At last night’s Satsangh, Ram spoke on verses 20-23 of the 17th Chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, which deal with the different types of charity or Dhaana.
Ram said that although the Slokas explicitly talk about charity they also have an underlying and unsaid thread running through them and this is the need for contentment. Charity and the different types of charity that are performed are in fact driven by the level of contentment that each person has. He then asked us whether we were part of “the ninety nine Club”? He continued to explain the ninety nine club through a story.
Once, there lived a King who, inspite of being extremely wealthy (after all, he was the King!), was still not happy or contented. One day, as he was walking, he came across a servant cleaning the floors and singing happily to himself. He called his minister (let us say Birbal!) and asked him the source for the servant’s happiness although he was only a menial servant. Birbal thought about it and said, “Your Majesty, I guess that the servant has not become a member of the ninety nine Club!”
“The ninety nine Club? the King was surprised and curious to know what it was.
Birbal answered, “Majesty, to understand the ninety nine club, you need to place a bag of gold coins outside the servant’s doorstep – a bag of ninety nine gold coins!”
When the servant woke up in the morning and discovered the bag, he was overjoyed to see it full of gold coins. He had never seen so much wealth all at once!. He called his family and then began to count them. When he counted them, he was puzzled and counted it again and again – yet all that he could find were ninety nine Coins.
He wondered, “Where did that last coin go? after all, no one would leave ninety nine coins”
Although he searched every nook and corner, the coin could not be found. When he could look no more, he decided that he would work hard so that he could earn one gold coin, thereby making it a round 100!
From that day, the servant’s life changed. He was overworked, became irritable and forever complaining since what ever he did, he could not seem to have enough for the 100th gold coin!
No need to say that he also stopped singing while he worked! Seeing this change, the king was astonished.
When he called Birbal again for an explanation, Birbal replied, “Your Majesty, even when a person has little, it is often enough to keep them happy. However, the Servant has now officially joined The ninety nine Club.” The ninety nine Club is a name given to those people who have enough to be happy but are never contented, because they’re always yearning and looking for that extra “1″, telling to themselves: “Let me get that one final thing and then I will be happy for life.”
The reason many of us are unable to do any charity is because of this lack of contentment and as permanent members of “the ninety nine club”, we are at all times seeking the elusive last gold coin, rather than looking at the ninety nine that we already have and can share..
It was an interesting anecdote and very apt for the discussion. So, Are you a part of “the ninety nine club?”
Namaskar Sowmyaji and Ramji
Lovely anecdote. Contentment is the state of today and can never be tomorrow. Inspiring talk.
Pranams
chitradevaraj
Pranams
Simple it looks …why would I do it … this story is not meant for me. Ramji says it is time for introspection.
It is good to read Sri Shirdi Sai Sacharitram to know more about Dakshina