Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

The White Hindu

Home
Hindu
It’s Easy For Kids To Be Generous

It’s Easy For Kids To Be Generous

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 10:35 pm by Ambaa Choate

It’s Easy For Kids To Be Generous 2015-03-13T22:35:08-04:00 Ambaa Choate

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I like to think that I’m an ethical and good person, right? I sure hope that I am. But sometimes I wonder whether I would be as moral as I hope if I were in a challenging situation. How can we know ahead of time if we would respond in a dharmic way when faced with a huge challenge?

I feel like it was easier for me to be selfless and generous when I was a kid. I had my parents’ care and money to fall back on, so I could afford to be generous. Not to brag, but I had some good moments of ethical behavior as a kid. I’m not sure if those moments really count, since I had nothing on the line. It doesn’t say that much about the state of my character. Anything I gave away was easily replaced. (I’m pretty sure I drove my mom nuts giving away my lunch money and clothes).

These days I hoard pennies to put in the Coinstar machine for grocery money (did you know they don’t take a cut if you use your coins to get giftcards?) We’re facing unemployment and debt. I’m literally counting coins and putting energy into couponing. I get gas money for the car by gathering gas points at the grocery store and then using those at the cheapest gas station in the area on Thursday when it’s five extra cents off a gallon. (To be honest, I’m not sure how much my frugality is based on a real threat or my own fears. I hate being in debt). It’s hard to look beyond the borders of our own family. And so I wonder if I’ve become a miser. Or if that generous spirit that I had as a child is still in there somewhere.

I believe, like John Sheridan, that we are morally good in the big moments because of building a foundation of being morally good in the tiny moments of life.

So I believe that when I pass those little tests in life it bodes well for my ability to stay strong when things are harder.

I had one of those tests recently.

Walking to my car in the parking lot, I came upon a folded pack of bills lying on the ground. I picked it up and found it to be $27. Which meant about a week’s worth of dinners to me.

There was no one around and I felt a tug in my soul to stick that money in my pocket and go home. I wouldn’t have to tell you all about it. I could just add it to my envelope of grocery money and never tell anyone.

But I didn’t.

I marched myself into the adjacent office (which is the rental office for all the properties on the street, including ours) and turned it in.

This moment gives me a lot of hope for myself. It seems my struggle to get money has not turned me completely greedy yet.

The reward was that a few days later the man we rent from told me that no one had claimed the money and he wanted me to have it. So, I have to thank Ma Lakshmi that she is bringing some money into our lives!

I could have just pocketed the money, but I would have felt so much guilt and be angry at myself for being so weak. Now I get the money and I can rest assured knowing that I have some decency still left in me. I think this is like in the Gita when we act out of dharma not because of what we hope to gain. I turned in the money knowing it was the right thing to do and with no promise that I would get any reward for it. Yes, there’s hope for me yet.

On the Premium Blog today we have the beginning of a book club discussing the introduction to How To Become a Hindu.

Previous Post

September 25, 2013

Your First Visit to a Hindu Temple

Next Post

September 27, 2013 How To: The Gayatri Mantra

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Book Club Hindu Holiday How Am I Being a Hindu This Week? Inside the Life Meet a God Meet a Guru Movie Club Philosophy Corner Resources Scripture Uncategorized Wild Card

Select a Month February 2020 September 2019 May 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

How many books are in the major prophets section of the Old Testament?

Select your answer to see how you score.

3 5 7 4