Destiny!

“Charity is the true ornament of the hand (Hasthasya bhushanam daanam). Your hands are useless if they do not perform acts of charity. Do not worry about ups and downs, loss or gain, joy or grief. You are the creator of your own destiny.” (BHAGWAN BABA)

There once were two brothers. One of them was a miser, but the other one was a philanthropist. A wise man visited their house one day. They looked after the wise man well and made him comfortable. While leaving, the wise man was very pleased with their hospitality and blessed them profusely. He asked each of them if they had anything to wish for.

The miser said, “Please bless me so that whatever the Lord has destined for me, I should keep getting proportionately all my life, so that I can live comfortably till my last day. My needs are few and I spend wisely. But sometimes I fear for the future. When I am old, I may not be earning, so who will look after me?”

The wise man blessed him and said, “So be it! You shall always have enough for yourself. You shall never be left wanting!” He then turned to the philanthropist, who said, “Oh wise one! Please ask the Lord Almighty to give me all at once, whatever He has destined for me in this life. I would rather have it all together and do what I really want to, rather than keep waiting for the good things all my life!”

The wise man said, “As you please, my child.”

Within a few days, the philanthropist brother had huge profits from business, he won a great sum of money in a lottery, and an aunt left him a huge estate in her will. In few words, let’s say, it was not just raining, it was pouring wealth from all quarters.

This man gave away huge amounts to charity. He also made tremendous investments in business. He gave generous gifts to his friends and relatives. His policy as before was give, give and give yet again! His business gave unprecedented returns and more money continued to pour in.

The miser brother on the other hand, continued his life as a simpleton. The miser met the wise man one day and asked him, “Oh wise one! You said my brother would get everything destined for him all at once, but his good luck seems to be never ending. I don’t get it.”

The wise man said, “I gave him, whatever was predestined for him. Now, he is reaping the dividends of his good deeds. That is a bonus! It’s not planned. But through his habits of empathy and sympathy he has changed his destiny!”