Hindu scriptures have said that people can keep for themselves what they need. To take more than a person needs and be selfish about it, is a sin. One should not be greedy because greed leads to evils. It is said in the Yajur Veda that everything in the universe belongs to God, that a person should enjoy what is given to him and should not wish for the wealth which is gifted to others. You should not consider yourself as the owner of God-given wealth but only as a trustee. You can make wealth with hundreds of hands, but should distribute it with thousands of hands. To live is to give and give as long as you live. A spirit of comfort and self-sacrifice leads to peace of mind. If all the above are put into practice then a lot of the problems of the world. Such as poverty and misery, would not arise. It is also said that the happiness of the individual lies in the happiness of the society in which someone lives. One should have warmth of love for all. What applies to individuals applies to nations also.
Aid
It is often pointed out that the developed nations are giving aid to developing nations and charities functioning in the developed countries are helping those who live in the Third World in various ways. The Hindu view about aid is as follows:
1. All aid or help should be done without expecting any returns or profit.
2. When giving aid, it should go to the most deserving person or nation.
3. If someone keeps all that he collects for himself and does not give it to others, the collected wealth will eventually prove to be the cause of ruin. (Rig Veda).
4. Real charity is that which provides a permanent source of honest earning to the poor person, enabling him to stand on his own feet in the future. It should not end up in begging.
5. Charity of any kind is good but the best is that of imparting knowledge. ‘Sarveshameva Dananam Brahmadanam Vishishyate.’ (Manu Smruti).
These principles apply not only to individual charity but also to aid-giving nations. The greatness of a nation’s character can be judged from the modes of its charity giving and receiving. Real charity elevates the lowly, enables the needy to cover for themselves and reduces the differences between ‘the haves’ and ‘the have nots’. Those who have learnt not to receive but to give achieve immortality.
Religiously inspired aid Organisation
All major Religions of the world teach the importance of giving in charity. Each person is taught to give to charity from his earnings. Many Hindu temples organise aid projects. These days it is a new trend where funds are collected and distributed by religious organizations which employ professional staff. If charity is used as conversation to a particular faith, the charity looses its real meaning. The aim of a religiously inspired charity organizations should not be to convert someone. The Hindu concept of Nishkam Karma (action without expecting anything in return) should the teaching all Hindus should be following. Aid should not result to loosing self-respect, or destruction of other people’s cultures and values of life. Many Hindu organizations in India, like the Kalyan Ashram Trust, have shown deep concern about the conversion of poor tribal people to Christianity or Islam as a direct result of their work of some religiously inspired aid organizations.
The purpose of charity should be to help the poor help them in the future. If this is not the case, the basis of charity descends to the level of profit and advantage. It should be selfless and based on love and respect for the needy and for their faith.
The Rich and Poor World
If we observe the way different people live in this world then we should realise that some people are well off. In the UK, most people have a roof to stay under, most of the people are provided a good food supply and get all the food they need, and most people don’t have to worry about catching diseases due to pollution, unhealthy water or bad living conditions.
However, not all countries are as gifted as ours, we are shown on TV and newspapers that people suffer and are not so well off. Many people do not have a house to stay in and are on the streets, many people die due to hunger or because they do not get the right type of food, and many people suffer from illnesses and diseases which CAN be prevented, such as Typhoid or Cholera.
UK, USA, Japan, Sweden and Germany are the well off countries which are sometimes called the developed countries. These countries are mostly on the northern hemisphere of the world, therefore they are often called the rich north. Brazil, Nigeria, India and Malaysia are the not so well of and so are sometimes called the developing countries. These are mostly in the southern hemisphere, therefore are called the poor south.
Differences between Rich and Poor Countries
There are a lot of differences between Rich and Poor countries and can be noticeable if we observe them carefully, this table shows some of the main differences.
China’s solution to the Problem
China has a population of over 12000 million people, and this is increasing by over 30,000 every day. The Government decided that it had to take drastic measures to try to bring this population explosion under control. It introduced a law which said that Chinese couples were only allowed to have one child. If a couple has more than one child, they can be fined or have their electricity cut off. There is a great pressure on women to have abortions, and many female babies have been killed at birth, as males are considered to be better.
The Food Problem
There is enough food in the world to feed everybody, but is not equally distributed. People in the northern countries have more food than they need, and they tend to suffer from illnesses and diseases that are linked over eating, such as heart disease. Whereas, in the south, millions of people are starving. Whether you have enough food depends on how poor you are. People in the UK consume 125% of their calorie needs, while people in Ethiopia have just 71%. Although there is on average enough food for everyone in Malawi, people there have to spend 55% of their income to buy it. Very few people who die because of food shortages actually die of starvation. They either die from illnesses brought on by not getting enough of the right kinds of food (malnutrition), or they die because of diseases from contaminated water, which their weakened bodies cannot fight.
How can we help Poor Countries?
When you see the big differences between Rich countries and Poor countries, you might feel that the Rich countries should be doing something to help the people in need in the Poor countries. There are lots of examples of aid that is given to poor countries.
