According to great motivational mentors and doctors like Dr. Deepak Chopra and Dr. Wayne Dyer, charity is something we should slowly cultivate in our lives, however, it is also good to understand the different kinds of charity that actually exist. Just because somebody asks for something does not mean you should give it to them. About a month ago, my son lost his cellphone while travelling and now I feel pressure to buy him another cellphone device. Should I? Does he really need this device? Can he message with his friends simply with the Internet or do I have some sort of moral obligation as a dad to get him another device? This is the kind of question that understanding charity addresses. Such an understanding will help us better both our personal and professional lives.

The Buddha once taught that there are three basic realms of existence (just philosophically, of course): mind, speech, and body. So, the easiest form of charity, from the mind, is to nurture positive thoughts about healing, well-being, and happiness for others and in this way happiness returns to us. Secondly, we can engage our speech by actually saying kind words and words of encouragement toward others as they take on challenges in their lives. So, right from the outset, two-thirds of all charity is centered in the mind and speech with selfless and well-intentioned thoughts and words. Great, indeed.

Finally, the last form of charity involves the physical realm of people, places and things. So, of course recently, charitable organizations have been trying to raise money to help the earthquake victims of the Island Haiti where tragedy recently hit. But in addition to money, physical things like food, water and medical supplies are needed in addition to general funds. Overall, from this, you can see that it really takes all three levels working together for charity to manifest: mind, speech, and body.

Let us all endeavor in both our personal and professional lives to work with a sense of charity and collaboration so that positive energy reaches people across the globe, because the only way that humanity will pull through these difficult times is by nurturing the charitable spirit on all levels: mind, speech, and body. For those of you who receive some kind of charity from others, be grateful for what they can give you, because not everybody is in a position to give freely, as many people are struggling with different kinds of challenges and issues themselves.

Cheers,

Keith Johnson, M.S. Education
Technical Writer & Documentation Specialist
Hallandale Beach, Florida, USA
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