, it says

 परोपकारं वहन्ति नद्या , परोपकारं दुहन्ति गाया| परोपकारं फलन्ति वृक्ष, परोपकारं इदं शरीरं ||

Paropakaram Vahanti Nadya, Paropakaram Duhanti Gaaya| Paropakaram Phalanti Vriksha, Paropakaram Idam Shareeram||

This means rivers flow for the betterment of others; cows give milk for the same reason, trees bear fruits for the same, and our body has been created for the single purpose: Paropakar. Paropakar means helping others unconditionally and helping them without expecting anything back from them.

In each live session, Swamiji tells us about the importance of charity. While explaining the whole philanthropy mechanism, Swamiji says, “Help others with an open heart, without any plan. If you spend that much money with an open mind to the right charity, you will see that your wealth has been multiplied. Whatever you can ask from the universe, you should ask, keeping in mind that you should be ready to donate or contribute the same quantity you are asking for, with an open heart.”

The charity’s concept is that everything belongs to god, and while doing charity, you are just giving back to him. In modern days, c

charity is often termed as giving back to society. Both have a common notion of giving back to the one who is in need.

Characteristics of a righteous Donor:

A donor should have a mind with positive and happy thoughts.

Patrons tend to be empathetic towards the struggle of others. They feel obligated to ease the hardship of others without seeking anything for their benefits.

An ideal donor must have a mind with clear and calm thoughts. He should have clarity of thought and a vision to make a positive change in the world. 

A donor must be passionate, committed, and focused on creating a long-lasting impact rather than creating a temporary solution.

Those who are truly sincere about altruism neither seek recognition nor go around telling people about the charity they have done, expecting praises or rewards for it. 

Being issue-driven, a real donor first decides on the change they want to see in the world. And then, he looks for the organization that can make it happen. In short, they support the cause and not the organization.

This is what happens to your subconscious every time you are giving:

-You declare that you are touched by the divine.

-You declare that you are an upstanding human being.

-You declare that you believe in doing the right thing.

-Your mesolimbic system, a part of the brain that controls feelings of reward and pleasure, activates when you donate. Its also triggered by the things like food, sex, and drugs.

-You have a greater sense of purpose, with your self-esteem escalating. 

-Filled with such positivity, you are empowered with greater feelings of personal control over your life.

-You admire the right people who also practice philanthropy. 

There is a fascinating aspect to giving. Most of the time, when we spend money on things, it just subtracts. But when it comes to charity, even though it seems the immediate subtraction of the wealth on the surface, there always will be an unexpected return from the universe.

Newton’s law of motion says, ‘To every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.’ The Bible says, ‘you reap what you saw.’ Karma is all about actions and reactions, whether someone believes in it or not. When you spread happiness in the world, the universe gives joy back to you, multiplied.

When you do helpful things to others, you will never know when it will come back to you. You may get it in this life, or it may benefit you in the next life, and hence, giving to the less fortunate should be a lifetime habit.    

Remember, the best way to help someone is to make sure that they don’t need your help anymore. It is believed that the act of charity slowly cleanses your subconscious from the burdens of your sins. When Yaksha in Mahabharata asks Yudhishthira, who is the best friend of a dying man, Yudhishthira answers, the act of charity is the best friend of the person who is dying, as he will be carrying these sacraments to the next life.  

We hope this blog helped you understand the concept of charity and how we can implement it in our lives to be a better version of ourselves. If you have questions, feel free to write to us at info@chamundaswamiji.com.