29 Jun 2024
Ms. Thrylokya asked:- Swami, You have sent Your children to government schools only, even though You were working as a Professor. Why?
Swami replied:- The management of private schools swallow Rs.90,000 and pay only Rs.10,000 to the teachers from the one lakh fee paid by you. Instead of this, you pay Rs.30,000 to a tuition teacher directly and save Rs.70,000 with you as Fixed Deposit, which can help your child in the future higher studies. Scriptures say that giving food or Annadaanam and giving education or Vidyaadaanam (worldly knowledge or spiritual knowledge) are meritorious deeds. These donors need not charge anything for these donations if they are blessed by God with riches. In the case of a poor man, at least, he can charge something for Annadaanam because he has to purchase the groceries to be cooked. But in Vidyaadaanam, you are donating the knowledge present in your brain for which you need not spend initially even in case you are a poor man. Of course, if the teacher is very very poor, the student must do some financial help (Guru Dakshina) because the teacher has to spend energy in teaching for which he requires food. It is told that if a scholar does not donate knowledge to others, such a scholar will be born as horrible demon (Brahma Raakshasa). At any cost, the teacher shall not demand for Guru Dakshina provided he has something to eat. Sages procuring food from trees in the forest donated knowledge to sincere receivers without asking any Guru Dakshina. Once I was invited by an unknown devotee to perform worship to God (Satyanaaraayana Swami Vratam). He asked Me how much I charge for doing this ritualistic worship. I told him that he shall charge something from Me because he is giving Me an opportunity to worship God! He was shocked and became dumb for a long time!! I told him that when I participate in the worship of God, God will take care of My needs because that devotee is also worshipping God for some need only. I told him that why should I beg another beggar when I can directly beg the rich man (God), whom another beggar along with all other beggars is begging? I always worked as priest in My life with this policy only and God blessed Me with wealth like flood and I never faced drought!! Let this experience got by Me be an eye opener to all the priests performing rituals for other people. At least, the priest shall say to the person inviting him to do the ritual “Please pay as per your capacity and devotion between which whatever is minimum”. The priest shall have the spiritual knowledge preached by the Veda and shall not aspire anything from anybody as said in the Veda (Śrotriyasya cākāma hatasya). Such a priest putting complete faith on God is the possessor of the true spiritual knowledge (Brahmana). In ancient Indian system, the entire fee (Guru Dakshina) was given to the teacher only.
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