Hare Krishna to all the devotees
All glories to srila Prabhupada
Should we donate money to temples of to poor people? Many times we see some people beging near temples, at that time I think wheter should donate it to them.
i have also heared that by donating to people we take some of their punya and they have to suffer some of our sinful reactions, is it right? Also when we encounter people beging, should we reject them?
Replies
Hare Krishna devotees! A fascinating question. Ideally, donating to temples supporting genuine spiritual practices is paramount. However, seeing those in need near temples raises compassion. Perhaps a balanced approach? Think of it like playing Slope Game – finding the right angle to navigate obstacles. Is it true we take punya/sin by donating? Discernment is key. Rejecting beggars outright may not be the answer.
So I remembered one story in this connection just now- I have no control on myself when I get such sudden flashes of relative stories which go along with any topic. Jaise aisa lagta hai us kahani mein kuch bataya gaya hai Krishna ne kuch connection hai is topic usse.... nahi toh mujhe ye mere mann mein kyon ghoomega.. isko batana toh padhega hi aisa ho jaata hai.. bol de? chalo Sri Krishna ki marzi hai bol dete hai.
Tho ek din kya hota hai-
One day Sri Krishna was walking thru the city along with his Sakha Arjuna. Arjuna saw a beggar on the street he felt very compassionate. he immediately gave him a bag of gold coins and came back to walk along with Krishna. Krishna smiles.
that beggar felt very happy getting a bag of gold coins was rushing home, but a thief can out of nowhere and robbed his gold coin bag.
Next day again the beggar was on streets begging by Arjuna and Krishna.
Arjuna asked I gave you yesterday a big full of gold coins why are still begging?
beggar told how he got robbed.
Arjuna said oh don't worry it happens, okay take this diamond more expensive than gold and buy urself good clothes and food with it.
Thank you , you are very kind said the beggar and left with the diamond home. After coming home he kept in the diamond in a safe place inside a pot. Meanwhile his wife came and took the same pot went to get water from the river. and when she immersed the pot into the water the diamond fell off the pot and a fish swallowed that diamond.
Third day also the beggar is back on streets begging.
Arjuna saw him again and said why are you still begging. I gave you a very valuable diamond. What did you do with it?
Beggar said the whole story how he lost it.
Arjuna said okay don't be sad take these two coins and after giving him the 2 coins Arjuna followed the beggar to check on him that what is he actually doing with all the money that he had given him.
this begger was going with those two coins he saw a fisherman and and his basket was full of fish and one fish was still alive and was jumping up and down. This begger felt sad for the fish that it is trying hard to save it life and he goes to the fisherman and says I have 2 coins with me. Can i buy that fish. he intention in buying the fish was just to save its life and throw it back into the river. he felt I lost so much money in two days. Even if I get diamond or gold also it is not going to be mine. What for these two coins also should I keep. If it can save the life of this small fish that would be a best use of the money and with that thought he gave those 2 coins also to the fisherman.
The fisherman handed over that fish to the bhikaari.
Bhikaari ( beggar) took that fish and was about to put it back into the river the fish vomited out the diamond which was struck in mouth and then he threw the fish back.
With the diamond in hand he looked at it surprised it was the same diamond that he lost. then the beggar started to shout gladly... that.. I got it I GOT IT GOT U BACK GOT YOU!
It was seen by the thief who was going off with his bag of coins.. came to the beggar and said take back your bag of coins.. don't shout more. If you keep shouting people will gather and beat me.
And he gave that bag of gold coins to the beggar.
Now the beggar began to dance.
This was noticed by Arjuna and was quite surprised at all these things happening
Arjuna quickly came back to Krishna and told all this and asked what is the meaning behind all these?
Krishna smiled and said-
Actually the beggar in his past life was a miser. That is why in this life he is suffering from poverty.
That is the reason when you donated him two times also he was not able to utilize it for his own self.
The momment he donated 2 coins for saving the life of the fish. I gave him back all that he lost.
That is so true.
Krishna wants to give He can give chappar phaad ke kahi se bhi milega paisa.
If Krishna decided not to give even if you donate out of compassion also the beggar will remain a beggar always.
Hare Krishna
What if we donate to temples only, and tell the beggars to go to temple and get prashadam. Would that be okay?
Hare Krishna
yes thats much better.
Hare Krishna,
"Should we donate money to temples of to poor people? Many times we see some people beging near temples, at that time I think wheter should donate it to them. "
Daan or donation should be done out of compassion for the suffering of the other. When we do daan they say if you are giving someone out of compassion. The left hand should not know that right hand is giving. That means- it shouldn't be in our memory or records that : " I donated "
It should be selfless act of charity. Humko paap lagega humko punya milega.. uska lekha jhoka karke daan nahi kiya jaata.
Secondly,
Apartra daan kabhi nahi karna chahiya. Apatra daana meaning those who are not deserving.
Let us say. You donate to a person a person who is non vegetarian and you gave him 100 rupees and he goes and buys cow meat from a butcher to make food and eat it. You might get the sinful reaction of killing a cow.
