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## Friend's View: Public Giving
(137) Just as a seed sown in good soil sprouts, bears countless fruits, and produces infinite seeds, which in turn produce infinite seeds, thus perpetuating the merit of infinite fruits, similarly, giving to a worthy soul leads to infinite welfare. If one offers food and drink with devotion to a worthy sage, it nourishes the body of that worthy soul, and that worthy soul then teaches others, leading to the welfare of many beings and creating many more worthy souls. This, in turn, leads to the creation of many more worthy souls, and so on, resulting in the cause of much and worthy. Thus, giving to a worthy soul leads to the creation of many worthy souls, which are the cause of immeasurable welfare for beings.
– Shri Mansukh Bhai Kiratchandra Mehta, *Daan Dharma* – *Panchachar*
In one way, liberation is achieved through giving. Because the path to liberation is based on right knowledge, right faith, and right conduct, it is followed by great sages, and they practice this path through their bodies. The body survives on food, so giving pure food, drink, medicine, and other things to worthy sages like munis helps them maintain the path to liberation. This is what the great sage Padmanandiji said in *Padmanadipanchavinchati* about the merit of giving. This kind of giving to worthy souls plants the seeds of such merit in the soul, which is why it is called *yogabij* (seed of yoga). The influence of giving to worthy souls has helped many beings cross the ocean of samsara, as evidenced by many examples in the scriptures, such as Shri Shreyans Kumar, Shri Shalibhadraji, and other great sages.
Or, giving to the public good is also included here. To spend one's wealth wisely for the benefit of the poor and suffering, to give charity, to give loans, to provide pure medicine, to establish hospitals and other public institutions according to the needs of the time, to provide food and water, to open schools for giving and receiving charity, and to help people during times of natural disasters or epidemics, to use all one's physical, mental, and financial resources to serve the people, especially the poor, is all praiseworthy and leads to the creation of *yogabij*. Because these acts of giving, done with a strong foundation, lead to the advancement of preaching, which in turn leads to the development of generosity and other virtues in people. This benefits many beings and leads to compassion, so the main intention here is good will. *And to emphasize the religious nature of this giving, the Lord himself said, "Giving to the needy, establishing charitable institutions, etc., all this leads to the advancement of preaching, and thus to the development of generosity and other virtues. This benefits many beings and leads to compassion, so the main intention here is good will."*
– Shri Yashovijayji, *Dva-Dva*