Dear Folks,
From the feedback received, from Singapore to Saudi Arabia to Slovenia, I could understand that the previous blog on ‘love’ was well received and cherished by everyone. Here we go with the 2nd part of the ‘Hidden Treasure’ series on ‘LIFE EXPLORATIONS’, where we share with you the excerpts of that book, written by Shri.GRK, in the form of a lively conversation between him and ‘Yours Truly’.
Ravi: A warm welcome to you Shri. GRK. You would be happy to note that our blog is slowly reaching the length and breadth of this cosmos. Hopefully they will get to read in Mars and Jupiter as well whenever Man gets there!
GRK: That’s nice to hear, Ravi. You know, “Life is all about Caring and Sharing”. We are NOW going to share on THAT one aspect of LIFE which emanates from the highest compassion.
Ravi: I guess you are referring to ‘Service and Sacrifice’. Please go ahead. Am all ‘ears’!
What is Service?
GRK: Ravi, “Service is a noble act. It is the result of the FEELING of a great concern to others and their situations. It emanates from the highest compassion and tender generosity to those who are in distress and suffering”.
Ravi: Again should it be conditional with expectations or unconditional?
GRK: Well, service does not have any expectations. It does NOT have utilitarian motives and conditions.
Ravi: However, today we find service being professionalized as well!
GRK: Service becomes a business or a bargain when it is professionalized. Thus, it loses the noble human touch. Also service cannot take place in between a superior and an inferior relationship. It does not have connotations of levels, inequality and privilege, obligation and gratitude.
Ravi: Oh! Allow me to share what I was seriously contemplating doing couple of years back. On seeing the plight of the ‘have-nots’ lacking a platform to excel, I wanted to promote their talents through G&W foundation - Spot, nurture & manage them; and run it like a business. Now, I understand that one should not mix business and service! Thanks a ton for getting this thought into my brain!
GRK: Well, Ravi, your thought is indeed noble. However, you can help ‘enable’ provide a platform to the ‘have-nots’, in a myriad of ways. I know that you are a sincere ‘Enabler’ of people, aren’t you? Simply stick with/to that.
Ravi: Thank you so much. Shri. Perez also said the same. He would be happy hearing this. Will keep DOING the same and would never forget this nugget of wisdom!
Ravi: Moving on, yesterday, in Chennai, there was a festival and people were distributing food to everyone and the roads in Mylapore and Mandaveli were choked, with a ‘sea of humanity’. Is this also one form of service?
GRK: yes and NO. yes, because some FEW hungry and parched throats get succor. However, quite often, unfortunately, service becomes a means of expression of one’s EGO. In fact, it is advocated in many traditional religions as a ‘modus operandi’ to attain the religious merit (punya),the doer of service feels it as his privilege and thus quench his/her ego. Not only that, he/she takes it as a means to attain moksha (realization-heaven-resurrection or nirvana).
Ravi: Awesome! We got the ‘meat’ of the matter. However, with humans becoming more and more materialistic, parents and peers inducing “marks race” into children and THEN “money race” taking over, can service THEN be taught?
GRK: NOT at all. Service canNOT be taught. Showing lip sympathy, pretending compassion, following usual courtesies and table-manners, do not substitute for a genuine throbbing compassion and love. This compassion is possible only in a heart of great innocence and spontaneity.
Ravi: Hmmm. Super. I need a break. Will be back in two minutes….
Ravi: Shri. GRK, I was thinking of the scores of women folks (Pardon me men-folk for this singling out) who sacrifice(d) themselves for the well-being of their near and dear ones. I guess there are plenty of examples of ‘humane’ humans in this cosmos, across religions who have done SUCH sacrifice(s). I for one could think of the yesteryear grandmas in India who have sacrificed their LIFE for their near and dear ones and still continue to do so amidst their failing health!
What is Sacrifice, THEN?
GRK: Am glad that you remember them fondly. Sacrifice is forgoing oneself and his/her intense desires so as to help others and their desires fulfilled. It is renouncing of oneself and his/her desires for the happiness and peace (fulfillment) of others. THUS, Sacrifice is the highest form of service.
