Noble Use of Money
31
next life. Here, the importance is being placed on the inner intent
(bhaav, cause) and not on the action (effect) of giving. This is
the science of the vitarag Lords.
When a donor gives with this unity of his mind, speech
and conduct, he will receive tremendous benefits. The result of
this is beyond imagination. But people nowadays give because
they are pressured into giving, they do not give willingly and so
the benefits they receive are not as good. It is better to give
willingly and happily. Do people not give under pressure?
Questioner: Yes.
Dadashri: Some give for their own glory. They give
because they want to maintain their reputation. They give for the
sake of appearances, even though their heart is against giving
and consequently the benefits they reap from giving unwillingly
will be trivial. The reward one receives is based on what he
‘paints on the inner screen’ (inner intent). What will be the
reward for the one whose bhaav is to give even when he
cannot?
Invisible Karma, Cause: Visible Karma, Effect
A businessman donates fifty thousand rupees. When a
friend comments on his generosity, he tells him that he only gave
the money because the mayor pressured him into doing so,
otherwise he would not have donated even a single rupee. Now
what kind of a reward can he expect? The donation of fifty
thousand rupees is his visible (sthool) karma, which is visible to
all and for that he will be rewarded with praise and fame here
in this life. However, his underlying intention of not wanting to
give, is his invisible (sookshma) karma, which cannot be
discerned by others including himself. This karma is the cause
for the next life’s effect. The effect of this cause will be that in
his next life, he will not be able to give anything. Now who can
understand such a subtle fact?