Attempts are being made in many places to build Sathya SaiMandirs (halls of worship). But Sathya Sai will be happy if He is installed in your hearts; that is the Mandir I like, not those. When you seek to build that other Mandir, you have to go about seeking donations. Religion has declined in this land due to this donation-seeking and donation-granting. Really speaking, the most precious donation is a pure mind; give that to the organisation and it will shine.
I shall tell you a method by which the extra funds you may need for any undertaking the Samitihas in view are to be collected. Estimate beforehand what the expense will be. Suppose it comes to a thousand rupees, give that information to the fifteen members, and fix a day when they shall all meet. That day, keep a locked box with a slit on the lid, in an inner room; let every one go in alone into the room and deposit in the box whatever he feels he can. He can come away without depositing anything; he has the freedom to do so, there is no compulsion. If funds are collected with the knowledge of the rest, a person who is unable to give as much as another may feel humiliated and so this is the best method. When all have finished their turn, let the box be opened and the amount counted. If it falls short of the estimate, divide the shortfall among all members equally and collect the share from each. If there is some surplus, keep it for the next occasion. Do not have lists, appeals, receipt books and all the cumbrous complex of fund collection campaigns. That way will lead you to stratagems and falsehoods, competition and calumny. Do it in this quiet and sacred manner, suited to the holy objectives you have. (SSS Vol.7, p. 57)
Today, money can buy admission, attendance, marks, and even degrees for that matter. The medical seats are readily offered to candidates who pay a sum of twenty to thirty lakhs. In order to earn the money spent by them to secure the medical seat, the doctors charge exorbitant fees from the patients. The same is the case with engineering, too. Even for admission in first standard, some institutions are charging twenty to twenty five thousand rupees.
The education that is acquired by paying large amounts asdonation is no education at all. Only people having blackmoney will resort to such illegal means to acquire degrees.
‘Do (for the) nation,’ that is the real donation.(SSS Vol.32 Part II, p. 8)
Samarth Ramdas and Saint Tulsidas have declared that whoever comes in the way, whether heis the preceptor, father, mother, or anybody else, when a sacred offering is to be made to God, heshould not be obeyed come what may.
While making the offering, Emperor Bali said: ‘Oh Lord! I am offering to you the heart whichyou gave to me. I offer to you all my wealth, my kith and kin and everything else. Protect me,who has surrendered to you.
It is because such supremely self-sacrificing, great men have existed in Bharat from timesimmemorial, that Bharat has shone as a Tyaga Bhumi (the land of Sacrifice), Yoga Bhumi(the land of Yoga) and Karma Bhumi (the land of sacred deeds). Today sacrifice and charity
have become a fashionable pastime. It has also been turned into a business. If a trivial donation ismade, it must be blazoned in the press! In the old days, the great souls and rulers who gave awaykingdoms and all their possessions, indulged in no fanfare, but experienced the bliss of giving intheir hearts. Those great souls totally ignored those who came in the way of their acts ofsacrifice.(SSS Vol.23, p. 111)
The scriptures have declared that among birds, the crow is the meanest; among animals, thedonkey is the meanest and among men, the one who indulges in slander is most despicable. Thecrow is mean because it does not relish good food and prefers only rotten things. The donkeycarries only dirty clothes and is always dirty. The slanderer has a foul tongue and is the meanestamong human beings. Vol 20 55
(Donkey)
One animalwhich is viewed with contempt is the donkey. But there are quite a few virtues man can learnfrom the donkey. The quality of patience to be found in a donkey is not found even in man.
Whatever burdens may be heaped on its back, it bears them all with forbearance. It puts up withany amount of beatings. Even when it is starved of food and water, it presents a calm face. Manhas thus to learn the quality of forbearance from the donkey. (SSS Vol.30, p. 15)