During my childhood times, whether was it in Bangalore or Chitradurga or Dandeli, childhood was fun. Village days are the best in contrast to my experience in the beautiful city life of Bangalore. I still treasure my days at the Fort city Chitradurga, the mountains and waterfalls of Dandeli. These places are very close to me, all those people I have come across are bonded with my heart and become my character. Those experiences are the ones I treasure as my most priced moments I stop by and smile at them unknowingly. Thanks to my Dad and his bank, as he kept transferring from once city to another, me and my brother got to enjoy some wonderful, amazing, character building experiences and learn important lessons of life.
Those eloquent mountains, the vast wide open spaces, the fog, those farmers, the market place, private busses, humble, hopeful and naïve people sporting their simple attire, hard working communities and a place with no tension, no hustle bustle but pure serenity and bliss. I can never stop admiring how beautiful life can be in such places compared to the commercial urban places or even the beautiful landscapes and glaring city skylines of glittery cities in some of the richest nations could be. I still find our villages to be the best among all. They just stand out and they ooze humanity.
Those days, as I freshly recall, we used to have some priests visiting every house in the street, call out standing near the gate for money/food etc.,. Some saying “Govinda govinda” , with a bell or some with a Bull/Ox, what we call in kannada “hoogooli”, or those guys who play trumpet, shankha or at times chanting a particular line of mantra, or those “budbudke” fortune tellers etc.,. And I remember my granny (this was at our house in bangalore though) used to give them a fist full of rice, or wheat sometimes, or some short form of money etc.,., I recall, one day I had asked for a balloon or a toy that time, I think I was in 3rd or 4th grade, the toy I think cost only 50 paise then, which she refused to buy it for me; saying, she doesn’t have enough money. But then, the very same day, when someone came begging saying “govinda govinda” she gave him the very same 25 paisa. I always wondered why she gave them when she herself had so less to share. Since she ran the house in her pension, she hardly had any money, I knew it, but I could not understand the reason behind all the sacrifice. I used to think - was that beggar so important to her than me? Or what was it, why did she consider giving so important. I kept thinking about it a lot then - But only now I have discovered the meaning behind her generosity.
Perhaps the answer is that she was Philanthropic. She never throughout her life said "I am bored of life or tired of it" Even when my grandfather passed away leaving 3 unmarried daughters (who are my most amazing aunts) and hardly any money, she never ever complained, not even once. Nobody in the family, including myself saw or heard her sad or complaining. She seemed to love every challenge with a smile and a undaunted faith in God. Her benevolent and generous behavior is spread all of her daughters, sisters, almost everyone throughout the family. Even today if anyone asks my mom any help, even with her ailments, she just doesn’t know how to say NO! Many times she has run into a plight of issues because of that, and with no regret she still does give and goes all out to help the needy to whatever little or best she can. Nor my mom or my granny never ever boasted about giving, even when we joked or taunted them. Thanks to their virtuousness and gullibility. They weren't even proud that because of their help someone got better or something hard was finally accomplished. They never took credit for it, even when they got into trouble because of that, they never stood up for themselves. But WHY? I used to find this a unsolved puzzle. Whats the point in giving someone and not be proud of telling it or announcing the help you offered? Soon I realised, the power of this universe backs you up when you help others, while it leaves you when you boast about it.
You just help anyone, everyone, and never boast about it. Feel the satisfaction within, feel the bliss of bettering someone's day. This is what we learnt and its truly amazing!
The philosophy was simple, "GIVE". Give whatever little you can give. Give aimlessly, with an open heart. Give with a blessing and a smile. If you have nothing to give, give yourself to help someone in trouble. It is innate to our very human nature to help anyone in trouble. But alas, many now have forgotten that term and they even consider helping out people is wrong or lower to their dignity. But giving is actually getting back two folds in return!
When I started researching why one needs to give (or why my grandma, my aunts all love to give back so much that they consider the person in need above all of us kids? or what happens if you dont give or how giving is everyone's duty, I came across this line from our Upanishad that in Sanskrit says “danam priyavastaitam shradhaya danam ashradhaya na daanam” . This simply means Giving is joy, giving is happiness. Generosity brings prosperity. And prosperity need not be just wealth. Wealth is no proportion to prosperity. And what you give matters, not who gave or how much one gave. One should never broadcast a charity, because if you do, the joy is lost. Charity is extremely important to every human being. Charity should be as simple as breathing, as we breathe without any effort and not be proud of it, charity is everything and a basic human duty.
My granny always believed that every such "needy" saint/priest who visited her house, was a form of God himself visiting. Giving them, was an offering to God that she would get a chance to make. In a very silent and an indirect way, she taught me helping people is the only way you can help yourself. That way you never can run into a helpless situation. What goes around comes around. But you should always charity with a pure heart, with no expectations or pride. One should never look down upon someone who doesn’t have just because you have what he doesn’t. Give but never announce you gave, Give but never be proud of it. Give but never out of pity, give with profound joy and purity. PLEASE! Give out of humanity.
Next time you see a begging cripple, a dirty old man struggling to survive yet stretching at you is a empty hand but hopeful eyes, a blind woman out of her modesty seeking your help – PLEASE GIVE! Fill their palm with what you can, glitter their eyes with hope, shower your blessing, instill a sense of divinity in your soul. Give what you can afford to give. You never know what he or she has gone through, you have no right to pity. Please ask your own heart, think from the bottom of it, feel for that person, value their life and I beseech everyone to please GIVE. If you want to see miracles in your life, want to grow bigger and better, and lead a happy life – spread happiness, start now by Giving.
As I wrote this article, as if it was a miracle - some how this amazing book lands up in my hands its called "Go Giver".
If you still want to get better at life, you have to read this short book and know from Pindar how beautiful life can become, how successful one can be, when you start giving back!
As I wrote this article, as if it was a miracle - some how this amazing book lands up in my hands its called "Go Giver".
If you still want to get better at life, you have to read this short book and know from Pindar how beautiful life can become, how successful one can be, when you start giving back!
