Money, like any other thing such as nuclear energy, is a reality of life and living. It is not what we have but how we use it.People do charity for a variety of reasons. The best is doing it from our heart and feeling the fullness of giving.It is like a selfless service or loving someone unconditionally. This is spirituality at its best. However, there are going to be people who do acts of compassion and kindness, small and big, with a mixed or selfish motivation.Should we feel guilty for giving money or food or clothes or other things with selfish motivation and or should we feel guilty for receiving it? I donate my skills,knowledge , time and things as gifts with no ulterior motives.And when I do it, giving feels like receiving. This is what I call my heart acts. But when the ego comes into picture, what is also for me, it taints the act of doing.I am a human being and there are times when I have acted like this. It is not the money, time or knowledge that we give makes our acts spiritual. It is the motive, what is behind my doing, makes it spiritual.
And we had and we will have these two streams of giving in all parts of the world, rich or poor, the first world or the third world countries. I believe in counting our blessings and not judging others who have different motivations for doing what they do.Maybe, the more industrialized and urbanized and materialized we become, we lose heart to heart connectedness. I would like to continue evolving from from self-centered consciousness to transcendental state of consciousness. That makes my life journey a pilgrimage.
May we cultivate empathy, compassion and kindness for all who need our help.
On Jul 7, 2015 Jagdish P Dave wrote :
Money, like any other thing such as nuclear energy, is a reality of life and living. It is not what we have but how we use it.People do charity for a variety of reasons. The best is doing it from our heart and feeling the fullness of giving.It is like a selfless service or loving someone unconditionally. This is spirituality at its best. However, there are going to be people who do acts of compassion and kindness, small and big, with a mixed or selfish motivation.Should we feel guilty for giving money or food or clothes or other things with selfish motivation and or should we feel guilty for receiving it? I donate my skills,knowledge , time and things as gifts with no ulterior motives.And when I do it, giving feels like receiving. This is what I call my heart acts. But when the ego comes into picture, what is also for me, it taints the act of doing.I am a human being and there are times when I have acted like this. It is not the money, time or knowledge that we give makes our acts spiritual. It is the motive, what is behind my doing, makes it spiritual.
And we had and we will have these two streams of giving in all parts of the world, rich or poor, the first world or the third world countries. I believe in counting our blessings and not judging others who have different motivations for doing what they do.Maybe, the more industrialized and urbanized and materialized we become, we lose heart to heart connectedness. I would like to continue evolving from from self-centered consciousness to transcendental state of consciousness. That makes my life journey a pilgrimage.
May we cultivate empathy, compassion and kindness for all who need our help.
Jagdish P Dave