The Greatness of Annadhanam/Offering Food to the Needy narrated by Annai Siddha Rajakumar Guruji
In Perambalur, when I was with my master the Siddha performing service to the Guru, we served food to monks and the needy on a daily basis. No less than three hundred people a day partook of the meals served there. The children, the old, and the orphaned of the local villages would walk more than two and a half kilometers in the scorching sun for the food we served. Even the people who were just visitors of the Siddha, who weren’t less fortunate or in need, were offered a plate before speaking with him. That was our way. And we never sought out distributors or funding. Instead, those who came in search of medical help would donate sums for their treatment. That’s how we replenished our stock. It was a symbiotic cycle- those who needed help, even if indirectly, would aid those who needed help in the future.
One day, as a meal was being served, I found the Siddha watching the goings on, a look of grace and satisfaction across his face.
“Raja!” He called as I served a meal for someone. He pointed at the old man before me. “Look at him-look at all of them. They don’t even have proper shirts. Some of them don’t even have decent slippers! Yet they walk miles in the burning sand to savor just one meal. Look how happy they are, how content. We were able to provide at least one meal for them today.”
“How nice would it be if we could help the entire country like this, Raja?” He said thoughtfully. “Can you imagine? Here I am, an old mendicant and I am able to give these people something like this. What do you think the rich of this country could do if they would only give?” He sighed to himself, then shook his head in silence, never taking his eyes off the men, women and children who had sought out his ashram for a bit of peace.
“None have such noble intentions. They don’t think of the things they brought with them when they were born to this planet, and even less about all they can’t take with them when they go. They wallow in luxury, but do they have peace of mind? Are they happy? Truly happy?” He looked to me, as though it were a question. I thought a moment, then shrugged.
“Perhaps,” I said. “At least, they might think they are.”
“No,” Siddha, frowned. “No, Raja I don’t think they are. And you know why? They lack compassion. Instead of performing charity, they worry about their checkbooks. They cheat the government-evade taxes, hoard blood money, adulterate foods in the name of a higher profit. When they get caught, they cry. But not because they think they were wrong. They cry because they were caught.”
“No,” Siddha, frowned. “No, Raja I don’t think they are. And you know why? They lack compassion. Instead of performing charity, they worry about their checkbooks. They cheat the government-evade taxes, hoard blood money, adulterate foods in the name of a higher profit. When they get caught, they cry. But not because they think they were wrong. They cry because they were caught.”
“These misers don’t even have the heart to give those among them who are working and toiling for them a fair share. They might be saving money, but their sin accounts are overdrawing. Nothing in this world is permanent. When we die, we’re nothing more than the beginnings of time- earth, water, fire, air, and space. All of us. The Pambatti Siddha used to sing a very popular song, ‘Nandhavanthill oru andi…….'”
“It sang of, ‘how the human body was grown in the womb of its mother, then upon reaching adulthood, it maneuvers through life recklessly, then at death, decomposes back to its basics. Back to the earth. All that’s left is a handful of ash.”
“Contemplate these morals, Raja. Everyone should. Siddhas, and their advice, are enlightened, and therefore should be heard. Listened to. The human incarnation is so rare to be blessed with. The lady saint Avvaiyar said that. It should be utilized for the realization of what God enshrined within the body. The Siddha Thirumoolar said that the body is the Temple that houses the Lord, and it should not be frittered away by indulging in intoxicants, sex, and gambling! One should remember that Ravana caused his clan of demons to be destroyed because he coveted Lord Rama’s virtuous wife Sita. Pandavas faced untold hardships for playing the dice, which were a lure by the Kaurava princes Duriyodhana and Sakuni!”
“The exalted and mighty holy temples of the ancient kings of India lie untended and uncared for in shambles. They are neglected even by Hindus, who shamelessly strut about claiming themselves to be ‘genuine!’ Those who present themselves as guardians of the religion are usually just religious fanatics! They are filled with pompousness and pride; they crave money and fame and are no better than movie stars who pine for the limelight and everyone’s attention. They are nothing but saffron-robe-clad-politicians! They amass money to build gleaming new temples in the name of fame. In the height of their ignorance, they even claim concrete buildings to be temples! These are not built according to the regulations stipulated by the Veda-Agamas (scriptures of Hinduism), and most definitely do not possess divine energy! If they were to spend this money on feeding the needy, at least they would receive grace for committing good acts!”
