OUR SPIRITUAL WEALTH RESERVOIR OVERFLOWS FREELY –
“By helping others
to stay clean, we enjoy
the benefit of the spiritual
wealth that we have found.
We must give freely and
gratefully that which has
been freely and grate-
fully given to us.”
(The Basic Text,
p. 49)
“When I give, I give myself.”
– Walt Whitman (1819 – 1892) U.S. poet
How have you “given freely”, lately?
Give It Away – Red Hot Chili Peppers (4:33)
Walt Whitman’s National Service (3:07)
Giving – A Buddhist Meditation (10:52)
Generosity :
Mahatma Gandhi went from city to city, village to village collecting funds for the Charkha Sangh. During one of his tours he addressed a meeting in Orissa. After his speech a poor old woman got up. She was bent with age, her hair was grey and her clothes were in tatters. The volunteers tried to stop her, but she fought her way to the place where Gandhi was sitting.
“I must see him,” she insisted and going up to Gandhi touched his feet.
Then from the folds of her sari she brought out a copper coin and placed it at his feet. Gandhi picked up the copper coin and put it away carefully. The Charkha Sangh funds were under the charge of Jamnalal Bajaj.
He asked Gandhi for the coin but Gandhi refused “I keep cheques worth thousands of rupees for the Charkha Sangh,” Jamnalal Bajaj said laughingly “yet you won’t trust me with a copper coin.”
“This copper coin is worth much more than those thousands” Gandhi said. “If a man has several lakhs and he gives away a thousand or two, it doesn’t mean much.But this coin was perhaps all that the poor woman possessed. She gave me all she had. That was very generous of her. What a great sacrifice she made. That is why I value this copper coin more than a crore of rupees.”
Overtook and forgive the weakness to generous people, because if they fall down, GOD gives his hand in their hands and helps them. (http://www.english-for-students.com/generosity.html)
The SFZs sent out are meant to be freely given. And I intend to keep them that way. The challenge will be developing the website into a tool to also help keep people clean and sober. And then connect this site with the emails in a way that doesn’t detract from our charitable intentions.
Good morning everyone + Happy Monday. Here is today’s thought. Give it away, give it away, give it away now. (Red Hot Chile Peppers) Such a paradox. We cannot keep something unless we share it with others. My life is very blessed because I have learned how to give of myself to others. The blessings I have received from working with others is so great that I cannot express it in words. It is love from above. SO remember, when you receive + if you want to keep it, give it away now. Blessings. BB
Small things, but I picked up 2 things strangers dropped yesterday. Trying to help my friend get rid of some concert tickets so he doesn’t lose any money. Helped out with Big Gay Sunday to set up and clean up.