15 Jan 2022
[Dipayan Banerjee asked: My humble salutations to You Swamiji, Please tell me What does a person having no expectation look like? How does that person actually feel? How can I know that the person does not expect anything from the world? Thanks and Regards, Dipayan Banerjee]
Swami Replied: You shall not donate to any receiver unless you study the receiver for quite a long time in this aspect and the reason is that you are not omniscient like God. But there is one exception for this concept, which is that you should give some food for eating to a hungry beggar immediately without any delay. This one exception is called emergent donation. Even God Krishna studied Sudama before donating immense wealth even though God Krishna is omniscient. The reason for His study is to preach the humanity while doing donation. Generally, people donate in haste depending on the place and time. People say that this place is Kashi and today is Shiva Ratri festival for doing urgent charity without studying the deservingness of the receiver. Even while doing donation the donated item must be also decided after studying the nature of the receiver. If the receiver is an ignorant person and if you donate money to him, he will spend it in vices, and you will get the sin. For such a beggar you must donate the material only like food, cloths, and medicine so that he will use it. Today the receiver has become so clever that he is selling even the food! And hence, you shall insist him to eat the food before your eyes.
If you donate money, it has a very good merit, which is that the receiver can purchase any item that is needed urgently for him. If you donate material, the receiver may have enough of that material and hence, he has to sell your donated material for half rate and purchase his needed material for full rate. In this type of donation, the fruit of your donation is reduced to half only. If the receiver has very good knowledge, you must offer money only as Guru Dakshina and not any material. In the subject of donation, place and time are not important at all. The only important factor is to study the deservingness of the receiver before doing donation. The reason is that if the receiver is undeserving you will get sin instead of merit. If the receiver is deserving and even though time and place are not followed the donation to receiver is the merit to give you divine fruit. Krishna tested Sudama by not giving anything when Sudama is leaving Him and travelling to home. When Krishna decided that the receiver Sudama is totally deserving, Krishna gave him immense wealth by converting his hut into a palace suddenly. That day on which Sudama got immense wealth is not Maha Shivaratri festival and also that place was not Kashi city. Hence, deservingness of the receiver is the only single factor in donation or charity.
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