Yuvacharya Mahashraman
Value Of Utility
The importance of giving alms is great. Alms can be given in many ways. There are many different kinds of alms. Like giving in the form of knowledge, helping some one to be fearless, teaching someone as way to live and behave. All these are indeed the act of giving. To feed Sadhus simple food is an important act of giving. Whatever the Sadhus find useful and correct for eating, give them.
Once Bhikshu swami with his disciples went to a town. One of his disciples went asking for alms (i.e. food) to someone's house. The lady had water, which she had used to wash wheat grain in. Bhikshu swami's disciple asked for the water.
The lady declined. She said - she possibly couldn't give him this water. As she didn't think it to be clean. If she gave him such dirty water to drink, in her next birth she would get dirty water. You reap what you sow.
When the disciple didn't get what he wanted he went to Bhikshu swami and told him everything.
Bhikshu swami went himself to the lady. He enquired from her what she fed the cow.
She told him she fed it grass. Bhikshu swami asked her what the cow gave her in return.
Her prompt answer was milk.
Bhikshu swami smilingly told her that her thinking of getting back was wrong. Whenever you feed a sadhu with good feelings especially what he has asked for is all right. The fruit reaped is good.
The simple lady quickly gave the water to the monks.
It is rightly said - we should not hesitate to clear our doubts. Our aim should be to enhance our knowledge. The only desire we should have is to remove mental darkness. So do not live in dark ages.
