ITS TOUGH TO GIVE

Sometime back I was having a conversation with a friend about Parsis. I said that they are very generous people and she said that its because they are wealthy they give.
I disagreed vehemently and because it would lead to an argument we stopped the discussion. This week I have been reading ‘How I taught my grandmother to read and other stories’ which are short stories by Sudha Murty. In this book each story has a lesson to teach and I found it simply inspiring. One of the stories called ‘The red rice granary’ was a story about generosity and it was as if It was talking to me because it had so many things that my own parents tell me.

I would again like to start the discussion I had with my friend. I think generosity is not about how much you have but it is an attitude a spirit. There are so many rich people who do not give and similarly so many poor. I think it is true when people are giving they usually feel as if they have a lot no matter what is their social status. As my dad says when you give you give the best or don’t give at all. I sincerely think that it is not easier for someone who is rich to give rather than someone who is poor. ( and that was the crux of our discussion). In fact it is sometimes easier for someone poor to give than someone who has it all. They in fact may have all the riches but may perceive themselves poor and unable to be generous. Its sad that sometimes I have this attitude that a certain person is a miser so I also will behave like that with that person. And the person who gives me I will give that person in return. I have a long way to go but I can see the difference in attitude of generosity in many people around me and I hope that I can learn how to give the best if I have or don’t have. Sudha’s grandfather tells her a shloka from the Vedas as a pointer on giving but more than that when her grandfather tells her “Child whenever you want to give something to somebody, always give the best in you, never the second best.” I remember my own fathers words and hope that someday I am able to make these words a way of life.