Types of aid
Financial aid (money): Many rich countries give loans to poor countries, but they have to pay even more back, as interest is added on. Grants can also be given, which do not need to be paid back.
Emergency aid: Sometimes we hear of disasters like earthquakes, floods and droughts in poor countries, and rich countries help by sending things like tents, food and clothing, and medicines.
Food aid: Rich countries sometimes have a lot more food than they need, and they can send things like wheat, corn, flour, powdered milk and cheese to people in poor countries.
Machinery: Special farming machinery like tractors and harvesters can be sent to poor countries, and machinery for use in factories can also be sent to build up industries.
Military aid: If a friendly government is under attack from rebels, rich countries can help it by sending tanks, guns, and sometimes troops to help it stay in power.
Experts: Rich countries can often send out experts and volunteers like doctors, teachers, engineers and managers o help poor countries build up their own businesses and industries and help ordinary people.
Mahatma Gandhi
Indian Spiritual/Political
Leader and Humanitarian
1869 - 1948
Generations to come will scarce believe that such
a one as this walked the earth in flesh and blood.
—Albert Einstein
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869 in Porbandar, India. He became one of the most respected spiritual and political leaders of the 1900's. Gandhi helped free the Indian people from British rule through non-violent resistance, and is honoured by his people as the father of the Indian Nation. The Indian people called Gandhi Mahatma, meaning Great Soul.
At age 13, Gandhi joined Kasturba, age 12, in a marriage arranged by their parents. The Gandhis had four sons: Harilal and Manilal, born in India, and Ramdas and Devdas born in South Africa. While Gandhi displayed loving kindness to everyone else, he was quite demanding and severe with his wife and sons. to learn more about Gandhi's relationship with his family.
Gandhi studied law in London and returned to India in 1891 to practice. In 1893 he accepted a one-year contract to do legal work in South Africa. At the time the British controlled South Africa. When he attempted to claim his rights as a British subject he was abused, and soon saw that all Indians suffered similar treatment. Gandhi stayed in South Africa for 21 years working to secure rights for Indian people. He developed a method of direct social action based upon the principles courage, non-violence and truth called Satyagraha. He believed that the way people behave is more important than what they achieve. Satyagraha promoted non-violence and civil disobedience as the most appropriate methods for obtaining political and social goals.
In 1915 Gandhi returned to India. Within 15 years he became the leader of the Indian nationalist movement. Using the tenets of Satyagraha he lead the campaign for Indian independence from Britain. Gandhi was arrested many times by the British for his activities in South Africa and India. He believed it was honourable to go to jail for a just cause. Altogether he spent seven years in prison for his political activities. More than once Gandhi used fasting to impress upon others the need to be non-violent.
India was granted independence in 1947, and partitioned into India and Pakistan. Rioting between Hindus and Muslims followed. Gandhi had been an advocate for a united India where Hindus and Muslims lived together in peace. On January 13, 1948, at the age of 78, he began a fast with the purpose of stopping the bloodshed. After 5 days the opposing leaders pledged to stop the fighting and Gandhi broke his fast. Twelve days later a Hindu fanatic who opposed his program of tolerance for all creeds and religion assassinated him.
BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha
Those who wish to sincerely serve society must be spiritually pure and only those who are spiritually pure can sincerely serve society!
The Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) is a social spiritual organization that is rooted from the Vedas, was revealed by Bhagwan Swaminarayan in the late 18th century and established in 1907 CE by Swami Yagnapurushdas. It reaches out far and wide to clear the confusions, answer any questions in the devotees mind in our moral and social world of today.
Its strength lies in the purity of its nature and purpose. The Sanstha puts extreme effort to the world by building up the character in societies, families and individuals. This is not just don’t by mottos and slogans but by a lot of motivation and individual attention, through increasing the number of projects for everyone, creed, colour and country. The Sanstha's universal work has received many national welfare awards and the affiliation to the United Nations. Its international network has grown into 2,710 Youth, 4,070 Children and 1,320 Women centres, 680 sadhus, 45,000 volunteers and the dedication of over one million followers. The hallmark of the Swaminarayan devotee is that he or she devoutly begins the day with puja and meditation, works or studies honestly and donates regular hours in serving others. He/she observes the five principal vows: No Stealing, No Adultery, No Alcohol, No Meat, No Impurity of body and mind. This is the secret to the services performed for a better life.
Aims and Objectives
The social spiritual activities of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha aim to inspire a better and happier individual, family and society. Through its 170 spiritual and humanitarian activities it aims to inspire one and all towards a better way of life through the humanitarian values of service, purity, discipline, love, tolerance, harmony. Energize its efforts against dowry, smoking, drugs, alcohol and other destructive addictions. Promote harmony and peace among all communities through understanding and co-operation. Develop constructive and creative youth and children's activities to increase their energy, promoting educational and social services. Sustain the roots of Indian Culture and all the good that it stands for.
