Living on Alms as a Spiritual Discipline

This was widely practiced around the world, regardless of the religion being followed. In Hinduism, it was called "Uncha Vritti" & probably the most well-known practitioner was none other than the great composer Saint Tyagaraja. In fact even the Lord Shiva, after whom Tyagaraja was named, was pictured practising the same in "Bhikshatana Shiva" a painting in the Vijayanagar style, found in Lepakshi, 16th Century. (Vijayanagara Paintings by C. Sivaramamurti).

In Jainism, the Thirthankaras followed it.

The last thirthankara, Lord Mahavira, was said to accept alms only under six conditions.

1. The donor should be a princess.

2. Her head should be shaven.

3. Her ankles should be shackled.

4. She should be fasting.

5. She should offer boiled lentils with one of her feet inside & the other outside the house.

6. She should have tears in her eyes.

As Chandanbala (600 B. C.), a born princess, fallen on hard times, satisfied all these conditions, Lord Mahavira accepted alms from her. Later she became his disciple & founder of the nuns (Sadhvis) order in Jainism.

In a startling similarity in Christianity, St. Clare (1194-1253) who was one of the first followers of  the famed St.Francis of Assisi, was the daughter of a Count, who said she would marry only Jesus Christ. She was permitted to start the order of "Poor Clares" a sisterhood whose credo was living only on Alms, manual labour, coarse clothing, no footwear, vegetarianism & sleeping on the bare floor.

Incidentally, Elizabeth Gaskell has written a short story on them called "The Poor Claire". The society at that time supported them & highly venerated them.

Even the present Belur Math, head of the Ramakrishna order had its humble beginnings in the Baranagore Math, where Swami Vivekananda & his fellow direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna, lived on alms.