How to help others including beggars to avoid adding karma?
Lakshmi asked like this:
“Sir, I m lakshmi. i have a doubt for so many days. i m a regular follower of your page. my question is: should we donate money to beggars? once i m giving money to a beggar one lady stopped me from doing and said they can work and make money but they dont. so we shoudnt encourage them. but when i discussed with my mother regaring this my mom said because of their bad fate they are like that. so it doesnt harm if you give a rupee. and also i read in some spiritual book that if we dont to a bad person their bad karma gets tranfered to us and the beggars’ karma come to us if we help the beggars. is it true? for so many days i m a dilemma what to do? i stopped giving when i visit temple. but i do not know what is correct? thank you. waiting for your reply.”
REPLY:
Garuda Purana says that any dhaan should be done only to a good person, particularly to a good brahmana. It also says, if we do dhaan to a bad brahmana, it is sinful.
So, giving dhaan to a bad brahmana adds sins for us. Even while accepting a guru, we are advised to evaluate him thoroughly before accepting him as guru. A guru too is advised to evaluate his disciples before accepting them.
If we accept a wrong guru who are involving in the sinful acts, we too become a part of his sins because we become a part of a sinful parampara (lineage). So, instead of getting liberated from sins, we add more sins in our account.
(Can black tongue persons transfer their karma to others through Curse? READ HERE!)
Srimad Bhagavatham has predicted that it is rare to see the perfect brahmanas in this kaliyuga. That is why, in this kaliyuga, no other rituals were recommended by sastras except chanting the Holy Names of Lord Krishna.
No need for yagas and yagnas, as it will be difficult to find perfect brahmanas to perform yagas and yagnas.
Same applies in considering how to help others including beggars. We can not analyze the beggars and ascertain whether they are genuinely begging or not. So, we should not offer tips for all beggars.
If that beggar is of young age and can work and earn, do not offer any money to him. We will add the karma of making him lazy. Because, he can even clean the tea glass in the tea shops and earn. He can even work in the hotels, earn and also have food there itself abundantly. They can even do their service to the Lord and live happily.
(Do Yantras Charity Gem Stones & Planet Beej Mantras work in Astrology? READ HERE!)
So, there are so many ways to live if one likes to lead a life of working & earning. Instead of doing so, if they come for begging and we offer them, that means, we are encouraging them to beg instead of working.
If all of us stop giving money to those healthy people, they may consider going to any job as the people are clever not to support healthy persons.
In my day to day life, I follow the principle of offering tips and help the following persons:
(1) I help all the Visually (or) Mentally challenged persons without analyzing their background, status, etc., because, they can not commit sins willingly.
(2) Dumb and hearing impaired. They are also very rare in involving in crimes.
(3) Very old people living on platforms who can not work, as they do not know how to cope up with the modern world as they are very outdated, helpless and their children and people are very modern.
(HELPING THE NEEDY IS PLEASING THE GOD – STORY! READ HERE!)
(4) Children orphaned in their childhood itself.
(5) I usually give as kinds instead of cash unless it is necessary. For example, if any genuine boy/ girl is struggling to study because of money problems, I pay the help as fees directly in their school. I purchase books and give to them.
A few years back, I happened to talk to the Kanchi Sankaracharya Sri Vijayendra Saraswati Swami. When I requested him whether I can do any support to their spiritual and social cause, he advised me to donate books, notebooks, pens, papers, pads, etc., to all the children studying in their Vedic school (gurukul). I bought all the materials and donated to those small and cute children of less than 15 years of age who were studying vedas in perfect brahmana look. They were very happy as they did not have those materials at that time.
Thus, if we desire to support only the genuine cause, Krishna will give us right opportunity.
In case of old people, I give them dress, cooked food, etc.
In the case of visually challenged persons, I do not analyze them, as in my view, they can not cheat us, and I offer as CASH to them. I also give clothes to them.
I have also helped for the marriage of very poor girls, if I personally know them that they are struggling in life.
In case, I am unable to judge whether the beggar is genuine or not, but he seems genuine, I offer a very small money for him. (Let the loss and sin be small).
But, in all the above cases, I don’t consider as if I am making them better and I am adding Punya. If I think like that, it will give good rebirth.
So, whenever you help or support others, do that without any motive or pride or expectations, but as the opportunity given by Krishna to you to help them.
You too may follow my way of helping others. It may be safe for you and you need not worry whether their including beggars’ karma will come to us if we help them.
Hope you are clear about how to help others including beggars to avoid adding karma.
(What is the right way of donating for charity and beggars? Can we gift old clothes? READ HERE!)