Your questions will be answered even before you ask!

Bangalore, 14 December 2011

It is said in the Upanishads, ‘Ma grudha kasyasvid dhanam’

There are two tendencies that are within us, one of taking and the other of giving.
What is worth noting is which value system we are imbibing in our children.
If they are hesitant to take or ask, then that is a sign of good values. But if they are hesitant to give then there is something wrong there.
It is a good sign when people feel hesitation to put their hand out to take. But if people hesitate to extend their hands out to help then we need to change the direction of society.
Every person feels some hesitation to take from somebody or the other, especially if they have to take from relatives. When it comes to relatives, one would want to give more than take and this is a tendency that is naturally present in children.
If the child is sattvic he always makes an effort to share his belongings with everyone. But if the child is rajasic then he tries to take things from everyone.

We have been raised with these values of giving and sharing. When it would come to asking for anything, there was so much hesitation. Even to ask my father there was so much hesitation. I never asked him for anything. Yes, that is extreme.
We have got to imbibe the value of giving and sharing in children; happiness in giving and sharing and hesitation to take. They should feel hesitation to put their hands out and ask.
There are people who have enough yet they keep asking for more. This is very strange.

Read more at
What Sri Sri Said Today
The Art of living
© The Art of Living Foundation