Story of Generous Giving

Generosity and kindness doesn't mean that you give only 

when you have lot or after fulfilling all your needs, but 

in fact you can still give when you yourself is struggling. 

Generosity literally means willingness and liberty in 

giving away ones own money, time, talent and etc 

sincerely without any personal gain as shown in the 

following story.

Mahatma Gandhi went from city to city, village to village 

collecting funds for the Charkha Sangh. During one of his 

tours he addressed a meeting in Orissa. After his speech 

a poor old lady got up. She was bent with age, her hair 

was grey and her clothes were in tatters. The volunteers 

tried to stop her, but she fought her way to the place 

where Mahatma Gandhi was sitting.

"I must see him," she insisted and going up to Mahatma Gandhi 

touched his feet. Then from the folds of her sari she brought 

out a copper coin and placed it at his feet. Mahatma Gandhi 

picked up the copper coin and put it away carefully. 

The Charkha Sangh funds were under the charge of 

Jamnalal Bajaj. He asked Mahatma Gandhi for the coin but 

Mahatma Gandh refused.

"I keep cheques worth thousands of rupees for the Charkha Sangh," 

Jamnalal Bajaj said laughingly "yet you won't trust me with a 

copper coin." "This copper coin is worth much more than 

those thousands" Mahatma Gandhi said.

"If a man has several lakhs and he gives away a thousand or two, 

it doesn't mean much."

But this coin was perhaps all that the poor old lady possessed. 

She gave me all she had. That was very generous of her. 

What a great sacrifice she made. That is why I value this copper coin 

more than a crore of rupees.