Why Serve?-Part II

Swami Chinmayananda

oi-Priya

By Priya Devi

Wednesday, April 25, 2012, 12:02

All men belong to one well-knit whole, just as all the limbs of our body belong to us. Though the limbs are different, we live in all of them. If there is an itching sensation in our right leg, automatically our hand begins to scratch the spot. The right leg doesn't make a request nor the hand expect any thanks for what it will do. This springs from the feeling of oneness. Suppose, inadvertently our finger pricks our eye. It is now possible to appoint a commission of enquiry to go into the incident. The guilty finger may be chopped off, if that is the judgement of the commission. But this doesn't ever happen. Instead, all the five fingers unite, go to the eye, massage it, wipe out the tears and console it.

If the finger that pricked the eye belonged not to us, but to a stranger, we will take a harsh view of the matter and promptly pick up a quarrel with him. If the finger belonged to our own dear child, we condone the little one and smile it away, which only goes to show how human we become when we realize the oneness of things. Our Rishis realized the oneness among all alike and declared it to the world. Lack of proper education keeps us from seeing it.

If today I am addressing you and you are all listening to me, seated so comfortably, it is because many people have worked for many hard years to construct this school. The world is giving us so much, so many comforts, so many facilities. How shall I repay this debt? Whatever I may do to repay, still I will be deeply indebted to society. Our attitude should be that even if I have to weep, let everybody else laugh. Without this spirit of service, life will be dull. Whatever we have, must be shared with others.

Lord Narayana once called the devas and rakshasas to Him and said:

"All of you are my sons. Tomorrow, I shall arrange a banquet for all of you. Mother Lakshmi will prepare delicious dishes and keep them ready. You have to serve yourselves and eat, but without bending your elbows'." On hearing this, and not liking the strings attached to the invitation, the rakshasas walked away. The devas, on the other hand, attended the feast. Without bending their elbows, they fed one another, all ate well, and were happy.

Likewise, we should serve all those in need. It is only then that the whole world will be a happy place to live in.

About the author

Swami Chinmayananda

Swami Chinmayananda the great master's lectures were an outpour of wisdom. He introduced the Geetha Gnana Yagna. He wrote a lot of books on spirituality, commentaries to Vedantic texts, children books etc. He then started spreading His teachings globally.....