Generosity on the Vedic Path
click for more discussions fromThe Vedic View thru the eyes of Arci Edwards
This month's Vedic view is offered thru the eyes of Arci Edwards.
Although the discussion on the round table is of generosity, I have come to see generosity as being intertwined in its existence with charity - generosity being the heart-space from which we give in charity, uninhibited by and unshackled from the fear of lack. It is not something that can be imitated, but rather comes naturally as a flower of realization and spiritual advancement. The more I have realized that everything belongs to God and is to be used in His service, and nothing, including my body, is owned by me, but rather that I am, at every moment, the recipient of charity, and someone somewhere has sacrificed something for me to exist at this moment as I am - the more fully generous I can be. A realized person will only take what is needed and share the rest with others, seeing all living entities as "brother" and "sister", all plants, animals, stones and people as divine sparks from the Divine Father. They will think, "I am simply the caretaker of this body and of those who share my world." I pray to realize this knowledge so I will be able to use the gifts bestowed upon me - knowledge, wealth, belongings, shelter, food, unconditional love - to uplift others, to have them leave richer than when they came - fuller, centered, satisfied, nourished - thereby making worthy the sacrifice of my benefactors.
Although there are no rules when it comes to generosity, no hinderances or binding of the heart with which we give in charity, there are, however, according to Vedic understanding, considerations to guide us in the giving of charity that supracedes and, therefore, channels generosity. In the Bhagavad-gita, 17th chapter, verses 20-22, it is explained:
One thing to consider from the above verses is, what is it that makes a person "worthy" or "unworthy" of charity. The worthiness of the recipient is understood to be determined by how the recipient will use what is given in charity. According to the Vedas, the highest, the worthiest, recipient of charity are those who spread God consciousness, for it is God consciousness that will eleviate the greatest distress of repeated birth and death by awakening people to the awareness that they are a servant of the Supreme Lord and that their happiness lies in re-establishing their transcendental loving relationship with Him. The least worthy recipient is someone who would use the charity to further sinful activities. Is it wise to give a drunkard or a junkie $5, $10, $20? To give to them without restriction is actually considered an act of violence because they will do nothing but degrade themselves or others even more. (This does not mean that the drunkard or he junkie would not be a worthy recipient of some other form of charity - a hot meal, a warm bed, etc) When we give to a worthy recipient, every one benefits. When we give to an unworthy recipient, no one benefits and everyone involved, including us, the charitable person, becomes entangled in the web of undesirable effects.
Another instruction from the above Bhagavad-gita verses is to give without the expectation of some return. The ignorant person is acting because he thinks that he is going to get something in return. He goes to church or gives some charity, but in the hope of getting something back, either in this life or the next. But the wise man is doing these same things for a different reason—because it is the desire of God. That is called devotional service.
Charity in the modes of passion and ignorance, or performed indiscriminately, are condemned. Charity in the mode of goodness, both giving and receiving, is required.
For householders [married couples], the first duty is to give charity. Even before he sits to take his lunch, he is instructed to call outside three times, "if anyone is hungry, please come and eat". If someone comes, then they are fed first. My spiritual master teaches that householders should give 50% of their income in charity.
There is a level of charity that exists even above the charity in goodness. This is charity on the platform of suddha-sattva - transcendental to material conditions - and is charity that leads to spiritual perfection. It is even said, "ANYTHING DONE WITHOUT a transcendental objective - whether it be sacrifice, charity, or penance, is useless." To clean and polish a bird cage without nourishing the bird inside is sheer foolishness and cruelty. Similarly, to give care to the body without satisfying the longings of the soul is just as foolish and cruel. This does not mean we ignore the needs of the body, mind and senses - no. Because the body, which houses the soul and the Supersoul, is a temple of the Lord and is necessary for executing devotional service, all care is given. In a truly God conscious society, there is no suffering on any level - physical, mental or emotional. When my spiritual master saw children eating from the trash behind a temple he was building, he declared, "You must see that within a 10 mile radius, no one goes hungry. That will be your success. Krishna is everyone’s father. How can the son go hungry in the presence of the father? Immediately arrange to distribute prasadam.’ Did he arrange for a church barbeque or turkey dinner creating even more suffering in the name of charity? NO, he arranged for the distribution of sanctified vegetarian foodstuffs, known as prasadam, food that has first been offered to the Lord. (That was in 1969 and the food distribution is still going on today). The satisfaction of material needs is carried out in relationship to the Supreme, with full consciousness of Him, therefore satisfying BOTH.
