The Spirit of Giving

What is it about religious holidays or disasters that ignite a spirit of charitable giving within humanity?  Is it the reminder of one’s own mortality in the wake of others dying  as a result of a calamity or the seasonal awakening of a conscience that is set in a rip van winkle like snooze the year round, that prompts people to give?  Nevertheless, one can draw a correlation between the amount and frequency people give and the time of the year, be it Christmas, Eid or any other holidays or any disaster that strikes as has been evident in recent years by the tsunami and numerous earthquakes and cyclones.  Whatever the reason, the motivation is still the same. It is done so that the donor feels an inner level of self satisfaction that help has been given out of sympathy to the helpless.

I have been reminded of this increasingly as a result of what has happened in the last couple of weeks.  With the cyclone in Myanmar and the earthquake in China, the humanitarian organisations have been in full swing hoping to raise money for two ‘politically difficult’ situations.  Nevertheless, people not swayed by political concerns have been moved to donate.  The other incident which has come to my mind is the recent vesak holidays in Sri Lanka.  Billed as the last long weekend for a while in Sri Lanka (notorious for its numerous public holidays), it was supposed to be a time of great celebration (which is always welcome) with lots of lanterns and the provision of Dhansala, which can best be described as the provision of free food to the public.  Literally in every nook and cranny, a  stall is set up and people give away food to passers by.  Stop at a traffic light and you are bound to be approached  by someone bringing something to eat.  People’s generosity knows no bounds…..

This year’s vesak was a little bit subdued.  Whilst many would argue that the ongoing security situation (not helped by the bomb that went off on the Friday before the Vesak weekend) contributed it was evident that something else was wrong.  This was evident from the Dhansala that was being served.  Traditionally it is rice and some accompaniments that is served.  However this time, there was a variation from the 2 minute Maggi noodles, to soup to fruits, anything but rice.

‘You see rice is expensive and the cost of cooking gas has gone up and so we can not do these as we used to’, a Dhansala stall holder ruefully remarked to me, reflecting the pinch that many ordinary people are feeling in terms of cost of living increases and rising food prices.

As the ‘silent tsunami’ (as it has been called by the world bank) slowly engulfs us, many people in Sri Lanka will not realise their plight until they are struck.  Whilst it is the poor and the most vulnerable that will be the first to suffer, no one is immune from the rising prices.  Yet in a country such as Sri Lanka which has blessed natural resources, the mere fact that food still has to be imported is a wonder

Yet the worrying part is how little this is of concern for people.  Much more than any other issue is the issue of food security which should be gripping people.  The mere fact that some people are going to bed hungry whilst others have plenty to eat is from all spiritual teachings a crime.

There are still weddings taking place in grand hotels and exclusive dinners that are being held where food is being wasted and thrown without any concern for the value and worth of what is put on the plate.  There are still people who insist on eating rice three times a day because they want to.  Such apathy to problems is reflected from the very top as well as can be seen from the acceptance of rice by Sri Lanka from Myanmar even after the cyclone had struck Myanmar robbing the country of vital rice stocks.

At times such as this, there is a need for dialogue and discussion on how collectively people can respond to this globally emerging crisis.  People need to be thinking of the short, medium and long terms in the case of addressing vulnerability.  Many countries have started food banks to address this issue, whilst others are talking about supporting better agricultural practices and addressing trade.  The key point is that Sri Lanka has been slow in starting or realising this point

Sri Lanka may still be a long way off from the food related riots that have gripped other parts of the world, but it may not be soon far from the handing out of dry rations which has so far been confined to parts of the country which have suffered from disaster.