Ravi: You know, in one our earlier blogs we have mentioned about Shri. KVR. Today, thanks to his altruism, single-handedly, without an iota of publicity, lives of 12,000+ people, mostly children of the ‘have-nots’ ARE changed for the better. And he toils at his 60+ age for the well-being of others. This service and sacrifice coming from a technocrat in this ‘digital age’ was astounding to me, akin to Warren Buffet-like and Bill Gates-like!
GRK: Ravi, if you observe keenly, realized souls like Shri. KVR are detached and they don’t SUFFER from the obsessions AND possessiveness of varied forms in this world. Also, they aren’t conscious that they are sacrificing and don’t want to make a name or fame out of it! Do you get the point?
Ravi: Very much. All I know is that Almighty has been kind enough to enable me BE in the company of such holy souls.
Ravi: Onto sacrifice, can we compare the sacrifices done by various people - Say, if there was a ‘patti mandram’ or ‘Neeya Naana’(Debates of various kinds on the Telly) as to Whose sacrifice was greater – Say Mother Teresa or Mahatma Gandhi?
GRK: ‘That’ thinking itself is ‘simply STUPID’, my boy. In a nutshell, Sacrifice is possible when only there is no comparison between people and things. Thus it eliminates competition. Sacrifice is holy and altruistic. Hence, it is the highest form of service. Like Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi… and living ‘humane’ souls like Shri. KVR, as you observed. Please dedicate this ‘piece’ in his honor.
Ravi: That would be wonderful. Will do. However, please be assured that he may not read this ‘piece’ as he is ‘living’ it!
GRK: That’s fine, Ravi. We need to THINK of such souls and celebrate THEM as well, in a simple way, preferably when they are alive. This way we are showing our unconditional love and affection towards such people.
“Can you allow me now to take leave Ravi, as it’s time for my evening walk?” Thanks for your time too. Next in the series will share what ‘Values’ are about, again the most confused word in today’s context, many a time we humans conveniently forgetting the ‘Universal Values’.
Ravi: Shri. GRK,I guess this ‘piece’ itself needs to be munched longer. So am gonna do that, so are our readers. Thank you so much for this sharing. Look forward to our discussion next Friday.
Folks, hope you enjoyed this sharing like we both enjoyed sharing with you all – All pure ‘LIFE JUICES’ without any religious connotation, whatsoever. Is applicable and useful to all living humans of all sizes and shapes – from ‘haves’ or ‘have-nots’, whether one follows Religion A or Religion Z, are able-bodied or differently-abled! However, watching Discovery channel, I observe that some ‘humane’ souls in the animal kingdom too practice what Shri.GRK has said!
I sign off with unbridled joy like a three-year old! Am turning “Naughty Two” (Sorry,42) next Saturday, however FEELING as young and agile as ever, like when I was 22 and of course wish to be ever-naughty like a child! No complaints from my wife, though! Hah Ha!
Cheers and all of you have a peaceful weekend. If possible, for the future of the ‘nature cursed’ but lovely Japanese and passionate Libyans wanting democracy! For best results for them, picture them in front of your eyes, close your eyes and let your eyes point downwards on your right side! After 5 minutes of deep silence, take a deep breath and say aloud “YES, the Japs and the Libyans would get better”. Use your hands as a gesture to show your true love, the way u like. This way, we all can send ‘positive’ Universal Energy to them, in trickles, though, which the learned SAY that, it’s abundant in the cosmos! Some, like my cousin sister, light candles, online or offline. The ‘pure’ thought is good enough, the methods may vary, isn’t it? Amen!
Anbudan
Ravi
1 comment:
Dear Ravi,
I read both of your conversation blogs that you posted recently
and found them highly informative. Each mail of yours is something extraordinary as it reveals and teaches humanity. I have learnt and am still learning very much from all your blogs. Would like to share with you and everyone on the LIFE JUICE I learnt from my Guru Shri. Narasimha Rao. "To practice the human values, by helping others without hurting even a single person and prove others that one can achieve anything by being true to oneself'
Ravi,I felt very SAD for the disaster that happened in Japan recently. Let us pray together, as you have already requested in your blog and I am sure that our prayers will definitely help them come out from such a worst situation and rejuvenate them soon"
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