From the above, we can see that charity is the duty of those with the means and is to be performed with consideration of the welfare of the recipient, with the spiritual welfare being the highest consideration. Generosity is the superexcellent mood or extent or heart with which one gives in charity. I feel I should put a warning here: you know one of those "Do not attempt! Closed course. Professional Driver" type of things. As I mentioned earlier, deep levels of generosity as displayed by advanced transcendalists are not meant to be imitated. If charity is made with such abandon without the realization of spiritual knowledge, then the charity will be offered begrudgingly, hardening the heart, and naturally causing an expectation of return or payback, a sense of entitlement or pride. And this, as we discussed earlier, is a type of charity that is condemned. But for one who is at such a level, oh, the freedom, the release. The doors of the heart fly wide open and the fragrance of the Lord's flower garland fills the corners of the mind - for the kingdom of God is at hand.
One time, three people approached a king, King Jarasandha: "O King, know us to be needy guests who have come to you from afar. We wish all good unto you. Please grant us whatever we desire." (It is one of the duties of a king to give what is asked of him as long as it was for their welfare). The king placed considerations before the three men:
"What if you request my son, from whom separation would be intolerable?" To this objection they replied, "For a tolerant person, nothing is intolerable."
"What if you ask me to give my body or my precious jewels and other ornaments, which are meant to be given to my sons, not to ordinary beggars?" To this they replied, "For the generous, what is not to be donated in charity?" In other words, everything is to be given.
"What if it resulted in me giving charity to my enemies." To this his guests countered with the statement "For those with equal vision, who is a stranger?"
Thus making up his mind, the generous Jaräsandha addressed his guests: "O learned brahmanas, choose whatever you wish. I will give it to you, even if it is my own head."
There was also a priest named Väsudeva, who was a great person but who was suffering from leprosy. Indeed, his body was filled with living worms. Although suffering from leprosy, Väsudeva was enlightened. As soon as one worm fell from his body, he would pick it up and place it back again in the same location so that the worm would not be distressed.
There once lived a King Rantideva. He was always satisfied and depended completely on the Lord's providence. At the same time, when guests came to his palace the generous king would personally look after their every comfort, as if it all depended not on providence but on him. Once King Rantideva fasted for forty-eight days, but he never complained or made any attempt to get food. On the morning of the forty-ninth day, he received a sizeable quantity of well-prepared food. But just as he was about to take his meal, a learned priest arrived as a guest. King Rantideva was very advanced in spiritual knowledge, so he could see that the Supreme Lord dwells in the heart of every living being. As a result, he received his guest with faith and respect and gave him a share of the food. The priest ate to his satisfaction and went away.
Now King Rantideva again prepared to break his long fast, but just as he was about to take his first bite, a laborer entered the palace. King Rantideva could also see the Supreme Lord dwelling in the heart of this laborer, so he gave him a portion of the food as well.
After the laborer had gone away, a bearded and bedraggled man surrounded by a pack of dogs arrived before King Rantideva. "O King," he said, "my company of dogs and I are very hungry. Please give us something to eat." With great respect King Rantideva gave what was left of his food to the dogs and their master.
Now only some drinking water remained, and there was only enough for one person. When the king was just about to drink it, a man in worse condition than the last appeared before him and said, "O King, although I am not worthy, kindly give me some drinking water."
Touched by these pitiable words, the good-hearted King Rantideva offered this man the last of his water. Then he prayed,
"I do not pray to the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krishna for the powers of mystic yoga, nor for salvation from repeated birth and death in the material world. I want only to stay on this earth among all the living creatures and suffer all their pains for them. In that way they may be freed from all distress."
All three of these personalities demonstrate the essential qualities of generosity - uninhibited, unrestricted giving without consideration of inconvenience or a resultant lacking on the part of the giver in order to free others from their distress. With full dependence on the Lord, to sacrifice the multifarious forms of energy at one's disposal - possessions, money, time, even one's own body - to take on any amount of hardship without the least concern for the self, so that someone else's burden may be lifted - this is generosity; and to act in such a way that another's burdens are lifted once and for all, that the source of all misery is reduced to a pool the size of a calve's hoofprint and easily stepped over, this, my dear friends, is the most generous act.
