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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir
92
Blessed are those that satisfy the needs of the needy by realising their need from their very appearance. They do not wait for others' suggestions. Only those who give away their wealth in charity and enjoy their wealth are really wealthy. "If a man can be wealthy with the money which is not given away in charity or which is not enjoyed by him, then with the same wealth, we too can feel that we are wealthy." In other words, there is no difference between a poor man and a wealthy man who does not enjoy or give away his wealth in charity.
The man who does not enjoy his wealth or who does not give away his wealth in charity is a miser. A poet expresses surprise at the behaviour of such a miser thus, “If a miser does not şive away his wealth, does it mean that the wealth has surrendered itself to him? If a miser does not enjoy his wealth does it mean that it can kill like poison?
Though a miser may have wealth, he does not have benevolence. A poor man may be benevolent but he cannot exercise his benevolence because he has nothing to give away. A poor poet offered this prayer to Brahmā, "Oh Vidhātā! (Oh Giver of Everything) If you like to give me wealth, don't give wealth to me. Kindly give to the affluent the benevolence that is there in my heart (This is enough, this would make everything all right).”
What is the similarity between a miser and a benevolent man? Here is a subhashita which illustrates the truth of the proverb “The poet sees what even the sun cannot see." लुब्धो न विसृजत्यर्थ
नरो दारिद्रयशंकया । दातापि विसृजत्यर्थ न नु तेनैव शंकया ॥
कुवलयानन्द Lubdho na vistujatyartham Naro daridryasankaya Datā pi visrujatyarthan Na nu tenaiva sankaya?
-Kuoalyananda
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