29

On Selfless Service

 

December 15, 1970, Dehra Dun

 

She told me just now that she is going tomorrow; she is very sad. It would be very kind if she could remain here. when she comes to someplace let her remain there forever, not to go back. You have come here, certain friends don’t allow you to remain here, then what you have to do is unavoidable. When we come home we should not go away, you see. Our home is the father’s home. You have come from there so you have to go back. We might be sent, that’s another thing. We should not come of our own accord.

 

You feel sad when going back, and naturally I have not got a stone heart. I have got a heart of flesh and bone. I do also feel, you see. But it is unavoidable, we have to go back.

 

 

Anything special?

 

I have a question to ask, Master.

 

Yes, please.

 

About selfless service financially.

 

Beg your pardon?

 

Selfless service on the diary, financially. Now when we go down some of these little children and the beggars come and they pester us for money. And I don’t want to say “go away, “ and yet I don’t want to give them money if I'm not supposed to.

 

Beggary has become a profession. If you investigate you'll find that they are Master of hundreds, thousands. I have seen beggars here, who left twenty thousand and even more. That becomes a profession, you see.

 

What about the crippled children? There is a boy in Delhi who has no leg, and he is only seven years old or so.

 

This is a reaction  of the past. We can't help it. what to do?

 

We should just not give. It is better not to.

 

We have to see. You can see; if they really needed it, money might be given. Generally it is a profession. Those who are really needy, there are some, that’s all right. You have just to look, out of the compassion of your heart, how you feel at the time. needy people really don’t beg, I tell you. They're dying and they will prefer dying rather than begging. Such like people are many. They are ashamed to beg. So such like people should be helped most. When they make a profession, children go around begging, bring the money and they split it. they are given something, but not everything they bring. That has become a profession anywhere.

 

That would answer the same purpose, Master , that people who won't help themselves, you shouldn’t keep on helping them. If they won't help themselves, you shouldn’t keep helping them.

 

Help them to stand on their own legs, that’s all. That’s all right. It is a better way to help somebody to stand on his own legs. You might help them temporarily to stand on their own legs. To make him learn on you all through life is making him a cripple. The intention behind should be good, that’s all. I have seen people who would prefer dying rather than begging. Such like people should be helped most. If anybody is in trouble, dying from hunger, give him; there is no hard and fast rule not to give to anybody. That is why Swami Shiv Dayal Singh tells in his view which is probably correct to some extent. ( I use the word extent. People my take it as a very narrow way. ) He says, “Give everything to the Master. He does not want it for himself. He will distribute to really needy people, and you will earn his pleasure.”

 

“He is doesn’t keep money and worldly things; he distributes. He lives on His own earnings. So if you are giving to someone and it is helping him to go down that also brings on some karmic reaction, you see. If you use it for public good, or to those who are needy, who are sick, this and that thing; that is the purpose behind giving it. Suppose a man is a drunkard and cursing and you help him. Then? You help him to drink more, is it not? You might help to bring him around to leave off drinking, that’s another thing. The same things is done, but the result will be according to the intentions. To help others, serve and sacrifice for others, that is good. But sometime we serve with the result that others go down. When you see anyone dying of hunger, needy, or he may be a family man or all alone, give to him. But give. Don’t give it as alms. Give, share with him, you see, share with him. To share with others is good. To give alms is no good because that reaction will come.

 

Every twelve years there is a celebrated the Kumbha Mela on the River Ganges. Thousands of people gathered together. Last time at Hardwar [1968] there was a very big gathering. Some people invited me to preside. They said, “You may give some talks over there, you will preside; it is better to spend a week or ten days there.” So I went. I wrote a notice outside our camp: “Please don’t give alms” in big words. And the result was – our camp had six to seven thousand people. We had two hours of meditation in the morning, two in the evening, and one during the day – five hours meditation daily! Five thousand people Satguru. There was a two hours talk in the morning and two hours at night. so it was all calm and quiet. We had a common kitchen, the minimum price was charged – eight annas, half a rupee. You know how much that comes to? Very Little. We offered them rice and pudding and everything. The result was that all of the men from the other camps came running there, and another more than two hundred were given free food. With all that there was no profit, but no loss. The police officer who were in charge there came up and heard the talk. Police officer who were so absorbed in the talk that although they had to go on duty at fight, they forgot till eleven. So people came to our camp freely, no worry, we did not put any hindrnce on them. The result was on the thirteenth of April, (that is the harvest day when thousands, thousands of people come and have a bath in the Ganges River. On that day they don’t allow anybody to preach) they made a special camp there for a talk. I gave a three-hour talk there. I said, “share with others.” And some people said, “Well, look here, he should not be allowed to come here to the kumbha mela.” I was breaking the law you see. [chuckles]

 

So begging is no good. Sharing is all right. He is your brother in God; it is your duty to serve him. But not to those who have become beggars as a profession. Just see into him, go sift into it, what is what. While one action binds you, the same action under other circumstances is to binding on you. If you give to someone, share with others, that is allright. “Well, he is a son of God . I am a son of God .” if you give alms, then reaction will come and you'll have to receive it. is it not binding on you? Things are very clear. People go on in a business way, give, give, give. I will take compassion.  Take compassion on your ownself and you have got the opportunity to help your brother. We are all brothers and sisters in God, are we not? And the Master unites in that real relation which already is true, which lasts even after death. It does not break away. In Hindi the word “dey” means “give.” The same word “dhey” also means “body” you see . two words, two meanings for the same word. Kabir says, “so long as you are in the body, in the dey, dey, dey –give , give, give. When you are no longer in the body who will ask you to give?”

