| Discourses On Gita By Acharya Vinoba Bhave |
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| Discourses On Gita |
| THE KINGLY ART OF SERVICE TO HUMANITY - THE YOGA OF DEDICATION |
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the question may arise, whether he who gets the benefit deserves it.
If a beggar comes to our door, we say, "You are strong and
sturdy. Why should you beg? Get away." We consider whether it
is right or wrong for him to beg. The poor fellow is ashamed and
goes away. There is no trace of fellow-feeling in our heart.
Further, how are we to determine the desires of the man who begs?
13. Once in my childhood, I expressed such a doubt to my mother, and the answer she gave me then is still ringing in my ears. I told her, "This beggar is hale and hearty. If we give him alms, we should be only encouraging laziness and bad habits." And I went on to quote the words from the Gita, "dese kaale cha paatre cha," (in the right place, at the right time, to the deserving person). She answered, "He who has come to beg is none else than the Lord. Now you may decide whether he is fit
to receive your alms. Or would you say that the Lord is not fit?
What right have you and I to judge of fitness? I see no need for all
this questioning. To me he is the Lord." And to this day, I do
not know any argument that will meet this answer.
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