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Liberality and Miserliness
Out of the virtues bestowed by God, liberality is a special virtue. To greet with a large heart, to talk freely, to fulfil the need of the needy to one's ability with an open heart. God is extremely large. Those who commune with Him are also large-hearted. The following are some of the displays of liberality:
When an army comes in front like a humble man, then to treat him well and to leave the motive of revenge, to give charity with large heart.
Chaitanye Maha Prabhu wrote such a nice annotation of Gita, that the annotation of his friend became tasteless, then Chaitanya threw his annotation in the river so that his friend may not become small in front of him. This is a great liberality in the literary world, otherwise others views and even on others poetry, people claim as their own. A liberal person considers others tears as his own and becomes happy in the happiness of others.
A miser whereas remains ignorant of others suffering, there he does not like the happiness of others. Wealth is the daughter of miser. Therefore neither he takes any comfort from it, nor shows it others:
This bride is the daughter of a wretched miser.
Abandoning the Lord's servant,
she sleeps with the world.
A miser person takes food by keeping the door closed, so that any beggar or friend may not come and it has to be given or fed:-
He Yachik Tun Sabar Kar Tiago Bhojan Aas.
Do Do De Kar Khat Hain Ye Thakur Ke Das.
Out of the human vices, miserliness is a very big vice. The world of miser is very inhospitable and he has no fast friend. Having everything but not to use these for his own benefit, is called miserliness. Miser from the heart will take every step in life in a deceitful manner. If he is virtuous, he will not be able to give virtue to others. There is no place for love in the small heart of miser, therefore he is unable to give love to others. As such he does not get love from any side. Nature has made a unique rule-whatever we give to others, only that returns to our pouch:-
You get your own;
given nothing cannot bring to you anything.
{Bhai Gurdas ji}
Liberality is required for giving money, love and virtue, but miser is not having it.
As many miser wealthy persons leave all the money here only in the end, similarly if any virtuous person will be miser, he will die without teaching virtue to anyone else. As many people would have benefitted from a virtue, that virtue also dies with the death of the miser. Therefore miser is the murderer of wealth and virtue.
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