27 Aug 2010 Vrindavan, India
Category: Charity
In his book ‘karma yoga’ Swami Vivekananda, who lived in the end of the 19th century, mentions that when you do charity work, when you do something good for others, you actually do something good for yourself. It may look like you are doing it for others but in fact it is for you because in reality this world doesn’t need our help at all. The world is very beautiful because we get the opportunity to help others.
And it is true, in this world there are lots of problems, many sorrows and a lot of pain. That is why helping others is the best thing that you can do. However helping others always means that you help yourself.
Swami Vivekananda also says that we get moral education through helping others. That is charity: your moral education. If you are standing high up, have two pennies in your hand and a beggar comes to you, do not look down at him full of ego and say ‘Beggar, I want to give it this to you, here take it!’. You need to be grateful that you found this poor person because you have the chance to give him money and help yourself.
Isn’t this a wonderful thought? You should be thankful to the one whom you give food, to the one whom you give clothes and to the one whom you give space to sleep under your roof. You have the opportunity in this world to help someone. If that person was not there, whom would you show that you have a charitable mind and a heart full of compassion? Only with this person you got the possibility to do something good.
In this way we are thankful to all children and their parents that we can do something for them. It is the nature of children to take this help naturally, just as something normal that anybody would do. This is the most beautiful thing: you are naturally together, just everybody an inhabitant of this world.
The children who came yesterday are enjoying their time here. They are used to be at the Ashram and the school from ten to four daily anyway, so they are used to the place and people, they have their friends here and just stay a bit longer than usual. One of them however was missing his mother and so we called her and his parents came by in the evening, too. They informed us that the water level is still getting higher and they have packed all their things to the roof. This is why they want to stay at home, so that nobody steals their belongings while they are away. However if the water gets even higher, they will need to leave their homes, come here and bring as many things as possible with them.
I will keep you posted about the situation here.
Tags:: Ashram, Children, Charity, Food, Mind, Money, School, Ego, Education, Heart, Help, Pain
7 Comments
Posted By Swami Balendu
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When we are shown ways in which we can help it gives us some meaning to our lives. If we were to go through life only helping ourselves then we would be living in a bubble unable to spread happiness.Instead we are in a constant cycle of giving and receiving.
Reply By Rachel on April 24, 2011 04:22
Sending you love... thank you for sharing your thoughts and wisdom. i am thinking of all of you often, especially hoping that everyone is ok through the flooding. you are in my heart
Reply By Jennifer Mazzucco on August 30, 2010 09:50
You always write something new and special And even motivating to the people who really need motivation. You r great and doing great job. Thanks.
Reply By Yogi Umesh on August 27, 2010 11:31
Yes, Swamiji, we should be grateful to be able to give... it means we are given something to share...
Reply By Lucy Lovejoy on August 27, 2010 07:28
Today was the last day of the school year 11/12. The children got their report cards, the olde...
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