It happened once in a gathering of the faithful that a certain shaikh was asked a question: What is generosity?
The shaikh replied, one time I was in a company of seekers, and we had vowed to do our practice until the changing of the moon, but we had come to the place with very little provision, and when the final week came, we had no food. Then, to our surprise, a man appeared with a sack of bread. He told us that his master was a wealthy man and had sent this to help us. As he took his leave, he told us the name of his master, and asked us to pray for him. Three days later he came again with more food, and again asked us to pray for his master.
So, we were able to fulfil our vow, and when we left that place we gave food to the poor, but the rich man’s bread was not generosity – it was commerce, because he wanted our prayers.
On another occasion, I was making a pilgrimage to the tomb of a great soul, and had not eaten for three days, walking all the time. A poor beggar in rags resting under a tree saw me passing and came to the path to greet me. He understood my condition at once, and without a word, he took out what he had, a small piece of dry bread, broke it and gave me half.
This was generosity.
This goes right to the heart, and goes beyond words. Thank you. Even on a second reading I found myself holding my breath as if in a sacred place..
A few years ago, during a bicycle trip I was at the train station in the north of Paris, I was very hungry as it was already evening and I had only had a small breakfast, and there was nothing open, only vending machines for soft drinks and chips. Then I found a sandwich duly packed on top of the paper recycling basket, I looked in all directions, ashamed to take it, but as the hunger was terrible, I finally decided to take it; immediately an immigrant came, whom I had seen asking for coins from passers-by at the station, annoyed he said some words to me in a language I did not understand, and I just said “I’m sorry, I’m sorry brother”. And he just kept saying some words, took the sandwich, broke it in half, gave me one of the two parts, then turned his back and walked away quickly. At that moment I could not but cry, because this person did not look at my race, nor my nationality, whether I had money or not, he had simply looked at me inside, he connected with my being, he saw my need, and he simply wanted to help me. For me it was a beautiful manifestation of God’s presence and love in people. And now thinking about it, we receive this every moment from our parents, relatives, friends and also from strangers, but perhaps many times we do not realize it, we do not recognize all that beauty in the permanent acts of generosity. Thank you