what true daana was........................???

[Guest guest]

........Charity or alms-giving is stressed in every religion as also in the Hindu

scriptures as stated already. Yet as very few understand and practice it

correctly, Baba had to give Nana instructions on Daana to reduce lobha, moha and

mada especially through increasing contact with God. Babas instructions to Nana

are found in the Gospel 306-309. The first advice was that alms giving should be

straightforward. No one when asked for alms should utter falsehood and say I

have not got it (the money or other things prayed for), when he has got it, but

only decline to give it in polite terms and say that circumstances do not allow

the giving. No crooked ways should be adopted. Yet after this advice was given,

some time later, Nana, who had promised to pay Rs. 300 for charity to be done at

the Kopergaon Datta temple, did not bring the money and therefore avoided a

visit to the temple, which was on his way to Shirdi. He, with the approval of

his friend, took a detour through a very thorny path, as a result of which he

and his friend ran thorns in their bodies. When they reached Shirdi, Baba would

not talk to them................

 

 

C: - Why don't you talk to me?

 

B:-Nana, when a man says he will remember the lessons I taught him but really

does not, how can I talk to him?

 

C:-Baba I remember all your lessons.

 

B: - You gentleman, you evade seeing 'Sircar' (God Datta and take a detour. Why?

Because the sadhu will ask you for Rs.300. Is this the way to remember my

lesson? If you have not got the money, if it was not easy to arrange it, you

have only to tell him the fact. Will that saint eat you? But what device is this

to avoid the temple of God for fear of the saint demanding money? Well then,

have not thorns pierced your feet and body and the posterior part of your

sapient friend? How can I talk to such a person?

 

........Again Baba advised Nana to give his alms without any arrogance or anger

and that if any beggar was not pleased and wanted more, then the beggar should

be answered suavely. Wrath and official authority should not be flung at him.

Nana thought this quite easy. But on one occasion when his wife was being

pestered at Kalyan by a Brahmin beggar woman, who was not content with

one-eighth of a measure, one-fourth of a measure, one-half of a measure, or one

measure, or even 2 measures, of Bhajani (Poriarisi porikollu) i.e. fried and

seasoned rice, and who threatened not to leave the house (at all) till the whole

stock of four measures in the possession of the lady was handed over to her,

Nanas wife lost patience and sent for her husband. Nana came and gave it hot to

the beggar woman. Either you take what is given or the peon will neck you out,

he stiffly remarked. Then the beggar woman left. When later Nana went to Baba,

Baba again refused to talk to him. Mitra Dandam Abhashanam is the well known

saying. That means, The way to punish a friend is by refusing to talk to him.

When Nana asked for an explanation, Baba said, You forgot the lesson I gave.

When that beggar woman was importuning you for more and more bhajani, why did

you show your anger and official authority, and threaten to neck her out? What

mattered it if you suavely refused to give more? The woman would have remained

for some time longer and left of her own accord. Nana recognized that this

mysteriously over watching guardian angel of his was watching him every moment

and anticipating the temptations and evils that would befall him, and that he

should be more careful in carrying out his (Babas) instructions. Thus, Lobha by

leading to arrogance, insolence etc. in Nana was put down by Baba, and Nana

recognized more and more what true daana was.....................

 

Jai Sai Ram

Swamy Mahadevan

Bow to Shri Sai[Peace be to all