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Noble Use of Money
and to care for others, is considered relative dharma. One
binds merit karmas by doing this. And by stealing, fighting, and
hurting people, one binds demerit karma. Wherever there are
either merit or demerit karmas, there is no real dharma (the
religion of the Soul). Real religion goes beyond both these
dualities.
A Fifth Portion is For Others!
Questioner: What should we do in this life to earn merit
karmas for the next life?
Dadashri: Donate a fifth of your earnings to the temples
or spend one fifth of your wealth for the happiness of others. At
least this much of an ‘overdraft’ will carry forward into your
next life! In this life, you are enjoying the ‘overdrafts’ from your
past life! Merit karmas of this life will carry forward to your next
life. Whatever you earn as merit karmas in this life will help you
in your next life.
Customary To Give To God
The Marvadi people are businessmen and they have found
the key to profits in their business. They have a custom of
donating twenty-five percent of their income to the darasars
and temples every year. Do they need to be told to do anything?
You can only harvest what you sow! How can you expect fruits
without planting a seed? The Marvadis customarily give towards
religion, gnandaan, and other charitable causes. They do not
give to schools or individuals.
Should One Donate To Temples Or To The Poor?
Questioner: We had visited a temple where millions of
rupees were spent on a stone idol of God. The Lord has said
that the pure Soul resides within all living beings. But here
people abuse and hurt living beings, within whom God resides
and yet they go around spending millions of rupees for a stone
they carve into an image of God. Why is that so?