05 Dec 2020
[An online spiritual discussion was conducted on November 8, 2020, in which several devotees participated. Some of the questions of devotees answered by Swāmi are given below.]
[Śrī Pavan Kuppa asked: Tirumala Tirupati Devasthānam is serving free food to everyone without seeing their deservingness. They are unable to see who deserves and who is not. How to evaluate a person and donate only to the deserving person, especially when it is the case of a beggar sitting before a temple?
Śrī Bharath Krishna asked: Swāmi, I remember You once said, “After looking for a deserving person in this entire world, I only found Myself as the most deserving person. If I have to donate to someone, I have to take money out of My left pocket and put it in My right pocket.” In what context did You say that Swāmi?
Śrī Pavan Kuppa asked: This donation of knowledge which You are doing to all of us is the biggest donation, Swāmi. It is not something which we can purchase from somewhere. It is impossible for an ordinary human being to teach this knowledge without hurting the receiver by carefully revealing it in a step by step manner.]
Swāmi replied: O Learned and Devoted Servants of God! Unless you evaluate the deservingness of the receiver, there is always a risk in doing the charity because, if the receiver is undeserving, you will get the punishment of the sin, instead of getting a positive fruit. Doing charity is very tricky, like a double-edged sword. The entire concentration must be in deciding the deservingness of the receiver. Certainly, it is not easy. Hence, I advise you to not be in any haste and donate under the illusion of a holy place and holy time. If the receiver is holy, every place is holy and any time is holy.
Regarding the serving of free food to all temple visitors, irrespective of their deservingness and need, I have already given a message. I have suggested that Tirumala Tirupati Devasthānam (TTD) should open beggar homes providing residence, food, clothing and medicine to beggars, instead of giving food to everybody. The majority is capable of purchasing their own food and so, you can charge them as outside restaurants charge people and use that money for running those beggar homes. Many are capable of spending for their food and you are forcing them to take free food in the name of prasāda (sacred remains) of God. This is not a wise and correct process. As āpaddharma, which is charity done in an emergency without looking into the deservingness of the receiver, beggars and extremely poor people must be helped. They should be provided not only with food, but also residence, clothing and medicines. If the above-said policy of charging financially-capable people is followed, the basic needs of these beggars and extremely poor people can be provided.
Regarding the taking money from one pocket and putting it in the other pocket, the Veda says that charity (other than āpaddharma) should be done to a receiver, who is deserving. The Veda describes the deserving receiver as the one who is thorough with the true spiritual knowledge of the Veda and who is involved in preaching it, so that every human being comes to the true spiritual path (Śrotriyasya…). It is further said that the person should not aspire for any fruit from anybody for the divine service he is doing (Akāmahatasya…). I do not find any deserving receiver, as per the Veda. The rest of it is just a joke. Some devotees told Me that even in the joke of God Datta, real spiritual knowledge exists. I replied to them as follows:
“This statement applies to God Datta, who is in Me and who said these words. God Datta says that He alone is the knower of the real spiritual knowledge of the Veda and that He has come down to propagate it. Datta does not have any aspiration for anything since He is the creator, maintainer and destroyer of everything in this world. In this way, both the qualifications prescribed by the Veda are fulfilled only in Him. You can take this statement in this way also. Since God Datta is the author of the Veda, He prescribed these two qualifications of the person to whom He likes to donate”.
Regarding the preaching of spiritual knowledge in a step by step manner, it is God Datta, who is doing this preaching. Hence, not only is the subject perfect, but the presentation of the subject is also perfect.
[Śrī Sattireddy asked: If I donate the money given by my parents to a deserving person, will there be any benefit to them (parents)? Will they attain higher worlds?]
Swāmi replied: Whenever you donate something to a deserving person, its fruit is tremendous. The fruit totally depends on the deservingness of the receiver alone and on no other factors like place and time of donation. It does not matter whether it was a holy place or not and it does not matter whether it was a holy festival day or not. When Kṛṣṇa donated all His wealth to Sudāma, the place was neither a holy place nor was the time a holy time. Among place (deśa), time (kāla) and the deservingness of the receiver (pātra), the deservingness of the receiver alone decides the fruit of charity.
[A question by Smt. Sudha Rani.]
Swāmi replied: Such a donation can only be done in the case of an emergency (āpaddharma). Otherwise, such charity brings sin. First you should give spiritual knowledge to the person. If you are sure that the person is transformed by your preaching, then you may donate to him.
