Namaste,
should one give money to the poor? When I visit the Hare Krishnas, I always have to pass by some homeless people. I read the Bhagavad Gita of Prabhupada who states that one should only give money for religious causes. I acknowledge that reading just one statement does not show the complete picture. I am curious what others have to say on the issue. Thanks for your replies.
Krishna himself stole butter and milk from the Gopis and gave them to starving orphans and people in his village.
The gopis at that time was quite materialistic and interested in moneymaking, and Krishna in turn helped to bring them around to spiritual development and bliss.
There was an incident where Vivekananda was travelling in a train with some friends. He came across a poor muslim selling peanuts. Vivekananda asked his friends to buy peanuts from the man so that the man will be able to earn some money to take care of himself and his family. Vivekananda's friends bought the peanuts, but Vivekananda did not eat them, which showed his motive was to help the man and not for his own consumption.I think you can learn a lot from this incident.
Vivekananda coined the concept of 'Daridra Narayana - Treating the poor as God himself.
Remembering this incident, I once bought biscuits from a poor shopkeeper and gave them to an old woman seeking alms on the street.
Similarly, once while attending a party, I found that a lot of food was going to waste and going to be put in trash. I took some food on some newspapers and went out looking for someone in need of food at night. I found an old guy in a corner of a building, who looked diseased, very poor and lonely. I put the food in front of him and walked away. Looking back, I found him eating the food silently.
Gandhi once forgot to take a slipper of his when he boarded the train. When the train started moving, he removed his remaining slipper and threw it out, stating that his slippers can be useful to someone else.
So there are creative ways by which you can ease physical and psychological pain of the needy by utilizing the resources around you.
BG 17.20: Charity given to a worthy person simply because it is right to give, without consideration of anything in return, at the proper time and in the proper place, is stated to be in the mode of goodness.
Giving money to the poor is fine, but this does not mean that you should go overboard and become bankrupt in the process, or err in giving money to the wrong person.
If you give money to a fraudster or alcoholic, you will obviously be reaping spiritual demerit rather than merit.
