Page 4 - ASHLAR - July-Sept 2020

N A L G R
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G E AND LODGE
The Ashlar R Vol. XVI Issue II
practicing charity. Tosome charity may be an humility they carry their begging bowls while
attitude;but can be made a habit by cultivating it. the donors illuminate themselves shedding
Christianity too encourages charity and their ego emanating from accumulation of
compassionate activities to help the poor and wealth.
suffering people. Under the Works of Mercy , Karna, the man of fire,the man of pride, the man
the seven corporal works identified are noted of headlong straightforwardness was born with
below: a natural armour that no weapons could pierce
1.to feed the hungry. 2.to give drink to the through protecting him from his enemies. Even
thirsty. 3.to clothe the naked.4.to harbor the at the risk of danger and possible harm to
harbourless. 5.to visit the sick. 6.to visit the himself later, the indomitable character and
imprisoned and 7.to bury the dead. Mother exemplary practitioner of charity in the epic
Teresa of Kolkotta, who was later canonized as Mahabharata, submitted himself to the appeal
a saint by the Catholic Church has rendered all of alms. When Indra disguised as an old
the works of mercy during her life time .She was Brahmin approached Karna for a boon
otherwise a reflection of charity and exemplary requesting his natural protective armour, Karna
practitioner of the noble virtue. The realized the tricky situation. As a man of
Congregation of Sisters of Charity founded by inflexible word who never fails, honoured his
her to serve the poor, sick and desolate c o m m i t m e n t b y p a r t i n g w i t h t h e
continue to serve in several countries kavachakundala exposing him vulnerable and
ameliorating the sufferings of the afflicted. indefensible in the war.
TheQuran stipulates that all Muslims practice There is a queer anecdote on charity narrated
regular charity and those whose wealth in the book, “The Laws of the Spirit World”by
exceeds certain threshold are under obligation KhorshedBhavnagari.Suresh, his name , was
to give a portion of their wealth- in goods or rich, popular and famous in his society. He
money annually to the poor. The practice of made donations of large amountsto various
sharing wealth is known as Zakat. The root from charities, created jobs for many, donated
which the word, “zakat” is derived means to clothing,housing and food to many. He was
purify and to increase,So the obligation to give absolutely sure that he would go to Heaven
alms has also an inner purifying function. It not after his death for he had accomplished several
only purifies the donor's wealth it also acts of charity. People talked about him as a
encourages a general charitable disposition good soul and a grand funeral was held in his
and a non-attachment to worldly possessions. It memory when he died. A statue of Suresh was
is said “Alms fall into God's hand, before erected in the charitable institute he had helped
reaching the hands of the poor.” . . establish.
Buddhists practice religious mendicancy known When Suresh arrived at the spirit world, after
as Takahatsu .The Japanese practice involve his death he was given entry into the lower
trainees walking through the streets of a town in realms and he (soul)was angry , jittery and
single file , chanting Dharma(the law) while vociferous about his lower status in the spirit
holding aloft a “begging bowl”into which the world. He shouted, “God is not just; Even the
believers and sympathisers drop money , and priests ,philosophers and holy men have fooled
wearing a cloth bag into which food is him when they promised him Heaven if he did
charity.” Other souls in the spirit worldpacified
deposited. The idea behind the takahatsu is that
the people doing it offer upto the community the and told him that while he was doing charities,
his intention was not selfless, kind and genuine
example of their simple lives and service to for his motive was to gain access to and a place
others, and in turn are sustained economically in Heaven. They explained to Suresh that God
by believers in the truth of Dharma. With
Almighty had not fooled him, but rather he had

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