Charity

Charity is one of the most noble tasks that a man can do in his life.According to different religious beliefs, our life on earth is just a transitory phase of an eternal journey towards salvation.So, this brief period that we are on earth, which we call life, has to be lived with a purpose.For some people the true meaning of life is the joy of giving.They realize this dream of theirs by engaging in acts of charity.

A charitable person loves his fellow-beings and likes to help them in distress.He is very sensitive to the feelings of others.The sight of pain or misery troubles him and he tries his level best to alleviate that misery.He is deeply moved  at the sight of beggars, or victims of natural calamities such as floods,earthquakes etc.

Today , the world is in greater need of charity than ever before. The gap between the rich and the poor is widening.While on one hand, we have the billionaire businessmen, sport stars and movie stars.While on the other hand we have millions of diseased and starving men,women and children dying for that one morsel of grain that would keep them alive.If all the rich people and even people who are reasonably well-off contribute something in terms of money,food,clothes or even empathy, then the world would definitely be better off.

There is no denying the fact that sections from the rich have always contributed towards the upliftment of the poor.Many big corporations ,charitable trusts and societies make good contributions in areas of poverty-alleviation,food supply,education and health.Recently the two richest men on the planet, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and investor Warren Buffet announced the donation of a lion's share of their wealth to charity.They also called upon fellow billionaires all over the world to emulate them.This has had  a ripple effect whose benefits are being seen all over the world.But evidently, a lot more needs to be done.

But this does not necessarily mean that one has to be a billionaire to show charity.Even simple actions like feeding a poor man for a day, or teaching a poor kid are acts of charity. Every person can do his own bit , and it would make some difference to another person's life. Also, acts of charity should not be trumpeted.It should be done from the heart and not for publicity or other commercial purposes.The best form of charity is the one in which the identity of the donor remains hidden.