[Smt Padmaram asked: Swāmi, my parents come in my dreams again and again. I very strongly feel that I have to do something for them. According to what You said, if I donate in their name, even though I am a daughter, they will get puṇyam. Is it right?]
Swāmi replied: Certainly right!
[A question by Śrī Nava Chaitanya.]
Swāmi replied: Donating money and helping a person in other ways are one and the same charity.
[Smt. Sudha Rani said: By listening to “Anyathā śaraṇaṃ nāsti…” which is about the life of Śrī Sathya Bāba, does devotion automatically arise, Swāmi?]
Swāmi replied: The question must be made clearer stating the total context. This statement in the devotional song comes from a devotee having 100% faith in God. In that case, that statement comes from the depth of the devotee’s heart and not from the tip of the tongue. But generally, all of us utter the same statement mechanically while worshipping God.
[Śrī Bharath Krishna asked: I feel guilty whenever I get worldly benefits by the blessings of Swāmi because I have not put any effort for the same. Because of that, I keep getting this thought that I should put forth effort for my worldly progress also. Is this the right attitude, Swāmi?
After my education is completed, I was searching for a job. I was staying at home and I had a lot of free time. I was so worried about my job that I had put my entire effort in finding the job. However, none of my efforts yielded any results. It was only God’s miracle that got me the job which I desired. I have not put in much effort to get that particular job which I am doing right now. After that experience, I thought that I had unnecessarily spent a lot of my free time in my job search. I should have used some of that time to serve You, instead. Another thought I generally have is that, how can I take miraculous help from Swāmi, without first putting in my effort. Is it alright, if I don’t put in any effort for my worldly progress and get involved in Your work, Swāmi?]
Swāmi replied: Effort must always be put up, either in one’s worldly life or in one’s spiritual life. Even if the fruit is not seen, one should not be worried about it because a true devotee never aspires for the fruit from God for doing His divine service. In the case of worldly services rendered to worldly people, one must aspire for the fruit. If God has a hope that a person might do divine service in future, God may help that person in advance, even though that person has not put in any effort.
[Kum Laxmi Thrylokya: Even when I try to totally involve in Your work, in the background of my mind, I expect that Swāmi will take care of my worldly life. What if such expectations increase?]
Swami replied: If you do God’s work due to your real love for God, which is characterised by the absence of any aspiration in return, God’s help will appear before you in a fraction of second.
[A question by Śrī Rajashekar.]
Swāmi replied: Even such an idea should not enter your brain! When parents serve their children, they do it due to their true love towards their children, without having any such idea as mentioned by you. Your idea does not prove that your love for God is real. Take the case of a mad fan of a cinema hero or a political leader, who commits suicide on learning about the natural death of that hero or leader. Such a fan works for his hero or leader, day and night, without aspiring for anything in return. Such examples must be kept in our mind while serving God.
[A question by Śrī Bharath Krishna.]
Swāmi replied: For giving spiritual knowledge to anybody, including your parents, no situations are required.
[Smt. Ramasundari asked: If the paths of the wife and husband are not the same and only one is devoted to God and working for spiritual progress, how will the progress of both happen?]
Swāmi replied: Husband and wife are only associates in worldly life, sharing some common worldly aims. Especially in the spiritual line, everyone only has his or her own single account. Joint accounts, nominees etc., are only there in the system of banks existing in worldly life.
[Śrī Bharath Krishna asked: While learning the spiritual knowledge (Brahma jñānam) from You, it is possible to keep my ego and jealousy under control, at least to some extent. But how should I control my ego and jealousy towards other devotees? While doing the work of propagation of spiritual knowledge, team-work is required, right? What if everyone is working in their own way and that way might not be very effective? Who will tell me that my way of putting forth effort may not be very fruitful if it is so?]
Swāmi replied: Your Sadguru will tell you everything, if you ask. One’s ego and jealousy should be conquered, not only towards the contemporary Human Incarnation, but also towards real devotees. The Incarnation is the first residential address of God and the devotee is the second residential address of God. God likes the second residential address more. Certainly, teamwork has its distinguished advantage than individual work.
[A question by Smt Rama Devi.]
Swāmi replied: The struggle for living is the basic need, for which there is no alternative. If you keep the service to God as the ultimate aim of your life, God will certainly help you.
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