"All purposes served by a small well can at once be served by a great reservoir of water" (Bg 2.45 - 46). The great reservoir of water is engaging people in transcendental activities, giving them opportunites for spiritual advancement. All other acts of charity are small wells in comparison. Think for just a moment. What if our endeavors to save the whales were successful, the sealions, the wolves and all the people who are to be liberated from tyranny - the Iraqis, the Darfurians, - were successful? My dear sensitive friends, your hearts are so large, and you feel for the suffering of others. I implore you to consider that in spite of the charity and endless hours of protest, even if efforts successful, each and every one of them will still grow old, will die and will be reborn with a whole new set of difficulties. Yes, work to minimize the suffering, mitigate the distress. AND do so in such a way that the end of one is simply the beginning of another. You have heard the saying, "The operation was a success, but the patient died." No generous act of charity will truly completely benefit a living entity unless it releases them from the shackles of material existence. Once this occurs, all other distress will vanish like the darkness upon the arrival of the light.
In this age, the recommended process for bringing in the light, for having direct, DIRECT, contact with the source of all light, with the Supreme Lord, is by chanting His holy names. Because He is absolute, the Lord and His names are non-different. To be in the presence of the Holy Name is to be in the presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. And where there is Godhead there is no nescience. The recitation of the Lord's Holy Name is the sublime method for reviving our original God consciousness. When one is factually on the plane of spiritual understanding, surpassing the stages of sense, mind and intelligence, one is situated on the transcendental platform where they are free to experience transcendental ecstasy. Immediately, immediately upon the pure recitation of the Lord's sweet Holy Names one is delivered from all material distress and one's loving relationship with the Lord begins to take form. That is why the Hare Krishna mantra, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, is known as the maha-mantra, or the Great Chanting for Deliverance. The generous person will accept this mantra or another name of God in charity with humility and grace, taking it deep into their heart, so that they might be able to offer it purely to others. The result would be heaven on earth.
It is my conclusion that to remain and work in this world as a servant of God so that others may re-establish their loving relationship with the Lord, rise above material consciousness and break the cycle of repeated birth and death - the source of ALL misery - and go back home, back to Godhead in full eternity, knowledge and bliss, this is the ultimate expression of generosity.
Although the discussion on the round table is of generosity, I have come to see generosity as being intertwined in its existence with charity - generosity being the heart-space from which we give in charity, uninhibited by and unshackled from the fear of lack. It is not something that can be imitated, but rather comes naturally as a flower of realization and spiritual advancement. The more I have realized that everything belongs to God and is to be used in His service, and nothing, including my body, is owned by me, but rather that I am, at every moment, the recipient of charity, and someone somewhere has sacrificed something for me to exist at this moment as I am - the more fully generous I can be. A realized person will only take what is needed and share the rest with others, seeing all living entities as "brother" and "sister", all plants, animals, stones and people as divine sparks from the Divine Father. They will think, "I am simply the caretaker of this body and of those who share my world." I pray to realize this knowledge so I will be able to use the gifts bestowed upon me - knowledge, wealth, belongings, shelter, food, unconditional love - to uplift others, to have them leave richer than when they came - fuller, centered, satisfied, nourished - thereby making worthy the sacrifice of my benefactors.
Although there are no rules when it comes to generosity, no hinderances or binding of the heart with which we give in charity, there are, however, according to Vedic understanding, considerations to guide us in the giving of charity that supracedes and, therefore, channels generosity. In the Bhagavad-gita, 17th chapter, verses 20-22, it is explained:
That gift which is given out of duty, at the proper time and place, to a worthy person, and without expectation of return, is considered to be charity in the mode of goodness. But charity performed with the expectation of some return, or with a desire for fruitive results, or in a grudging mood, is said to be charity in the mode of passion. And charity performed at an improper place and time and given to unworthy persons without respect and with contempt is charity in the mode of ignorance.
One thing to consider from the above verses is, what is it that makes a person "worthy" or "unworthy" of charity. The worthiness of the recipient is understood to be determined by how the recipient will use what is given in charity. According to the Vedas, the highest, the worthiest, recipient of charity are those who spread God consciousness, for it is God consciousness that will eleviate the greatest distress of repeated birth and death by awakening people to the awareness that they are a servant of the Supreme Lord and that their happiness lies in re-establishing their transcendental loving relationship with Him. The least worthy recipient is someone who would use the charity to further sinful activities. Is it wise to give a drunkard or a junkie $5, $10, $20? To give to them without restriction is actually considered an act of violence because they will do nothing but degrade themselves or others even more. (This does not mean that the drunkard or he junkie would not be a worthy recipient of some other form of charity - a hot meal, a warm bed, etc) When we give to a worthy recipient, every one benefits. When we give to an unworthy recipient, no one benefits and everyone involved, including us, the charitable person, becomes entangled in the web of undesirable effects.