“In reality, even if man were granted heaps of gold he would still be unsatisfied! He would yearn for more. But when he is fed a tasty meal to his fill, he won’t accept even a morsel more! When the stomach is full, the mind is also full, so when offered more to eat, he’d claim ‘enough!’ This is why the peak of charity work is in donating food! The great Indian poet Bharathiar boldly claimed, ‘We would destroy the entire world if there were no food for even a single person!’ How was he able to claim something so bold? It was because he was an enlightened person. He had divine wisdom, and so he understood the greatness of donating food. It seems simple, but that’s what makes it great. It’s not glamorous or pronounced. It’s quiet. It’s gracious. It fills a need, not a want.”
Siddha left it at that, and for a while longer, continued to watch the serving of the meal in complete silence. It was, as he put it, simple but great. And great things deserve to be noticed.
One morning at the ashram, I found our rice supply was depleted significantly, to the point that we couldn’t feed a church mouse, let alone a person. When I told Siddha, he seemed unconcerned.
“Really?” He said. “Hmm.” He then went on to roll a marijuana cigarette, and take several large hits from it. I must have been staring at him rather oddly, because when he looked up, he asked, “What?” He took another hit from the cigarette. “What? Why do you look at me like that? When I blow out this smoke, our problem will solve itself. A man will arrive with the money. He’ll be in a white car, with the tag number 757.” He took another long, slow toke, and released it even more slowly. Smooth. He never once took his eyes off of me. He laughed in delight at my bewildered expression. “You’ll see, Raja,” he called as I left, a bit frustrated. “You’ll see! A white car! WHITE!” His laughter followed me out into the day as I left him in his quarters.
The prominent goal in the Siddha’s life was to feed as many people as he could, and yet, when a serious disruption in our efforts occurred, he was laughing at me.
“Don’t worry, Raja! The food offering will take place as you wish!”
I sought solitude away from the ashram to relieve some of my angst, and to maybe figure out a solution to the problem. I sat at the base of a nearby banyan tree, and as a gentle breeze blew my way, I closed my eyes, reveling in its cool embrace. It was then that I heard it. The sound of a car’s engine. I opened my eyes easily, and there it was, right down the road, headed for the ashram: a white car. I watched from my distant seat as it pulled up. Several men leaped out and rushed in. I rose and made my way towards them.” As I entered the ashram, I was amazed to find that our visitors had come in need of medical treatment. After receiving the medication from the Siddha, the guests extended currency notes in the presence of the Siddha. Siddha looked at me meaningfully and, realizing the significance of his stare, I accepted the money. The visitors took their leave and I went off to make the necessary purchases to restore our stocks, venerating silently to the Siddha as I went on my way. Like he had claimed, what we needed had arrived. It had all happened just as he said. For one of hundreds of times, my master had awed me.
It hit me once more, then and there, that I was indeed a blessed person! I have no idea how many lives I must have had to live, how many penances I must have performed, in order to have been in that sort of proximity to such a holy man. I was so overwhelmed by emotion that tears of joy streamed down my face. The free lunch on that particular day was flawless, and it, along with the remainder of the day, continued on that joyous note. Afterward, I went off in search of solitude, settling myself for contemplation. My mind was as clean and clear as a pristine mountain stream.
When I was young my friends poked fun at me and claimed that I was carefree, a playful guy without a worry in the world. If only they could see me now! I didn’t know peace then, not like this. I wondered how it was that peace and happiness, unavailable to me even as a child, had found me here. Now. I realized that what the wise of the past had asserted was indeed true! Saints and Siddhas like Thiruvalluvar said, “They who are united to the glorious feet of Him who passes swiftly over the flower of the mind, shall flourish long above all worlds.”
The Siddha had given me a vital piece of information. In fact, it was advice given by the ancient Siddhas about the benefits of doing charity, especially donating food. This holy, noble act not only negated previously committed sins, but also earned the Siddhas’ grace. For among the throng of humanity who partook in the free meals, there would be at least one or two Siddhas in guise. They would bless and grace the people present, in particular the person who donated the food! The grace of the Siddhas and Seers is so powerful that the philanthropist’s wealth, goodwill, and good name multiply manifold!
