If you give
one-tenth to the unknown, The unknown will give you seven hundred
percent. It is true. It will give you nine occult facilities, ‘Nao
Nidhee’. It will give you ‘Ataaraa(n) Siddhee’, eighteen perfections,
And the nine treasures, seven hundred times. And ten times always. If
you totally count it and multiply it, Just see how it happens....
As Sikh Dharma emerged in the Western hemisphere, a tradition has reawakened among us, the powerful act of giving one tenth of our earnings back to the unknown.
What is the secret of the 10th part? Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru, told his disciples that one tenth did not belong to them, but belonged to God. When one gives back to God then all wealth and prosperity, which is ours, is revealed to us and bestowed upon us. And yet, if we fail to give God that 10th part that is rightfully His, that part is still due…and so there may come some unexpected expenses. It is a cosmic inevitability.
The Siri Singh Sahib Yogi Bhajan once said, “Nobody likes the tax collector. Everybody likes to get. But God is God and God loves to give: The Giver gives and gives, and only those who take take get weary of receiving.”
“Dasvandh is a pure and simple business with God. The ten-fold return represents your interest and dividends already waiting to be paid to you from the profit sharing pool. To join the credit union and begin collecting your multiple returns, you must first contribute your one-tenth.”
Sikh began bringing offerings to the Guru during the time of Guru Nanak. Guru Amar Das, the third Guru, called upon his Sikhs to bring a portion of their crops and earnings to support Guruka langar (free kitchen).
During the time of Guru Arjan, the fifth Guru, the Guru’s house fell upon difficult financial times. Guru Arjan’s older brother, Prithi Chand’s, dishonest acts corrupted the system of Guru’s court by diverting donations to his own court, and Guruka langar began to fall short of cash. Bhai Guru Das and Baba Buddha became so concerned that they went to Guru Arjan to ask what solution could be applied. Guru Arjan knew the cosmic principle to bring and and multiply prosperity and told his dear, beloved Sikhs that the problem was simple—they had to collect the tenth part of everyone’s earnings and contribute it to the Guru’s court and Guruka langar.
Twenty-two representatives were appointed who visited Sikhs throughout the entire countryside each month, bringing them news of the Guru’s mission and collecting the tenth part of each Sikh’s earnings to build their community bank.
The Sikhs were given the realization that their concern was not merely their personal financial security. As members of a community they also had a large set of collective responsibilities. The ideal of service in this larger context became intimately connected with the concept of the community, the Sangat, where service ceases to be merely individualistic and involves a sense of community responsibility. A community sense could only arise once common purpose and mutual support were made definite and universal so that the concept of a collective trust could evolve.
In Sikh Dharma, God is often given the attribute as “The Provider.” “Providing” is considered to be an important characteristic of the individual Sikh as well as the larger Sikh community. The great benevolence of the community of Khalsa pours forth from the individual contributions of each of the Guru’s Sikhs combined and, like a fountain, showers blessings from the common pool on all of those who open their hearts and arms to give and receive.
The Siri Singh Sahib Yogi Bhajan told us the principle of giving one tenth was true then as it is true today and will be tomorrow. He said, “Do you need your future? Then give one tenth for it! It is insurance, it is paying the premium, it is a participation in your own future. It is a law of the Universe that one tenth of your income you must dedicate to God, to God’s work. This law is not made by me; It is a law from time immemorial. If you say that you can’t do it, it is because you do not have the endurance to do it. You do not have the continuity to do it. You do not have the values to do it.”
In a lecture from women’s camp July 30, 1985, entitled, “Dasvandh: A Self-Dictate”, the Siri Singh Sahib told us,
“It’s a most complicated matter of life…If you give one-tenth to the unknown, the unknown will give you seven hundred percent. It is true. It will give you nine occult facilities, ‘Nao Nidhee’. It will give you ‘Ataaraa(n) Siddhee’, eighteen perfections, and the nine treasures, seven hundred times. And ten times always. If you totally count it and multiply it, just see how it happens. But give to the Unknown without fear. Once it becomes a habit then there is no fear. You live by habits. Fear is a habit.”
“In numerology, 10 is the brightest figure. It represents the royal and courageous heart of the king. The 10th body is the radiant body—it is the golden part of the aura. It is the maximum expression we can manifest while existing in an earthly realm.”
