Page 126 - Mystic Pathways through the Bible

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120 Mystic pathways through the bible
This is a gurative way of saying that when you give in charity, do not keep a record in your mind of everything you have given and to whom. Generally, people are tempted to in ate their ego whenever there is an occasion of charity, feeling they have done so much for another. This is wrong. Then your charity has no charity in it.
Give with caution: Be careful not to hurt others with a deluded form of charity. There was a professor who once gave a blanket to a poor man and the poor man, being so overjoyed, blessed him from the depth of his heart. But shortly thereafter, the professor regretted having given away such a costly blanket. He returned to the poor man, took the blanket back and gave him some pennies in compensation. Imagine the pain he in icted on the poor man by his deluded charity. Instead of creating a positive karma, he created a negative karma. Therefore, one must have a certain sense of caution about the performance of charity, and be willing to eliminate any errors. One must be always ready to re ect within, “Will this person accept my humble gifts? Will I be so fortunate as to be of service to the Divine Self in him?”
Give with sympathy and love: When your act of charity proceeds from a loving heart, its quality becomes highly enhanced. Love adds fragrance to the owers of charitable deeds. Even the very fact