True Charity
Most of you would agree that it is generally considered wrong to be selfish. If someone tells us that we are selfish, we resent it and leap to our defence to prove otherwise. This indicates that people generally desire to be philanthropists, or at least seen as such in the eyes of others. Today, however, the meaning of philanthropy is completely misunderstood. It is a word that appears repeatedly in our scriptures, but like many of them nowadays, they are taken out of context or misinterpreted by others to suit their own interests. Let us learn what Jagadguruttam Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj and the scriptures tell us about doing good to others.
Veda Vyasa highly praises paropakarah — a Sanskrit word meaning “to do good to others”. The key to understanding benevolence lies in understanding this one word. It comprises two words: para and upakara. Para or “other” has two meanings: one is the individual soul and the other is the body of the individual soul. Hence, upakara, or “benevolence” is of two kinds. One is for the betterment of the soul and the other is for the betterment of the body.
Just as the spiritually aware know that the ‘I’ is only the soul and the worldly inclined believe the ‘I’ to be only the body, benevolence is of two kinds. According to the Saints and scriptures, the meaning of benevolence is the upliftment of the soul, and from the point of view of the spiritually ignorant, benevolence means doing charity for the betterment of the physical body.
By material betterment we mean doing things like donating financially to the poor or destitute, providing food, shelter, clothing, amenities, and other such things to comfort those in need. Though this is a noble cause, worthy of our support and praise, from a spiritual point of view, benevolence directed solely for the body will prove detrimental to the soul. How so?
It is a well-known fact that desire only increases with the acquisition of material things. We all know this from our own personal experience. And this is so, according to scripture, right up to the abode of Brahma. The more you have does not equate to more happiness. If this were so, we would have attained true everlasting, ever increasing happiness many times over. But we have not. The surprising thing is that we all know this to be true, but very few of us reflect on it and seek the alternative. A person does not and cannot gain peace through the acquisition of material things — this obsession, akin to a disease, extends right up to the king of the celestial abodes, who, according to the Bhagavatam 9.19.14, Vishnu Purana 4.10.23 etc. desires the seat of Brahma. What happiness can we ordinary souls possibly expect to attain from the world when the king of the celestial abodes himself is not happy or content?
Shri Maharaj Ji makes understanding scriptural science so easy. In this context he says that the world is made of material matter, maya, and the soul is divine, a part of God. Hence, we can never attain happiness of the soul through the acquisition of material matter, regardless of how great we think worldly wealth to be. Even if we were given the entire world, desire for more will not cease, nor will peace be attained. On the contrary, states the Ramayana, our restlessness for more will only go on increasing.
The more we get the more greed we have, and greed is like an open invitation for pride. Pride, the very antithesis of humility, is born. With pride escalating upon the acquisition of more worldly wealth, a person begins to consider himself second only to God! In such an intoxicated state, a person can never think about the upliftment of the soul. Herein lies the reason why Kunti asks Shri Krishna (Bhagavatam 1.8.26) to grant her an absence of material wealth. Our scriptures are full of examples of people suffering under the pride caused by excessive worldly wealth: Ravana, Sugriva, King Chitraketu to name a few. Their example warns us to never think that sensual pleasures will lead to the fulfilment of desire, and therefore, happiness.
Shri Maharaj Ji gives the following analogy to describe the condition of our mental state due to this obsession. Imagine the state of a monkey, haunted by a ghost, drunk on wine, suffering from hysteria, and stung by a scorpion. This give us some idea of the disastrous ramifications all this has for our mind, and therefore, our spiritual endeavour.
True charity lies in imparting knowledge about the impermanence of this world, to help people to develop detachment. Such knowledge seeds the understanding in peoples mind that their true identity is a soul, and it gives them the tools needed to practice in their daily life for their spiritual upliftment. Of course, this is only possible when the giver of this knowledge (and the knowledge itself) is genuine. In other words, only a God-realised Saint can do anything for the genuine welfare of humankind.
Jagadguru Kripalu Bhaktiyoga Tattvadarshan
The essence of Vedic wisdom, spirituality and devotion in daily life.
