The Pearl of Wisdom - Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15

Charity

Disciple: Swami, glorious guru, dharma (charity) is generally spoken of in the world. How many kinds of charity are there? Swami, please explain this to me.

Guru: Son, listen. I shall tell you. Dharma, (charity) is a glorious thing. It is a living pulse for the bliss of Moksha (ultimate reality). Son, great men, ancient people, Nabis (prophets), men of God’s grace and even the Beloved Allah, Almighty, Himself, have extolled the virtues of dharma to the world. Charity is a gift to him, who is born as a human. Great men have sworn that the tree of charity will protect you from the difficulties and hardships of life, like providing nourishment to a dead tree, pouring water on it and helping it to grow again. The world has forgotten this. Today, charity is being classified as follows:

1. Charity is performed to exhibit it to the world.

2. Charity is for self-acquirement, for one’s own name, fame, glory and titles.

3. Charity is performed with a melting heart of tranquillity and compassion

Saying "I have nothing in my hand. O Compassionate One! Gem of my eye! O God, protect me!" Charity is fetching water in a brass vessel with eyes of compassion, smiling teeth, a face blooming like the white lotus flower and resonating with the words of grace to offer this water of dharma, which at a draught will appease the body and the mind. Charity is to worship the Incomparable One and to glorify Him with both hands raised , or sometimes reclining and performing the ritual prayers. This is the true Dharma.

4 .Son, gem of my eyes. Listen. Charity or an offering will be performed according to a man’s reasoning power. Charity has four different meanings to the humans created by God. Those who are devoid of kindness, devoid of generosity, devoid of charity and who possess an unkind heart do not know how to give charity. They think of charity with the above mentioned shades of meaning.

O Son, Manu-eesan ( man, the divine, ) even if he is blind in both his eyes will laugh on hearing this type of charity. Manu-eesan, who is created by God, laughs and says, “ It is charity sans compassion !” O dear son, listen further. Manu-eesanis truth born as human, growing as human, knowing himself, discarding this language and elevating God’s words with joy. Among these characters, he is the most exalted. He is on the correct path with undiminishing charity and plenitude of heart. To him, there is no word called “charity”. You will ask me “Why?” Let me tell you.

Swamis, yogis, mystics, humans, kings, poets, professors, scholars, aalims ulemas,

masthans, and yet others who are with hearts of kindness and absorbed in grace will open their wondrous mouths and call , “Brothers, give us charity. All that are in the four lands are within us. Come let us eat well. Offer charity for your own good.” So they say.

But those who know, those who are enlightened in kindness, those who are immersed in happiness, those who have melting hearts, those who understand the universe, those who glorify Allah saying, “ Alhamduillah “ ( Praise be to Allah ) and those who have clarified bliss, know this is not charity. There is nothing in such men, my son. If you intensely gaze at the heart’s point you will see, my disciples, gems of my eyes.

Disciple: Swami, then what is charity ? What is that which they give ? Please teach this to me in detail.

Guru: Listen. I shall tell you the subtlety of this. God created man. He created the totality of all other creations for man. God created the earth. In the earth He created gold. He filled the earth with gold. He created nine varieties of precious stones. He created the Brilliant. He created every variety of gems of priceless value. He created the sea. In the sea He created numerous things. He opened up places whose value is beyond comprehension. He created the mountains. Inside the mountains He created innumerable gems and He kept them there. The forest, the mountain, the hill, the river, gold, property, the body, the life-force, the house, the threshold, the cattle, the calf, the storyed-house, the Arsh, ( Throne of Allah ), the Kursh ( Eye of Wisdom ) Louhill, Mouhill ( Divine Tablets ), Kalam ( pen ) , Paradise, Hell and the Fourteen Worlds belong to the Immovable Graceful One.

The Enlightened Ones burst into laughter if we offer something as charity, because what right have we to claim anything when a man’s life and body belong to Him? These true mystics realise that God is the only Wealth and the Possessor of the “One Thing”. These soulful, blissful true mystics keep their eyes open day and night and weep in ecstasy. They are absorbed in Him. They are intoxicated with Him. They are merged with Him. This is the fourth type of charitable state.

Soothsayers, not realising themselves, unmindful of the future and blissfully fulfilling their mind’s decree, say with greed, “ Ah ! Ah! “ and “ Ka ! Ka! “ “ My possessions, my house, my pleasure ……. there is no more sorrow. This is incomparable pleasure. Look!

There is no heavy sorrow on my head. “

They say this repeatedly and feel comforted. Nevertheless, listen, young brother. Forgetful of the Unknown Great All- Mighty Ruler, they cheat other lives , reduce wages to the minimum, assault the poor, employ them till dawn and chase them away at dawn.

They take things with craftiness, sell at the bazaar, devalue the heart , make collections round the country, keep in hunger those whom they see or hear of and those who work for them. They lend money on interest, procrastinate their time, cheat, insult, usurp to themselves the life-time earnings of the poor, harass them with many acts of misdeeds,

amass wealth in this manner , increase their financial power and offer charity to the undeserving. This is unkind charity. Do you observe this without any hesitation ? You should express contempt at this type of charity, my son.

It is in this manner that charity is being practised in this world. But if a human born as a human, regards other lives as his and with happiness, sympathy, charity, submission, devotion, duty, patience and tranquillity comes forward with purity of heart, there will be no poverty, no want and no powerful people.

A person who knows this will realise that everything belongs to Him and there is nothing of his own. Nothing at all ! “ Body, property and life all three belong to Him and there is nothing at all that is mine ! O God , Gem of my eyes, give us all Your Grace, O Lord, my Ruler ! Many things that belong to You grow for the redemption of all Your things. I am Your slave today and forever. “ So saying, you must sing the praises of God, O disciples, gem of my eyes. Know this.