My late father was a philanthropist. His Chettiar clan was known to build and manage temples without seeking donations outside of the clan. They did manage their temples well both in India and Malaysia. When the Japanese invaded the shores of Malaya the same day Pearl Harbour was bombed and drove the British to Singapore, he merely missed the bullets by inches when he was stepping out of the bank with two bags of currencies in his hands. The continuous array of machine gun bullets from a plane above made him hit the dirt. He survived to tell his tale. He dropped his hold on money and property after the surrender of Malaya back to the British. Like Saint Pattinathar, he began giving away a car, the shophouses, and other properties he had owned. The family eventually began renting. But we never went hungry though. We had a good main meal and finished the leftovers at night. He left for India. I was nine then. We understood that he stayed in an ashram serving a guru. The guru then told him one day that he had responsibilities back at home and told him to see to it. His parting words were that they shall meet again if the divine wills. I never knew who that master was. After he returned, he served as a priest in a temple in Ulu Tiram before he was forced to return home when he had a stroke. He recovered after daily pushing himself to keep writing. He passed away peacefully at the age of 76 in 1991. Knowing his end was near he exceptionally, called for a cup of coffee, which he always made himself. By the time my mother came with it, he was seen sitting in a corner of the house, and his pupils were locked in a gaze. Fearing something abnormal, my mother placed her hand on his shoulder. He collapsed onto her lap. He passed away.
I guess there was this stigma that we ended up poor due to his generosity towards others that had us keep to ourselves and never donate. When I read the Nadi in 2002, Agathiyar had me donate towards temples and others in the disguise of remedies and doing Paraikaram. I began to give starting with the Naadikku Dhaanam or a small contribution towards the Nadi that Agathiyar directed I give and that goes to the reader. It was also to pay homage to the Siddhas for documenting our past, present, and future.
Next, when I stepped into the Kallar ashram in 2005, Tavayogi suggested that we carry out feeding the locals and the natives who had pitched their huts next to the ashram. As Deepavali was around the corner, Tavayogi, Mataji and I shopped for new items of clothing for the children. With the coming of the many youths whom Agathiyar sent over to my home after their respective Nadi readings, we began to entertain them and other devotees serving all food and delicacies. Agathiyar Vanam Malaysia (AVM) came to be formed followed by its feeding arm, Amudha Surabhi (AS). These youths who initially were from Thondu Seivom (TS) carried out the charity programs concurrently. Agathiyar initially had us take over from a devotee who was tasked to hand out food and groceries to families on 8 Ammavasai or the nights when the moon does not show itself. Once the number was met she stopped giving. Agathiyar had us take up the cause. That is how we began to visit these homes of the poor and unfortunate and distribute cooked food and groceries. When we got to know Pothigai Tharma Chakram (PTC) who gave food to those on the streets, we joined them in street feeding. When we held puja in temples and lighted 1008 and 108 oil lamps we fed all the devotees too, immaterial of whether they were rich or poor. Agathiyar initially to get us started on the habit of giving willingly drew no boundary between caste, race, and economic standings. We gave to one and all. Soon after when compassion blossomed from our hearts, he educated us to look out for the extreme poor and suffering. We began to focus on these few. In 2019, he had us drop everything telling us that others would continue from where we left. True enough PTC took over the tasks. Devotees at AVM were asked to go within. After the pandemic, Agathiyar had them take up Yoga. This Sunday will see the revival of AVM under the leadership of Mahindren. One wonders what is in store on this next leg of the journey?
Though we had stopped doing charity as a group, I continued doing my part whenever I came across individuals who were hungry or suffering. This morning I was shown another lesson as the event unfolded before me. There was this sweeper engaged by the council's contractor, much older than me, whom I would buy food when I went for my breakfast after my morning walk. Then there was another man much younger than me who was an assistant to a lorry driver. If the former had a home to return to staying with his daughter and grandchild, the latter was a bachelor and slept in the park and corridors of the shop houses. As I walked over to the restaurant I met them both and we exchanged greetings. I thought I would pack them breakfast. Handing it over to the sweeper he told me to leave it in his cart. I saw there was already a drink and food in it. Pointing this out to him, he acknowledged that he had food and he told me to leave mine there. Moving on to the other man happily sitting in the park, shaking his legs, I asked him if he had had his breakfast. He answered he did. I told him I had bought him too. He then told me to give it to another. I was shown to give what was in excess to another and not keep it to ourselves.
This reminds me of another encounter I had some time back. As I came down the pedestrian crossing in the city a grandma in a wheelchair extended her hands. I gave her some money. When I returned there was a mother with an infant in her hands sitting next to her. I told the grandma why don't you do your part and hand her some of your takings for the day for your needs are little compared to one with a child. She immediately retaliated telling me that she was "earning" more than her. I walked away in disgust.