Another instruction from the above Bhagavad-gita verses is to give without the expectation of some return. The ignorant person is acting because he thinks that he is going to get something in return. He goes to church or gives some charity, but in the hope of getting something back, either in this life or the next. But the wise man is doing these same things for a different reason—because it is the desire of God. That is called devotional service.
Charity in the modes of passion and ignorance, or performed indiscriminately, are condemned. Charity in the mode of goodness, both giving and receiving, is required.
One who does not give charity according to the customs or injunctions of the scriptures and one who does not accept charity in that way are considered to be in the mode of ignorance. (SB 4.27.25)
The obligatory duties of the three classes who are the priests, the administrators and the merchants - are worship of the Lord, study of the scriptures and giving charity. (SB 11.17)
A Ksatriya, or ruler, levies taxes upon the citizens not for his personal sense gratification but to give charity in suitable cases. (SB 9.11.5)
For householders [married couples], the first duty is to give charity. Even before he sits to take his lunch, he is instructed to call outside three times, "if anyone is hungry, please come and eat". If someone comes, then they are fed first. My spiritual master teaches that householders should give 50% of their income in charity.
There is a level of charity that exists even above the charity in goodness. This is charity on the platform of suddha-sattva - transcendental to material conditions - and is charity that leads to spiritual perfection. It is even said, "ANYTHING DONE WITHOUT a transcendental objective - whether it be sacrifice, charity, or penance, is useless." To clean and polish a bird cage without nourishing the bird inside is sheer foolishness and cruelty. Similarly, to give care to the body without satisfying the longings of the soul is just as foolish and cruel. This does not mean we ignore the needs of the body, mind and senses - no. Because the body, which houses the soul and the Supersoul, is a temple of the Lord and is necessary for executing devotional service, all care is given. In a truly God conscious society, there is no suffering on any level - physical, mental or emotional. When my spiritual master saw children eating from the trash behind a temple he was building, he declared, "You must see that within a 10 mile radius, no one goes hungry. That will be your success. Krishna is everyone’s father. How can the son go hungry in the presence of the father? Immediately arrange to distribute prasadam.’ Did he arrange for a church barbeque or turkey dinner creating even more suffering in the name of charity? NO, he arranged for the distribution of sanctified vegetarian foodstuffs, known as prasadam, food that has first been offered to the Lord. (That was in 1969 and the food distribution is still going on today). The satisfaction of material needs is carried out in relationship to the Supreme, with full consciousness of Him, therefore satisfying BOTH.
From the above, we can see that charity is the duty of those with the means and is to be performed with consideration of the welfare of the recipient, with the spiritual welfare being the highest consideration. Generosity is the superexcellent mood or extent or heart with which one gives in charity. I feel I should put a warning here: you know one of those "Do not attempt! Closed course. Professional Driver" type of things. As I mentioned earlier, deep levels of generosity as displayed by advanced transcendalists are not meant to be imitated. If charity is made with such abandon without the realization of spiritual knowledge, then the charity will be offered begrudgingly, hardening the heart, and naturally causing an expectation of return or payback, a sense of entitlement or pride. And this, as we discussed earlier, is a type of charity that is condemned. But for one who is at such a level, oh, the freedom, the release. The doors of the heart fly wide open and the fragrance of the Lord's flower garland fills the corners of the mind - for the kingdom of God is at hand.
One time, three people approached a king, King Jarasandha: "O King, know us to be needy guests who have come to you from afar. We wish all good unto you. Please grant us whatever we desire." (It is one of the duties of a king to give what is asked of him as long as it was for their welfare). The king placed considerations before the three men:
"What if you request my son, from whom separation would be intolerable?" To this objection they replied, "For a tolerant person, nothing is intolerable."
"What if you ask me to give my body or my precious jewels and other ornaments, which are meant to be given to my sons, not to ordinary beggars?" To this they replied, "For the generous, what is not to be donated in charity?" In other words, everything is to be given.
"What if it resulted in me giving charity to my enemies." To this his guests countered with the statement "For those with equal vision, who is a stranger?"
Thus making up his mind, the generous Jaräsandha addressed his guests: "O learned brahmanas, choose whatever you wish. I will give it to you, even if it is my own head."
There was also a priest named Väsudeva, who was a great person but who was suffering from leprosy. Indeed, his body was filled with living worms. Although suffering from leprosy, Väsudeva was enlightened. As soon as one worm fell from his body, he would pick it up and place it back again in the same location so that the worm would not be distressed.
