Posted on: 18 Jun 2024
[Shri Hrushikesh asked:- Shri Karthik asked me that whether the tax saved from paying the tax to government is a sin or not because Jesus told that one shall pay a tax to the king and the donation to God separately.]
Swami replied:- In those days, the king was following justice strictly and hence, Jesus told to pay the tax to the government without any fraud. Today, major participants of the government are highly fraudulent and corrupt because most politicians are swallowing the paid tax to a great extent. Hence, you can save the tax through the ways as suggested by the government itself. That is not at all a sin. The saved tax can be spent for your family purpose if there is a justified need. But, if you save the tax (either by justified or fraudulent way) and if your family is not in need of such saved money, either you donate to God or spend in the service to beggars by giving them food, clothes, medicine and shelter. If you spend the excess money that is not really needed for your family, you will become fascinated to wrong enjoyments like liquor, smoking, prostitution, etc. These wrong ways will spoil your health and wealth. Even if they are not spoiling your wealth (since it is in excess), they will certainly spoil your health. Health is the real wealth. Therefore, you can donate to God or spend for beggars in case you have excess money. You need not donate your money, which is present for your needs only. It is better to earn the needful money only through justice because God always supports justice and condemns injustice. By chance or by luck, if you get more wealth, you can divert it to God or to the service of beggars. I am stressing the word ‘service to beggars’ because such service alone pleases God. You must concentrate on the poorest level and when you find no poorest beggar, then only you shall proceed to the poorer and the poor sections for service. Along with beggars, you can also serve certain good animals (like dogs, monkeys, cows, etc.) and birds.