You possess only that which you can give. Only by giving do you become the possessor. If you cannot give, then you are not in possession, you are not the master. Then the thing that you think you possess, is possessing you. Then you are possessed by your possession.
Charity is a beautiful flowering of one who has, one who is in possession of his being; one who is not poor, one who is rich.
This man may be a beggar on the streets. It has nothing to do with your bank balance. The rich man may be a beggar, but if he has his being, authentic being, if he can love, if he can sing, if he can dance, if he can see poetry in the world, he is rich. He may not have anything at all. As far as material things go, he may not have anything. But he has something of the spiritual…something which cannot be taken away from him.
Observe this fact: that which you really possess cannot be taken away from you. You can only give it – if you want – but nobody can take it away. That which you don’t possess, and by which you are possessed, you can never give – it can only be stolen or taken away, robbed.
Your love cannot be robbed. There is no way to rob it. You can give it voluntarily, you can give it freely, but nobody can rob it. You can be killed, but your love cannot be killed. There exists no way to murder love.
Love seems to be more eternal than your so-called life. Your life can be destroyed very easily…just a hit on the head, just a bullet through the heart; very simple…but nothing can destroy love. Love seems to be the only eternal thing; something not belonging to the world of time. You can give it, but nobody can take it.
Your money, your respectability, your power, your prestige – they all can be taken away from you. That which can be taken away from you creates a clinging in the mind. You become poorer and poorer, because you have to cling more and more, you have to protect more and more, and you are always afraid and trembling.
The so-called rich people are continuously trembling…trembling. Deep down they are always afraid because they know that that which they have can be taken away. They can never be certain about it. The very uncertainty goes on eating their heart like a worm. You possess only that which grows out of you, which belongs to you, which is rooted in you.
A rich man is one who has poetry in life, dance in life, celebration in life, silence in life, centeredness in life, rootedness in life…who blooms into his inner sky. The rich man is one who is so full, like clouds in the rainy season…ready to shower on anybody who becomes available. Or like an opening bud…ready to share its fragrance with any wind that passes by, or any traveler that comes by. Sharing is overflowing.