Guidelines to Mahavir Darshan

SR No.: 006758
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Satshrutseva Sadhna Kendra
Publisher: Satshrut Seva Sadhna Kendra
Publication Year: 1970
Total Pages: 70
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 4 MB

Page 46

CHARITY
(iv) Charity of Knowledge :
Charity of knowledge is that type by which there is a permanent anihilation of the birth and death cycle of the worldly souls and acquiring thereby eternal bliss. Even though this type of charity is possible to some extent by the noble and the learned ones, however, the main donors of this type are the great Acharyas and Munis who are the very embodiment of divine knowledge with super-intellect and great scriptural-knowledge.
In this charity the noble donors donate knowledge of truth that is all-sided; all-pervasive and subtle. This leads the living beings to their ultimate well-being. This Charity is resorted to through the media of lectures and preaching religious discourses etc.
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In this, both the donor and the beneficiary thereof, reap a distinct gain for their souls, and eventually, it leads both to the highest benefit and the supreme state.
Glory of Charity
(i) Persons of three categories stand the highest in Indian society. They are the devotee, the donor and the hero. In Gujarati there is a very famous stanza that pays tribute to the mothers of these three.
"O Mother! if at all you give birth to a child, let him be a devotee, or a donor or a hero. Otherwise, may you prefer to remain barren. Do not lose your vitality in bearing others."
Emperors Shreyansa and Karna, Kings Shibi, Harshavardhana, and Bhoja as also Bhamasha, Jagdusha and a host of other liberal donors resorted to various activities of righteous charity. They have inspired us also to resort to righteous charity.
(ii) Three are the destinies of wealth-just use, liberal donation and destruction on getting lost. Discriminating persons know this and resort to charity.
(iii) Charity is the very basis of the duties of householders. A householder's life bereft of charity is not the right type of life.
(iv) Righteous charity enhances peace and contentment in life, it conduces to spread of fame in the world, it yields happiness and