Moreover, if even one enlightened being were to partake of a free meal, it would be the equivalent of ten thousand ordinary men partaking of a feast, a group which can usually be afforded only by a king. Then, the benefits acquired are incalculable! Likewise, if ten Siddhas eat the meal we offer, it is identical to 100,000 ordinary people, such as ourselves, eating the food. These benefits are astronomical! The donor has then completed the purpose of his being born here. Without a doubt, in his afterlife he will attain the heaven of the gods and become, virtually, a god himself!
The till boxes-locked safes to collect donations-are placed inside temples for the sole purpose of collecting funds specifically for collective worship and charities, particularly food donation. The collected amount, be it in cash or in gold ornaments, etc., is the sum of the karma or the sum of a devotee’s actions. The collection from the till box is put to use on auspicious days such as new-moon day, full-moon day, Shivarathiri- a Hindu festival, Pradhosham- which occurs once in fifteen moon days, and so on.
First, there is group worship. Then, robes are distributed to the needy. Next, yagna- the sacred fire ritual -is performed with wild herbs and other necessary ingredients like ghee, grains, etc. At the end, meals are donated to those who congregated. Among the devotees who congregated, a few of them might be Siddhas, but clad in the disguise of monks or beggars, wearing old, worn-out clothes, holding begging bowls. If the Temple administrator is virtuous enough to please these monks and make them consume food, they shall shower their grace. It is the monks’ grace and blessings that negate the karma of the congregation present, cure their deadly diseases and ailments, cause their financial states to turn for the better, and solve many other family and social problems! But if instead the funds from the till box are deposited in banks, how would the devotees’ issues of bad karma and other difficulties be solved? Sending the money to the bank might earn interest, but with it would increase bad karma!
The contemporary temple authorities and executive officers all bribe their ways to their designations to high-revenue-generating temples. They then milk money from the temple and its people by manipulating records. They bring in cash fraudulently in the purchase and sales of holy ash, kumkum – vermillon, and panchamirtham – a delicacy composed of five fruits and honey, jaggery, sugar crystals, etc., offered in the temples for the people. Money is also made illicitly from the rentals or leases of temple land and buildings. They even get a commission on the auction of cows, goats, and chickens that are given to temples! These people don’t grasp that they and their entire families amass the bad karma of all the devotees, and so the officials must suffer the consequences of these sins over many future existences, maybe as a human or perhaps something even more humbling, like a monkey or a dog! These idiots will never appreciate this concept. There are many examples of this in the world, but one I remember well springs to mind.
Once, I went along with the Siddha to a rather eminent temple. There we saw a man affected by leprosy, which was in a very advanced state-he dripped blood and pus! When he cried out to be saved, the Siddha asked me to give him some money so that he could have a meal to satiate his hunger. When I questioned the Siddha on why the man suffered so greatly, and how God could be so cruel, the Siddha immediately refuted my claim.
“The leper,” he said, “was once the trustee of this temple! His duties had been to negate the devotees’ karma by expending offerings in a wise, charitable manner, spreading divine wisdom, and teaching the tenets of yogic meditation, and the like. But he had done otherwise! He boasted, proudly claiming to be a rich landlord and a guardian of the temple. Once, he insulted me too, and to think-the very same person ailed now by leprosy, begging me for money! Apart from being burdened by his own karma, he is also being literally maimed by the weight of those others he helped, by the karma of those who stole or misused the money of the temple till box. God is a just God, and he made him beg money from the temple devotees. If it was understood and realized that God watches all our actions from above, temple officials in future would act with only devotion and love, and protect the holiness and sanctity of the temples. The officers who manage temple affairs should have hearts ruled and possessed by the gods and goddesses of justice and charity! Only those with such spirits can manage the temples well.”
I too, have read books written by noble men. I realize now that my guru who guides me has realized God. My heart leapt with joy when I realized how blessed I was! Nothing special or unique happened that day until I went to bed. That evening, the revered Siddha was seated silently. Every now and then he smoked and had some tea. As always, the dogs lay down surrounding him. Though they seemed to be fierce, they never harmed anyone. Instead they lay peacefully like babies! The Siddha always treated them with exceptional kindness. He would address them as Bairava (one aspect of Lord Shiva), and respectfully ask them to join us to have their meals. They accepted, graciously.