What Is the Cost of Not Giving?
When a wealthy king asks a poor beggar for alms, the beggar faces an unexpected choice. What might his reluctance to give cost him?
What Is the Cost of Not Giving?
Once there was a poor beggar who spent his days begging on the streets near the king's palace. Despite his efforts, he could barely collect enough to feed his family.
One day, while sitting by the roadside, he heard that the king's procession would pass through the town. Excited at the prospect of seeing the king, he picked up his mat and moved to a street along the procession's route.
As the royal procession approached, something extraordinary happened. The king dismounted from his horse, walked up to the beggar, and humbly asked him for alms!
The beggar was astonished.
"O King! Why would you ask for alms from a poor beggar like me?"
The king replied, "I had a dream that misfortune would befall me unless I sought alms from a beggar. Please give me whatever you can and save me from the suffering that awaits me."
The beggar had a few coins in his bag. He picked them up, intending to give them all to the king.
But then he hesitated.
If I give away all these coins, how will I feed my family tonight?
He put a couple of coins back into his bag.
Just as he was about to offer the remaining coins, another thought arose.
If I give away this much, I won't even have enough to buy a loaf of bread.
Once again, he reduced the amount.
He continued this way, finding a reason to hold back a little more each time, until finally, he offered the king just one penny.
The king accepted it gratefully, thanked the beggar, and departed.
The beggar continued begging for the rest of the day and returned home that evening.
When his wife looked through his bag, she was astonished to discover a gold coin.
"Where did this come from?" she asked.
Suddenly, the beggar understood. He had given the king a penny, and in return, he had received a gold coin!
If only I had given him all my coins! I would have received a fortune!
But the opportunity was gone.
Takeaway
Through this story, God teaches us that wealth grows through sharing. The unwillingness to give to worthy causes can itself become a cause of poverty.
The scriptures warn:
अदत्तदानाच्च भवेद दरिद्राे । दरिद्रभावाच्च कराेति पापम्।
पापप्रभावात् नरकं प्रयाति । पुनर्दरिद्रः पुनरेव पापी ॥
adattadānācca bhavēda daridrāē . daridrabhāvācca karāēti pāpam.
pāpaprabhāvāt narakṁ prayāti . punardaridrḥ punarēva pāpī .
The habit of withholding charity leads to poverty. Poverty may drive a person to commit unrighteous deeds in order to survive. Those deeds lead to suffering in hell, and the cycle of poverty and wrongdoing continues.
Therefore, cultivate the habit of sharing what you have to help those in need. Giving to worthy causes benefits others and contributes to a peaceful life.
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