What is the importance of distribution of food?

[dattaswami]

What is the importance of distribution of food?

A poor fellow is suffering for some punishment given by God, it is for transformation. Then you given food to a poor man, it is good. But you have given food, during the time of transformation, when the soul is undergoing transformation don’t you think that God has not arranged his food? Do you think that God has left a soul in this world without giving food in His administration? Suppose some beggar is not getting food, for one day or for some few days, he is suffering. God is giving some intensive suffering to transform the soul in that case; this does not means that we should not give food to a dying person. No no, give food and help the poor no doubt, but you also introduce some spiritual knowledge and devotion into him, so that the transformation of the soul become quicker. So in the name of God, you help the poor. Simply not do social service without the mission of God.

 Mother Theresa was helping poor and she was doing service but she was religious and while helping she was taking the name of Jesus. The spiritual mission is associated with social service. It is not like the social service of the politicians. See the Christians missionaries they also do social service but they create the atmosphere of Jesus and everything. They do prayers etc, some atmosphere of spirituality is created. So giving food and helping him is a secondary thing.

The primary thing is to introduce spiritual knowledge and devotion into him so that the transformation become quicker and he is blessed by God and once he is blessed by God you need not give food He will give the food to him. So see that he gets the blessing of God, that is primary work and as a secondary work you can give food etc. As in a residential collage the lodging and boarding are secondary, the preaching is of primary importance. I am not against social but the social work should always be always combined with spiritual mission. Even in Hinduism, they do annadanam, but they have some pujas some worship etc, associated with it. Then God will not mind, because the primary work is done then the secondary work is also being done.