Theos-Talk Archives (January 1998 Message tt00301)

Jan 22nd 1998

The involvement is always personal.  If you give money or food to an
intermediary you lose control over its delivery.

There are those who go into the "charity business" so as to make a living
off the goodwill of others who may be too lazy to be directly charitable to
those who deserve help.  In that case the "charity" is diminished in two
ways:

1.	the amount that could be given is reduced by a percentage (some studies
in the past reveal that this reduction extends from 15 to 90% of the
contributions).

2.	The personal touch is lost as true charity demands that one place ones'
self in the place of another.  Sympathy and empathy are things to be shared
directly and not remotely.

There is a third aspect to this and that is the vicarious feeling that "we
have done good" when we have spared a few dollars (or rupees, or
franks...) in such a careless fashion -- and we say self-contentedly:  well
I have sacrificed the pleasure that money (or whatnot) would have given to
me personally !

A recent positing quoted from HPB's KEY TO THEOSOPHY p. 244,  it can be
extended a little further as what HPB states is valuable to all of us:

  "Act individually and not collectively;  follow the Northern Buddhist
precepts:  "Never put food into the mouth of the hungry by the hand of
another;"  "Never let the shadow of thy neighbor ( a third person ) come
between thyself and the object of thy bounty;"  "Never give to the Sun time
to dry a tear before thou hast wiped it." ..."Never give money to the
needy, or food to the priest, who begs at thy door, through thy servants,
lest thy money should diminish gratitude, and thy food turn to gall."  ...
[How can this be applied practically ? ] ... The theosophical ideas of
charity mean personal exertion for others;  personal mercy and kindness;
personal interest inn the welfare of those who suffer;  personally
sympathy, forethought and assistance in their troubles and needs...."

		Dallas TenBroeck

dalval@nwc.net                        (818) 222-8024
                   23145 Park Contessa,
            Calabasas, Ca., 91302, USA.
===============================================
----------
> From: "Judith Christie" <sagescrown@aol.com>
> Subject: Re:Dependent or independent?
> Date: Wednesday, January 21, 1998 8:08 PM
>
> You then believe in
> one to one aid
> Dallas?
>
> I agree being involved
> in an act of charity
> is important.
> 			SNIP			<