Khalil Gibran - The Prophet - Chapter 5

Giving - it's something we might or might not do, in great amounts or small amounts.    Generosity does not have to be directly linked to one's wealth; when we are poor, we can still be rich in spirit, and then, we can give of ourselves.  When we bestow gifts, of material or immaterial value, do we seek reward or is it as natural as the token of the fragrance of a flowering tree? In this chapter, the wise prophet speaks of giving. "And there are those who give and know not pain in giving, nor do they seek joy, nor give with mindfulness of virtue; They give as in yonder valley the myrtle breathes its fragrance into space."