Jain Digest 2005 11

Author(s): Federation of JAINA
Publisher: USA Federation of JAINA

Page 31

Charitable Giving
Donation should be given without envy, freedom from expectation, deceit, name, fame, and ego.
T
Men fold religions consist of forgiveness, humility, purity, straightforwardness, truthfulness, self-restraint, penance, renunciation, non-possessiveness, and celibacy. By following these would stop incoming karmas and destroying existing karmas. Supreme Jina has said that true renunciation consists in developing indifference towards the world, the body, and the enjoyment through detachment of material objects. Persons should refrain from accumulation of unlimited property due to unquenchable thirst (greed) as it becomes a pathway to hell and results in numerous faults. A righteous and pure-minded person should not exceed the self-imposed limits in the acquisition of wealth.
Charity helps and strengthens renunciation. The difference between these two are:
Renunciation is our religion, does not have possessiveness, can renounce things does not belong to himself, and does not need another person. Charity brings good karma; giver must be a possessor, and need two parties. Charity is like taking a ship to cross the ocean but one must leave it (renunciation) when reaches the shore.
Renouncing own property for the goodness of self and others is charity. Charity is of four kinds of giving namely of food, medicine, knowledge, and complete support. Giver gains by reducing possessiveness elevate contentment and improve self-restraint. The user of charity gets help in better living and improve positive attitude. There are four following special things about giving to keep in mind.
1.Should be according to customs of country and time.
2.Things given should be useful.
3.Giver should have respect for donee, and should not indulge in arguments.
4.Donee should be good person or organization
like JAINA. Donation given to unfit and sinful person would cause donor bad karmas.
Donating wealth is one of the nine ways of earning positive karmas. Charitable giving is 19th of the 35 necessary property of a good householder according to Acharya Hemchandra. As the blood can be washed with water, sins are removed by giving charity. As a small seed is sowed in fertile land would cause lot of fruits and shelter, charity given or made beneficial to organization like JAINA would shelter our next generations and would result in very fruitful results. JAINA has many multifaceted programs supporting non violence, education and spiritual uplifting. Part of Estate Planning can be directed to Jaina as beneficiary.
Donation should be given without envy, freedom from expectation, deceit, name, fame, and ego. Recipient like JAINA would add dignity because its involvement in genuine causes benefiting whole population.
- Samansuttam
- Parvaraj- Muni Arun Sagarji - Tatvarthsutra
-Sthanang - Aagam 9 sutra 676-JindhammoAcharya Naneshri
Yog Shastra- Acharya Hemchandra.
Ratna Karan Sravakachaar.- Samantbhadra Swami
- TatavarthaSutra - 7-34 That which is
For list of JAINA Directors log on: www.jaina.org
For Fare & Personal Use Only
Nirmal Dosi, East Brunswick, NJ
13 WINTER 2005 www.jainelibrary.org