 

Master sawan always used to say, first develop the light of spirituality within yourself, then you can give to others.

 

It is better that there should be no reactions, basic thing. If you share with others that’s all right. If you give you have to take back. If people with others that’s all right. If you have to take back. If people give only so that may have some return from that here and hereafter, that is a business. Who will be able to give in the right way? One who is spiritually progressing, not otherwise. So man is one who lives with their horns. If a man behaves in the same way, then? Who is he? He is not a man; he is a beast in man. man must earn his livelihood by sweet of his brow, maintain himself in a simple way to the best use of what you have to serve others. Serve others, not others, but your brothers and sisters in God. so serve others physically, financially, intellectually and last of all spiritually, to raise them up. What you have been given, share with others. That will grow more, more and more. By keeping reserved, things reserved, will not grow more. Have love for all. That requires no philosophy, only common sense.

 

Once Master sawan Singh, our own Master, went to war. He was an SDO, subdivision officer in construction. When he returned from battle, (he remained for a year or so), there was a Saint at Peshawar where I also had my school career. He used to go him. He used to offer him ten rupees every time. one time he came he was told,” I will have twenty now.” He said, “Well, well baba, have you become greedy?” “no, no, no, this is only to take away something out of your earnings for the money you have received which you did not deserved. You did not do your duty fully. So this will take away that poison out of your earning. I won't keep it. I will distribute it.”

 

To give, this is usually in all religions ; tithe, giving tithe. In Mohammedan it is a fortieth portion. This is a minimum. Our Master used to give in the beginning one tenth of his earning. Then later on, he brought all his earning one before his Master, put it before Him. Baba jaimal Singh sent it to his family, you see, and never spent it for his own purpose. We have to slowly give everything, body, mind and soul. That will come. When you give everything what is left to you? You are all alone with God . these are the entanglements that bind us to the world by giving and take. And man body is very golden opportunity we have got in which we can wind up given an take; finish off, and go back to our home. Don’t sow more seeds to be repeated. Give, give forever, never dreaming of return. That will only come when you share with others, even if you also require same; how much can you eat? You share with others, even if you only have two loves of Bread. Even those who have millions they also required the same; how much can you eat? You can wear only dress, even though you have hundreds of dresses in the closest. That very thing you can share with others who are needy. The self develops, service and sacrifice.

 

Is there much of a problem about give and take among the initiates?

 

I tell you, if you have given up the whole to the Master, you don’t think of anything of yourself. But with him many men can you share, those who are really needy? You may give to the Master not to the initiate. If you give to the initiates then you'll have to take back. After all the account is there, that can be readjusted by the Master within your own pale, that’s all right. But if you have the same thing with others who are not on the way then their account is kept by that Power (negative Power). Those who are needy, give them. Even those who  are initiates they are not to lean on you. Make them stand on their own legs, that’s all right.

 

To help anybody who is in need, and is on the way, that’s all right. But if one man is dying , and you help another man who is an initiates who can well live on his own earnings, ignoring that man who is dying then than is, I think not wanted. After all he has got the same soul within him; the same God Power within him. The only difference is you have been put on the way and he has not been put on the way. The same privilege is in him too as a man. I'll tell you a story. Tenth Guru, Guru gobind Singh fought for the sake of keeping honor of the ladies Of those time. there was one man on duty, kanaya by name. His duty was to give water to whoever wanted and to all those who were not initiated and to all those who were not initiated. And the men , initiates who were not all those who were not initiated. And the men , initiates, who were not all Saints, (they were on the way), complained to the Master,” look here , our own man has served enemies.” “All right , call him.” He called him, “Why, kanaya?” “because I see the same Light within them too.” Guru gobind Singh said, “He has understood my teaching in the right way.” So these are the teaching of the Master. so all are satsangis, I would say. The only difference is that you have been put is something, and they have not. That is the only difference. When you'll see all men as alike, you'll love everybody. “peace be unto all the world over, under thy will O God .” that will come out of such a heart.

 

Christ said to the rich man that he should “Leave all and follow me.” sell everything, distribute everything and come to me. we are sitting like cobras on the wealth underneath. We won't use it ourselves and we let nobody else use it. leave all and follow me. you’ve read the Bible. That means that you give up everything and disturbed it. we are controlled , we are bound by those things. So darkness cannot be removed by fighting. It is removed only when a little light is brought in, that’s all: then everything becomes clear as daylight. But we are environed by, imprisoned in our own way of thinking. We cannot look Beyond. We should rise above and see what is what. The same view will bind you; the same view will free you. It is all yours, I give it back to you. If a banker is there , he gives you, say, one thousand or ten thousand dollars, and say, “Well, all right, gives five thousands here, and two thousand here.” what is your job? To give it. it is his money, is it not? All is given by God, it is his grace. Share with others. You follow now very clearly what is wanted? This is a way of living, which makes now happy here and hereafter too, and helps in the spiritual way. So give, give, give, so long as you are in the body. This is what Kabir said, “When you are no more in the body, who will ask you to give?”

 

It is always through the grace of God we sit together, in his name. When we sit in his name, he is there. Christ said, “if you sit together in my name I am there.” God Power is there. That way you'll feel blessedness. Even in the atmosphere, effect is there, changed. So anything else? Any question? I think, they are all definite subjects. We need these things very much. They are all definite subjects. We need these things very much. They are not new things; they have already been given in the scriptures, but we have not digest them, that’s all. All right, I have to go. Thank you.