There once lived a King Rantideva. He was always satisfied and depended completely on the Lord's providence. At the same time, when guests came to his palace the generous king would personally look after their every comfort, as if it all depended not on providence but on him. Once King Rantideva fasted for forty-eight days, but he never complained or made any attempt to get food. On the morning of the forty-ninth day, he received a sizeable quantity of well-prepared food. But just as he was about to take his meal, a learned priest arrived as a guest. King Rantideva was very advanced in spiritual knowledge, so he could see that the Supreme Lord dwells in the heart of every living being. As a result, he received his guest with faith and respect and gave him a share of the food. The priest ate to his satisfaction and went away.
Now King Rantideva again prepared to break his long fast, but just as he was about to take his first bite, a laborer entered the palace. King Rantideva could also see the Supreme Lord dwelling in the heart of this laborer, so he gave him a portion of the food as well.
After the laborer had gone away, a bearded and bedraggled man surrounded by a pack of dogs arrived before King Rantideva. "O King," he said, "my company of dogs and I are very hungry. Please give us something to eat." With great respect King Rantideva gave what was left of his food to the dogs and their master.
Now only some drinking water remained, and there was only enough for one person. When the king was just about to drink it, a man in worse condition than the last appeared before him and said, "O King, although I am not worthy, kindly give me some drinking water."
Touched by these pitiable words, the good-hearted King Rantideva offered this man the last of his water. Then he prayed,
"I do not pray to the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krishna for the powers of mystic yoga, nor for salvation from repeated birth and death in the material world. I want only to stay on this earth among all the living creatures and suffer all their pains for them. In that way they may be freed from all distress."
All three of these personalities demonstrate the essential qualities of generosity - uninhibited, unrestricted giving without consideration of inconvenience or a resultant lacking on the part of the giver in order to free others from their distress. With full dependence on the Lord, to sacrifice the multifarious forms of energy at one's disposal - possessions, money, time, even one's own body - to take on any amount of hardship without the least concern for the self, so that someone else's burden may be lifted - this is generosity; and to act in such a way that another's burdens are lifted once and for all, that the source of all misery is reduced to a pool the size of a calve's hoofprint and easily stepped over, this, my dear friends, is the most generous act.
"All purposes served by a small well can at once be served by a great reservoir of water" (Bg 2.45 - 46). The great reservoir of water is engaging people in transcendental activities, giving them opportunites for spiritual advancement. All other acts of charity are small wells in comparison. Think for just a moment. What if our endeavors to save the whales were successful, the sealions, the wolves and all the people who are to be liberated from tyranny - the Iraqis, the Darfurians, - were successful? My dear sensitive friends, your hearts are so large, and you feel for the suffering of others. I implore you to consider that in spite of the charity and endless hours of protest, even if efforts successful, each and every one of them will still grow old, will die and will be reborn with a whole new set of difficulties. Yes, work to minimize the suffering, mitigate the distress. AND do so in such a way that the end of one is simply the beginning of another. You have heard the saying, "The operation was a success, but the patient died." No generous act of charity will truly completely benefit a living entity unless it releases them from the shackles of material existence. Once this occurs, all other distress will vanish like the darkness upon the arrival of the light.
In this age, the recommended process for bringing in the light, for having direct, DIRECT, contact with the source of all light, with the Supreme Lord, is by chanting His holy names. Because He is absolute, the Lord and His names are non-different. To be in the presence of the Holy Name is to be in the presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. And where there is Godhead there is no nescience. The recitation of the Lord's Holy Name is the sublime method for reviving our original God consciousness. When one is factually on the plane of spiritual understanding, surpassing the stages of sense, mind and intelligence, one is situated on the transcendental platform where they are free to experience transcendental ecstasy. Immediately, immediately upon the pure recitation of the Lord's sweet Holy Names one is delivered from all material distress and one's loving relationship with the Lord begins to take form. That is why the Hare Krishna mantra, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, is known as the maha-mantra, or the Great Chanting for Deliverance. The generous person will accept this mantra or another name of God in charity with humility and grace, taking it deep into their heart, so that they might be able to offer it purely to others. The result would be heaven on earth.
It is my conclusion that to remain and work in this world as a servant of God so that others may re-establish their loving relationship with the Lord, rise above material consciousness and break the cycle of repeated birth and death - the source of ALL misery - and go back home, back to Godhead in full eternity, knowledge and bliss, this is the ultimate expression of generosity.
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