Did I ever refuse alms for beggars?

Some may be affluent as a result of their benign merits in their past births. They may be approached for food by the hungry, some poor may seek clothing and some poor may seek financial assistance for their daughter’s marriage.

Such rich people shall fulfill the needs of the poor and accrue punniyam (Merits). The very purpose of affluence is only to assist others. Except that if they retain their belongings firmly it is a sin. This act may subject them to the angry of the Almighty.

Charity for poor will assist one in this birth and births to follow. People, who have understood the impermanency of materialism, shall accrue benefits for this birth and next through such materials.

Unenduring is all wealth; if you wealth enjoy,

Enduring works in working wealth straightway employ. Wealth is perishable; let those who obtain it immediately practise those (virtues) which are imperishable.,

Thirukkural 333

See that thy life the praise of generous gifts obtain; Save this for living man exists no real gain.

Give to the poor and live with praise. There is no greater profit to man than that.

Thirukkural 231

When man is born, the body and soul are together. This body extincts and not the soul. The intelligentsia preserve this life, they donate and undertake virtuous acts when the richness come to them and earn enrichment to their soul. This knowledge is wrought through the preaching of the scholarly preceptor. Except that, if one treats this nonpermanent and destructible material as permanent and affiliate themselves firmly to it and do not resort to benign activities, their soul may not get enrichment.

Hence, if you take the birth of a human being, you shall believe that there is papa and punniyam. Only those believe in God can understand papa and punniyam. The atheist cannot understand papa and punniya.Only those who have understood papa and punniyam can remove papa and enhance punniyam. Those who have enriched their punniyam can only get the

company of an enlightened preceptor. Once you get the company of the enlightened master, he may preach the nature of body and soul. The great preceptor who is the lord of virtue merges with the body of the blessed, who received preaching and unites the pupil of left eye known as Chandra kalai and pupil of right eye known as Surya kalai in the Sushumna and he also fuses in it. After fusing, removes the dirt of the body and illumines it.

Knowledge of Science of Breath Leads to Immortality Inhalation, Exhalation, and Retention both ways The Science of Breath thus consisting

They know not;

They who know the Science of Breath Are destined to spurn the God of Death.

Thirumanthiram 571

Let man relieve the wasting hunger men endure;

For treasure gained thus finds he treasure-house secure. The removal of the killing hunger of the poor is the place for one to lay up his wealth.

Thirukkural 226

When those you find from whom ’tis meet to ask,- for aid apply; My very armlets told me long before.

My bracelets have understood before me the (mental) separation of him who rules the cool seashore.

Thirukkural 1051

If one does not help poor, with the assets earned through their benevolent acts in their earlier births and Blessings of the Lord Almighty, the curse will befall on such recipients of assets. People with riches and not helping the poor will be known as lobis. If one has no sense to get rid of this birth, while he is affluent and dies after becoming aged and sickly will be called as a dead body. Knowledgeable men with their assets earn Blessings and punniyam and as a result gain the deathless great life and get the glorious name of Gnani.

Who giving nought, opines from wealth all blessing springs, Degraded birth that doting miser’s folly brings.

He who knows that wealth yields every pleasure and yet is so blind as to lead miserly life will be born a demon.

Thirukkural 1002

Who lust to heap up wealth, but glory hold not dear, It burthens earth when on the stage of being they appear.

A burden to the earth are men bent on the acquisition of riches and not (true) fame.

Thirukkural 1003

The mother earth bears patiently the living beings of single sense to five senses. But she bears reluctantly the six sensed human being without any mercy or sympathy.She becomes elated when she bears the men of punniyam. She becomes broken hearted when bears the sinners.

“It is natural for the poor to beg”

Vetriverkai ..57

As a consequence of the misdeeds of past birth, people take birth in the poorest of poor family and go for begging. To help such people is the duty of those who are affluent and sympathetic mind.

“It is the duty of the affluent to assist the needy.”

Vetriverkai 58

It is the duty of those who become affluent as a result of their act of merits in the past birth, to help those who seek their assistance. Except that, without helping retention of such things is ignorance.

“Ye! vile and gullible men

Who have hoarded your hard earned money, listen Ye! sinners who will enjoy such money?

Once soul leaves this body.

One may accrue assets by doing variety of business, avocations and by cultivation. They may bury underneath the earth such assets safely. They may do it without the knowledge of their son and wife and may not disclose such location to them. Such people may die in an accident, heart attack, poisonous reptile bite, murder by enemies and due to incurable diseases. The assets of such people may not be useful to his wife, children and close friends.

Affluent shall undertake act of kindness and enrich their spirituality. It is foolish to hoard the assets underneath the earth. They have not understood the nature of assets. The wise always enrich their spirituality by acts of kindness whenever they get assets.

