The Art of Giving

'Rivers do not drink their own water , nor do trees eat their own fruit , nor do rain clouds eat the grains reared by them. The wealth of the noble is used solely for the benefit of others?Even after accepting that giving is good and that one must learn to give, several questions need to be answered.
The first question is when should one give? Yudhishtir asks a beggar seeking alms to come the next day. On this , Bhim rejoices , that Yudhishtir his brother , has conquered death! For he is sure that he will be around tomorrow to give. Yudhisthir gets the message. One does not know really whether one will be theretomorrow to give! The time to give therefore is NOW.
The Second question is 'how much to give? One recalls the famous incident from history. Rana Pratap was reeling after defeat from the Moghals. He had lost his army , he had lost his wealth , and most important he had lost hope , his will to fight. At that time in his darkest hour, his erstwhile minister Bhamasha came seeking him and placed his entire fortune at the disposal of Rana Pratap. With this, Rana Pratap raised an army and lived to fight another day.
The answer to this question how much to give is' Give as much as you can ! The Third question is 'what to give'? It is not only money that can be given. It could be a flower or even a smile.It is not how much one gives but how one gives that really matters. When you give a smile to a stranger that may be the only good thing received by him in days and weeks! 'You can give anything but
you must give with your heart' ! One also needs answer Fourth question 'whom to give'? Many times we avoid giving by finding fault with the person who is seeking. However, being judgmental and rejecting a person on the presumption that he may not be the most deserving is not justified.
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Give without being judgmental' ! Next we have to answer the Fifth question 'How to give' ?Coming to the manner of giving , one has to ensure that the receiver does not feel humiliated , nor the giver feels proud by giving. 'Let not your left hand know what your right hand gives? Charity without publicity and fanfare , is the highest form of charity. While giving let not the recipient feel small or humiliated. After all what we give never really belonged to us. We come to this world with nothing and will go with nothing. The thing gifted was only with us for a temporary period. Why then take pride in giving away something which really did not belong to us? Give with grace and with a feeling of gratitude.
'Give quietly' !
What should one feel after giving ? We all know the story of Eklavya. When Dronacharya asked him for his right thumb as 'Guru Dakshina'. He unhesitatingly cut off the thumb and gave it to Dronacharya. There is a little known sequel to this story. Eklavya was asked whether he ever regretted the act of giving away his thumb when he was dying. His reply was 'Yes! I regretted this only once in my life. It was when Pandavas were coming in to kill Dronacharya who was broken hearted on the false news of death of his son
Ashwathama and had stopped fighting. It was then that I regretted the loss of my thumb. If the thumb was there , no one could have dared hurt my Guru? The message to us is clear.Give and never regret giving !And the Seventh and the last question is ' How much should we provide for our heirs? Ask yourself , 'Are we taking away from them the 'gift of work?- a source of happiness!' The answer is given by
Warren Buffett, the investment Guru: 'Leave Your Kids Enough To Do Anything , But Not Enough To Do Nothing ! I would conclude by saying: let us learn the Art of Giving , and quoting Sant Kabir: 'When the wealth in the house increases , When water fills a boat , Throw them out with both hands'

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An Attitude Of Gratitude

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire.If you did, what would there be to look forward to?
Be thankful when you don't know something,for it gives you the opportunity to learn.Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.Be thankful for your limitations,because they give you opportunities for improvement.Be thankful for each new challenge,
because it will build your strength and character.Be thankful for your mistakes.They will teach you valuable lessons.
Be thankful when you're tired and weary,because it means you've made a difference.It's easy to be thankful for the good things.A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who
are also thankful for the setbacks.Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.Find a way to be thankful for your troubles,and they can become your blessings.

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LIFE

"For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin -real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life."
This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way, so, treasure every moment that you have.
And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time... and remember that time waits for no one.
So stop waiting until you finish school,
until you go back to school,
until you lose ten pounds,
until you gain ten pounds,
until you have kids,
until your kids leave the house,
until you start work,
until you retire,
until you get married,
until you get divorced,
until Friday night,
until Sunday morning,
until you get a new car or home,
until your car or home is paid off,
until spring, until summer, until fall,
until winter,
until you are off welfare,
until the first or fifteenth,
until your song comes on,
until you've had a drink,
until you've sobered up,
until you die,
until you are born again to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy... Happiness is a journey, not a destination.
So, Work like you don't need money. Love like you've never been hurt and Dance Like no one's watching.

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YESTERDAY, TODAY, TOMORROWThere

are two days in every week about which we should not worry.Two days which should be kept free from fear and apprehension.One of these days is yesterday with its mistakes and cares,Its faults and blunders, Its aches and pains.Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control.All the money in the world cannot bring back yesterday.We cannot undo a single act we performed.We cannot erase a single word we said. Yesterday is gone.The other day we should not worry about is tomorrow.With its possible adversities, Its burdens, Its large promise and poor performance.Tomorrow is also beyond our immediate control.Tomorrow's Sun will rise, either in splendor or behind a mask of clouds, but it will rise.Until it does, we have no stake in tomorrow, for it is yet unborn.This just leaves only one day . . . Today.Any person can fight the battles of just one day.It is only when you and I add the burdens of those two awful eternity's -yesterday and tomorrow that we break down.It is not the experience of today that drives people mad.It is the remorse or bitterness for something which happened yesterday and the dread of what tomorrow may bring.Let us therefore live but one day at a time.

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