Charity in India

You are never far from charity in India.

The large numbers of people who live in conventional poverty are not the only reason for this sub-continent to be so immersed in ubiquitous acts of charity everyday.

Charity has been a way of life in India since times immemorial.

The Japuji Sahib, which is the root source of the Word of God from Sikh Gurus, warns believers that charity is not adequate by itself to earn the Grace of God.

However, charity is seamlessly ensconced in the life of every devout Sikh.

Giving alms is a way of life in India. Charity binds the nation. Even the poor share their mites with others. It is common to see impoverished and starving people sharing even small portions of donated food and makeshift shelter with stray animals.

It fell on the conscience of Emperor Ashoka to open the first veterinary hospital in a brutally flesh-eating world. This was more than two centuries before the birth of Jesus Christ.

The Grace of our Gurus must have also drawn Mother Teresa to contribute her life of charity in India, thousands of miles from her native place.

Poverty binds the world. Here is a link to the facts of the poor in the materially richest country in the world:

http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/poverty.html

Charity is simultaneously a secular and a spiritual act. That is why charity binds all humans together, regardless of differences in beliefs and even ideology.

Charity in Sikhism is special. It involves personal effort, rather than casual donations of money alone. The rich and poor share the fruits of community effort without any discrimination.

It is not easy for a Sikh to indulge in charity, though it is vital to do do. Our Gurus expect us to perform duties of charity without any ego. Similarly, recipients for charity should not feel any loss of dignity when they accept help.

The Gurudwaras of Sikh communities are visionary and living examples of charity in a community context, and in the enveloping presence of the living Guru.

Sikh Diaspora, through their Gurudwaras, have taken the quintessential Spirit of India, to most parts of Mother Earth, in the form of charity.

The Ujjal Jeevan Charitable Trust, with humility and mindful of mortal limitations, is dedicated to charity. Our special focus is on women.

Please help us by mailing

UjjalJeevanCharitableTrust@gmail.com

or write a post below

to guide us with your experiences with charity.

It will help us if you visit this web log regularly, and ask your acquaintances to do the same. There is a new post here everyday.

We have an English Translation of the Japji Sahib written by our Chief Trustee, Group Captain (Retired) Premjit Singh. Please let us know if you would like a soft copy.

We have no terms and conditions, but voluntary donations in material form will help us reach out to larger numbers of people.

Thank you for your patience in reaching this final section of today's post. We hope to be honored by your visit again soon.

May we all achieve ever higher peaks of Grace through charity.