Alms

My friend Bhamini wrote: "Everything is so glorified these days and given titles...like Corporate Social Responsibility etc. which has further morphed into something else. During our good old days, the left hand did not know what the right hand gave...and the right hand used to give so much without much fanfare.

Yes, people were (and many still are) catholic in their outlook. Long, long ago it was said:

"When thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth."

"Prayer carries us half way to God, fasting brings us to the door of His palace, and alms-giving procures us admission."

When I was a young lad, my father, Flt. Lt.C.M.Gopal told me about a person with shoe-laces

in front of a Church in England.

I told him, "But why should I buy shoe-laces, when I don't even have pair of shoes?"

My father explained to me that the guy was seeking alms. He wanted to give something in exchange without merely begging. One is supposed to take one or two pairs of laces and pay as much as one desired and leave. Forget about the laces.

That day he wanted to teach me a lesson and I did learn it.

But today I know that we all seek alms.

"There is not a soul who does not have to beg alms of another, either a smile, a hand shake

or a fond eye".