Let us say you donate a person who is aitheist and he uses that to degrade Krishna or make 10 more people believe in aitheists belief. You might get the sinful reaction.
You can also get sinful reaction if you donate money to a drunkard who will use your money for illegal activites after drinking.
But how to know?
We will feel compassion and donate we cannot judge someone who is acting as a begger ( whose intention is to use the money in sinful activities) or if he is really in need?
Yes, such a daan which you did with compassion like you see a person shivering in cold and donated a blanket, or donated food because they have no food and are hungry. You are not going to expect anything in this daan. You are doing out of mere compassion and it is a selfless act of charity. We don't look for untoward benefit from this. This type of act done without expectation pleases Sri Hari.
Basically,
there are :- 1. giving with pride and ego that I have - --> one loses spiritual value.
2. giving knowingly to a adharmic person---> apatra daan causes demerit
3. giving unknowing to an undeserving person----> little spiritual merit. no sin is incurred if donated with good intention.
4. donating to a deserving person----> best one and it is benefitial, great punya.
Who is this deserving person ( PATRA) how to know?
- A brahmina who is a learned and who will use judicially you the daan given to either feed himself, his family or make use of it in punya karma like buying spiritual books or buying pooja samagri for Lord. If a best daan or teaching vedas to the students.
-A devotee of Sri Krishna if you donate to these people they use the money for temple construction or use it for feeding poor, or use it for educating poor children.. or distributing Bg or Srimad Bhagwatam or use for pleasing Krishna.
-a person who is genuine in need. If someone is in hospital and needs money for saving his or his family and is in urgent need (your money is going to save their lives) or if there are oldaged people and have no one to take care and your money is going to help them get shelter and food.
-A sadhu or a guru who is living for dharma and spreading dharma to 1000's of people or an organization like ISKCON which uses most of its funds for feeding poor and is distributing scriptures and using the money thus collected to educate people on BG and spreading the holy name of Lord is a great punya karma. If you donate to them they will make use of it in the righteous way.
So, we can donate to poor people only if you have compassion and without expecting in this type of daan we don't incur sins. Remembering Sri VISHNU while donating is best and this type of charity is called a yajna.
“O Lord, may this gift reach You through this person"
“Sarve bhavantu sukhinaḥ, sarve santu nirāmayāḥ.” --May all beings be happy; may all be free from suffering.
“Yasya smaraṇamātreṇa dānam puṇyam bhaved dhruvam, tam smarāmi sadā Viṣṇum sarva-dāna-pradāyakam.”
“By remembering Lord Viṣṇu, every act of giving becomes pure and meritorious. I remember that Viṣṇu, the bestower of all true gifts.”
I am the only enjoyer and master of all sacrifices. Therefore, those who do not recognize My true transcendental nature fall down. ( BG 9.24)
So, our aim is ultimately to please Krishna. So all our activities like charity etc. should be done not to please oneself or with ulterior selfish benefits. We must to to please Krishna.
When we donate or do charity we must remember that let us offer the money or things to satisfy Sri Vishnu the ultimate enjoyer of all and by remembering Lord while donating and thinking so that let this charity reach Sri Krishna, we are not going to get any sinful reactions neither we get any punya karma also.
NO PUNYA NO PAAP karma total neutralization ( becomes Akarma) of the karma itself happens when we donate to please Krishna.
Harinaam lelo daan karo ( we think we are donating) but say thankyou to Krishna.. aaaj tum dene ke place mein ho. This is only because of compassion of Lord that we are in this stage. Thank you for making me able to donate to this old lady. Jai jagannatha !!!
Lord Jaganatha will save you from all sins.
Hare Krishna
Instead of money, which could be misused, give the poor people prasadam.
Hari Hari
ys J.
Hare Krsna
Where should we donate?Should we donate money to temples or to poor people?
The following shloka and Purport from Srila Prabhupada gives some guidance about the question
dātavyam iti yad dānaṁ
dīyate ’nupakāriṇe
deśe kāle ca pātre ca
tad dānaṁ sāttvikaṁ smṛtam
Charity given out of duty, without expectation of return, at the proper time and place, and to a worthy person is considered to be in the mode of goodness.(BG 17.20)
Purport : In the Vedic literature, charity given to a person engaged in spiritual activities is recommended. There is no recommendation for giving charity indiscriminately. Spiritual perfection is always a consideration. Therefore charity is recommended to be given at a place of pilgrimage and at lunar or solar eclipses or at the end of the month or to a qualified brāhmaṇa or a Vaiṣṇava (devotee) or in temples. Such charities should be given without any consideration of return. Charity to the poor is sometimes given out of compassion, but if a poor man is not worth giving charity to, then there is no spiritual advancement. In other words, indiscriminate charity is not recommended in the Vedic literature.(Purport BG 17.20)
The next 2 shlokas in BG are also on the same topic. Please refer to them
Hare Krsna