When South Asian radio stations in Canada, in their radiothons, recently collected hundreds of thousands of dollars to help the victims of the Punjab floods, it was not only a gesture of donation, but a basic component of human interaction called sharing.
“Vandd Chakna” is one of Guru Nanak’s most significant messages enshrined in Sikhism. It means sharing one’s wealth with others in the community, giving to charity, sharing time and food at the langar (free Kitchen), and helping others in the community who need assistance.
Sharing is the oldest and universal practice that is fundamental to humanism. At its simplest, it’s the act of giving others a portion of what we have, whether it’s food, resources, knowledge, space, or even time and attention. But its implications are much deeper.
Sharing is the glue that has held families, communities, and societies together across time. It creates and strengthens social ties.
Sharing happens all around us, in nature, when plants share their seeds and fruits.
The Social Art of Sharing
Sharing is humanity’s oldest social contract. Long before governments taxed us and corporations billed us, our ancestors shared the bounty of nature.
Sharing softens inequality when those with a little more reach out to those with a little less. From tiffin boxes in Indian classrooms to Canada’s food banks, sharing ensures no one is completely left out of the food or feast.
It’s there in potluck dinners, blood donations, community libraries, or simply lending an ear when someone needs to vent. Material or emotional, sharing enlarges us—it makes our world less about “me” and more about “we.”
Whether it’s splitting samosas, swapping stories or jokes, the principle is the same: society survives not on what we hoard but on what we give.
At its best, sharing transforms survival into community, resources into relationships, and individuals into a society. It’s both a small daily courtesy and a grand act of humanism.
-by Promod Puri
Promod Puri.com 