Do deeds of virtue now. Say not, ‘To-morrow we’ll be wise’; Thus, when thou dies, shalt thou find a help that never dies. Defer not virtue to another day; receive her now; and at the dying hour she will be your undying friend.

Thirukkural 36

‘Virtue’ sums the things that should be done; ‘Vice’ sums the things that man should shun.

That is virtue which each ought to do, and that is vice which each should shun.

Thirukkural 40

Oh foolish one who think that they can live in this great world, Without worshipping the feet of Him with cock in his flag, The disease caused by the powerful fate, of your great mistake Will not allow you to enjoy all the wealth that you have earned, And even if you bury that wealth deep, will it ever follow you?

Kanthar Alangaram 20

Will it be possible to get the Blessings of the preceptor of gnosis (Lord Muruga) if any one hoards their assets earned through the Blessings of Lord Almighty and deeds of Punniya, and the hunger of the poor is not appeased.?

Whenever I think of Him at any time, the Lord Muruga would come before me riding on a blue peacock, with the pretty tribal girl, Valli

And the truth that he gives as advice to me as Preceptor , Would be clear to very learned yogis slowly and after thought, And others would do meaningless acts and embrace death.

Kanthar Alangaram 26

Men of Gnosis undertake acts of virtue and attain deathless great life. But the misers without helping anyone are subjected to various diseases and die. The wise man do acts of virtue and with the Blessings of the preceptor of Gnosis attain heavenly abode. The misers will not get such an opportunity.

Saint Avvaiyar in her book “The Good Path” (Nal Vazhi) says that there are too many castes in the world. One should abhor those and shall understand that there are only two castes. The Men who have raised their assets through righteous way and do act of kindness and assistance belong to one caste and the misers who without helping others through acts of virtue and hoard the assets are the other caste.

“In the justifiable act of righteousness

There are none other than two castes as proclaimed In this world: one who help is an upper caste

And those who do not help are low born As said in ancient books”

Avvaiyar Nalvazhi-2

This is not only the view of Avvaiyar but also ancients. “All Ailments Assail, If in Charity You Fail

Consumption and anemia, asthma and colic pain— Such the lot of those who nothing in charity give; Snake and thunder, sore throat and fleshly ills, Approach not them that others’ needs relieve.”

For those who do not appease the hungry of the poor through the assets earned from the past good deeds and Blessings of Almighty, cough, anaemia, cold related diseases and severe fever will land in. Except that one resort to kindness with the assets, they will be protected from the instant death by the causes of wild poisonous reptile’s bite and natural calamities like thunder and lightning and ulcers formed in the stomach. So says Thirumoolar the great. Hence, if we do not help those who beg we may have to suffer due to various diseases.

As the kind hearted feed the hungry poor, no disease or misery approach. They get diseaseless life, longevity of life and also spiritual upgradation in this birth and births to follow. Hence, once born as a human being, should have the strength of righteous deeds and spirituality. Those who love strength of righteous deeds and spirituality shall be vegetarians by food habit. Feed one or two poor monthly once and chant the manthra as below for ten minutes both during morning and evening.

“Ohm ! Thirumoola Devaya Nama:” “Ohm ! Ramalinga Devaya Nama:” “Ohm! Agasthisaya Nama”

“Ohm! Pathanjali Devaya Nama”.

If so done, all the sins of past are absolved and punniyam enters. Body health and longevity of life happens. The cruel poverty disappears and affluence enhances. The thought of helping others, which is feeding those who are hungry, appears. To appease the hungry of poor is the real spirituality. This is the remedy to absolve the misery of birth.

“Denial Leads to Misery

Bliss and pain—these two woven into the web of life, Result from deeds of our own devising;

The Bliss of giving they knew, and yet the fools gave not, The shrivelled of heart, to charity unwise, its glory unknowing.”

Some lead a royal life with fame with all facilities of wealth, good health and longevity of life. Some suffer throughout their life being born in cruel poverty stricken family. They yearn as what to do for next meal. They may not have shelter. They may yearn as what to do for alternative dress other than that is worn. This status is the result of the deeds of good and bad in the past birth. Those who have appeased the hungry poor in earlier birth live a royal life of richness. But the misers who have not appeased the hungry though affluent in previous birth suffer miserably in the present birth in utter poverty. Hence one should understand the deeds of good done in this birth bring not only lot of goodness in the present birth, but also will be of assistance in the future births.

Do deeds of virtue now. Say not, ‘To-morrow we’ll be wise’; Thus, when thou diest, shalt thou find a help that never dies. Defer not virtue to another day; receive her now; and at the dying hour she will be your undying friend

Thirukkural 36

Hence by feeding hungry poor, one should accrue punniyam for this birth and that follows. It is a sin to say no to those who beg.