If you haven’t already, do read Part 1 here. Part 2, is not a story but a collection of thoughts; some mine, some the thoughts of people I told Part 1 to.
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After parting with Ramesh & Dhinesh, I was plagued by these thoughts:
* Had I just been sucked into an elaborately prepared story (as was my first cynical thought)?
I dismissed it. After all, if that were the case, the only thing I had lost was some money - but hopefully I had been able to plant a seed of hope through all my talk with them
* Was there actually a school in Parel called Guru Nanak something-or-the-other? How would I find it?
Incidentally, I did ask Ramesh why they weren’t in a free school & he gave me some very fishy sounding gyaan that he didn’t know there was a free school and he could now only enroll in it from next year, which he planned to do.
* Why was it that I can’t bear to see injured animals on the road - that my heart would go out to them - but when I see beggars, 9 times out of 10, I just wave them away. The 10th time, maybe, I just feel a little sorry for them.
I tell myself that I mustn’t support the industry. I buy into the fact that they are “rich” beggars out there - with all the chance to advance but they choose to beg because it’s easy money, an easy life. They get alternate accommodation by the government and they rent out those homes and come back to the streets to beg. They have free schools but they run away, preferring not to stay in school (and which of us at one time or the other haven’t wished we didn’t have to go to school?).
But then again, surely there must be genuinely poor people out there who truly want to be something more than a beggar or a signal book-sellar all their lives? What is the way out? On my part, I have been supporting CRY for many years. Recently, been led towards Akanksha as well.
A friend who I’ve told this to - after having sounded me off about giving random people lifts in my car when alone - tells me that it’s a sad thing that in our country we don’t even know where half the money we donate to NGOs really go. We talk about a couple of actual life experiences we know of where money donated was not used for the causes intended but have gone into the pockets of corrupt officials.
I wonder:
* How cynical our generation is. And is it our faults? Has being almost the most corrupt country in the world turned us this way? Do we trust anyone? Do we feel for anyone? How many of us actually reach out to the poor on a regular basis?
How many of us are teaching them to fish instead of just giving them fish at signals?
My heart is so hardened against these people, I need for it to be melted. Ramesh & Dhinesh did me a favor I realise, not the other way around.
When I’m at my prayer meeting later in the evening, the teacher is talking about sharing money, time and love with the poor (incidentally, I do not believe in coincidences). He’s talking about the Parable of Dives and Lazarus - where the only sin of the rich man was that he didn’t share his wealth with the poor.
He’s talking about the fact that when we reach heaven, God will not ask us whether we performed miracles in His Name here on earth. For at the end of the world, we believe that God will judge, not on basis of any “achievement” on earth, but on basis of our mercy, citation from the Gospel of St. Mathew, chapter 25:34-46
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ “He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
The teacher ended by saying, so many of us today do not do charity, because we say we do not know where they money is really going. He said, do it anyway. If your heart is in the right place, there is a God above who’s seeing everything you do.
And suddenly Ramesh was there again, whispering in my ear, “Bhagvan upper se sab dekta hai”, God above sees all.
Tags: Charities, Christianity, Corporal-Works-of-Mercy, Corruption, Cynicism, God, India, Lazarus-and-Dives, Mathew-25, Mumbai, Teachings
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September 6th, 2007 at 4:12 pm
hey melody, i know what it feels like to have to question everything, only, i must tell you, about two weeks ago, my friend and i were approached by a little boy selling books at worli, who wanted a ride to siddhivinayak. he then asked us whether we’d give him rs 150 to pay his school fees, and how he worked at night, and how the next day it would be too late. and how if his father was alive, he’d pay the fees. we were polite, but dismissive, not really knowing how to handle the situation. my friend gave him the names and addresses of some free schools, but the kid kept persisting for the money. and i’ve heard of it happening to one more person too. i think (and i hesistate to use this word, again, such a symbol of our “elitist” society) that it’s a sort of scam, exercised by these children towards people who look like young working professionals. should we give them the cash? i don’t know–i’m still working on that question.
(this was an awfully long comment, i’m sorry!)
September 6th, 2007 at 6:40 pm
I particularly liked something someone (another M, sigh!) commented in Part 1 “You shouldn’t think of it as “getting suckered” though, you did make a positive difference in their lives, just not in the way you thought you did”
September 6th, 2007 at 7:01 pm
As for the feelings, i have a real incident to describe.
Two RICH diamond merchants in my city whom my father knows personally, one spiritual and one who does not believe in god. Going in same car, heavy rain and car stops at Signal. A woman, having an infant kid with her begs at them. One who does not believe in god tell to other.. Look, you say god cares for all.. why he keeps this woman poor, in this heavy rain.
The other one smiles. The god does not come personally to help. He inspires us to help em. God gave you multi million dollars now god sent her to YOU
. Its upon you to help her. The man was stunned! Helped the woman handsomely.
I dont know giving money to kids help or not. But yes, Its not about talking. Its about Doing that helps us and humanity to come forth!
Salutes!
September 7th, 2007 at 5:51 pm
What a wonderful real life incident! I do believe that there are a lot more good people in the world than the media lets us believe.
And I do believe every act of kindness helps.
“I dont know giving money to kids help or not. But yes, Its not about talking. Its about Doing that helps us and humanity to come forth!”
Amen
September 20th, 2007 at 7:03 pm
Personally, I never give cash to these scamsters. Give them food or pay on their behalf directly. Probably difficult to take out some time to pay directly, but gives you an insight of what’s up!
I recently got a 6-7 yr old girl treated for burns at a hospital. The poor little one was screaming on the road while her mother was mercilessly “rubbing” some ointment on her 7-8 inch wide open wounds! I didn’t give any money to them but paid at hospital and paid for medicines 2-3 times. This way you are sure money isn’t going in gambling, drugs or some other stupid habit.
The young lady waves and smiles every time she sees me now. Those little smiles pacify me that those 1,600 bucks I spent on her were worth it.
Ashish.
PS: Change the theme of your blog. It violates 95 of 100 rules of good looking web-pages
July 2nd, 2008 at 9:00 pm
Donate to Akanksha! I assure you it all goes into the good of the kids - I can take you around Ak if you want.