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Sunday, August 14, 2011

The Grace of Giving.

Sahikya was learning how to be a real monk, his childhood revolved around cleaning his master Taro's little cottage to perfection, working in the fields and going to the village with his teacher asking for grains.

His master emphasized on consuming only half of the grains donated to them and sow the rest in the field .When the crop was harvested  it was used to feed the poor and crippled.

His master Taro left the physical plane when Sahikya completed his training.He continued his practice of begging for grains, sowing half and donating the crops to the needy. All the wasteland on the outskirts were transformed into lush green fields over time. When villagers noticed he is producing far bigger crop than their fields, they refused to donate  any more grains to him.


He went hungry for days, his master then appeared in his dream and told him he must now break the rule or he will not have the strength to work in the fields and feed the poor anymore, such a sacrifice is wasteful. He said "If your penance is not bringing any good to the world, instead it is confining you to some irrelevant moral fulfillment then it is a waste."He told him to eat a part of his own produce and donate the rest to the poor but instruct them now to work with him and encourage them to grow their own food grains by sowing at least half of what they receive from him.

Poor people of the village obediently followed his instructions out of their love for him and respect for his generosity. Soon the entire arid stretch for several miles on the outskirts of the village turned into granaries. While the villager's crops dried and their stored grains rotted over time, they went hungry, in a barter economy survival became difficult.

They realized their mistake and went to the zen master asking him to forgive their selfish short sightedness.Sakhiya  showed compassion for those confused beings, he asked them to join the beggars who had now become workers in his fields and earn their own livelihood with humility and donate at least half to the poor.

When we share  what we have happily with others and use our resources thoughtfully nature rewards us limitlessly.When we cook for others happily food is tastier, when we plant a tree for others it bears more fragrant  flowers and sweeter fruits. When we pray for others it is always heard. More we give of ourselves freely to the world more comes our way through the universe.

Just like a river that flows through, giving nurturing pure water selflessly to the world and nature makes sure that it reaches the ocean, while a pond stores and stagnates water, it has little usage except to provide a home for fish and wild plants. It eventually putrefies or dries out completely.

Principle of energy is flawless; one who allows his resources to flow freely becomes a channel of the divine source and those who hold on to their resources remain confined to them.

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