Guiding Light: Live Not for Self Alone!

A cold wind was howling and rains beating down heavily, when the telephone rang at the residence of a rural doctor.

The doctor struggled awake and saw the bedside clock. It was 12.30 am!

The doctor was a kind and compassionate soul. He picked up the phone and enquired who was calling.

“It’s my wife!” cried the farmer who called. “She needs a doctor right away. Can you please come at once?”

“Sure, I’ll come,” said the doctor. “But can you come and get me? You see, my car is being repaired.”

“What?” sputtered the voice on the line. “How do you expect me to come out on a night like this?”

The trouble with us is we always expect goods and services — but we are unwilling to give it ourselves.

“I am doing nothing but giving,” grumbled an irritated man. “I am tired of giving.”

“All right, let’s make a deal,” his guardian angel said to him. “You stop giving the moment God stops giving to you!”

Give, give, give! That which you give in the Love of God for the service of the poor and broken ones, the forsaken ones, the forlorn — that is credited to your account in the Bank of Heaven.

Share what you have with others, and you will be richer in material and spiritual terms. Compassion does not require a hefty wallet, strong limbs or heroic deeds or great and austere sacrifices. A helping hand, a friendly word or gesture, a kind smile will more than suffice. We do not always have to give money — we can always give of ourselves.

Dada J P Vaswani is a humanitarian, philosopher, educator, acclaimed writer, powerful orator, messiah of ahimsa, and non-sectarian spiritual leader

Published on: Tuesday, March 26, 2024, 06:00 AM IST