Me, my Guru – on Valuing and gratitude

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Me, my Guru – on Valuing and gratitude

Master asked him ‘what’s it?’ in sign language.

Ananda opened the envelope to see its content and was shocked. 50 acres of land around ashram was purchased in the name of Ashram. Now ashram was self-sufficient and any number of students could be taken and trained here henceforth. How someone could give so much and not want anything in return, he thought. And Nirmaldas explained “All this is only in exchange for what I received. And yet I haven’t paid in full”

Ananda was dumb stuck. Being in his Guru’s presence and listening to and practicing his words, he and other students hadn’t incorporated the word ‘gratitude’ the way Nirmaldas had in his life!

Having given these, Nirmaldas fell on his Master’s feet and said ‘I have a request. Please don’t say no Master. I’ve set up each son a huge part of business. They are good at taking care of business too. Now, if you permit I wish to be at your service in this ashram. Please don’t deny me this opportunity. I can only give myself now to your service’.

Master placed his hands on his head as a sign of acceptance. Nirmaldas was overjoyed. 

He left with his family to settle all the matters and to come back as soon as possible.

Rest of his life was spent looking into affairs of ashram, tending cows, looking after fields and serving his Master. He would never rest. He was every busy with all the work. Being in the presence of his Master he attained ‘a state of peace and blissfulness’ that can’t be worded or explained effortlessly”  

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# gratitude, thanksgiving, giving and receiving, you receive what you give, karma, law of abundance

also read : https://kantipadam.blogspot.com/search?q=a+boy+with+a+fractured+hand

Think and question this :  If what we receive is what we give, then why are we receiving what we are receiving?

• Definition of charity is - giving something out of concern and sympathy to persons who are less privileged than us. 
• If I go around carrying the bill of charity say eight thousand five hundred and twenty five rupees in the purse and being angry that my 'wish' is not fulfilled in exchange for my charity, then where am I wrong?
• Can something be expected in exchange for charity?
• If I expect something or anything in exchange for charity even 'good karma' is it considered 'charity'?

Awareness Tip :

There are two ways our emotions can be used.

First, I get carried away with our emotion. Then I justify why I got angry/dejected/cried etc with the situation that triggered it. Then I project that emotion on to the person who I consider responsible for triggering that emotion in me. I suffer. I think I am victim and am made to suffer by the world and its inhabitants. I use my emotion to destroy my happiness, contentment, peace and mental balance. I am driven by my emotions.

Second, I catch my emotion that is disturbing. The moment I become aware of that disturbance, I go within and find its reason. Instead of finding a 'punchbag and reason for suffering outside' I accept 'the reason to be inside of me'. I sit to heal to get relieved of my pain and suffering. I address my emotion, face it and overcome it. I don't let my emotion define my state of mind. I use my emotion to gain my confidence, sense of empowerment, peace, freedom and mental balance. I am in control of my emotions.

On giving

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Then there is the requirement of regular items like soaps, paste, hair oil, clothes. These requirements is in old age homes, orphanages, charity homes for disabled and such charity run organizations. They even take old (but wearable) clothes. You can donate your old clothes to these organizations or to street dwellers.

Our winters are very chilly and we find it unbearable in the confines of our safe houses. Imagine how kids on streets survive these winters? One rug costs just around Rs.100/150-. Donate atleast one/year. If each one of us does this, there’ll be less deaths because of cold on streets.

Those of you who’ve a group (say of friends or relatives who are ready to donate a small sum each) can donate a pair of dress to the entire class/school in a Government school or an organization like a home for disabled. I’ve seen schools in villages where total children number only around 50 and their school dress would cost just around Rs.10,000/-. Not too high for a group of 10-20. These kids get to wear good and new clothes for whole of 2-3 years. That’s good investment. Don’t you think?

Food: first and foremost requirement of survival is food. We eat 21 times /week and that makes 104 times/month. I am not counting snacks and drinks that we have in between. So, would it be a burden to give about just 10 food packets/month to ten people? If not, start atleast with 5 packets. Those of you who have an excuse ‘I don’t want my family to know I do and so can’t ask my mother/sister to cook for me. I would love to donate but because of above reason can’t’ – I’ll give a solution. Now-a-days, you get rotis for Rs.3-4/- per roti at curry points. Ask them to make 5 packets of roti+curry. Let each packet have 2 rotis + one curry. It’ll cost max of 3*2=6+4=10/packet. So, total would be Rs.50/- only. I am sure each one of you can surely afford that much. That’s much less than your internet connection or phone bill!

Before moving on to other forms of charity, I would like to share a small story that set this bug of charity in me. This story also told me that ‘only one kind of charity’ won’t do. I’ve to do every type of charity – only then it would be complete.

One lady was used to distribute /serve food to all. Someone asked her the reason and she replied “when karna (character from Mahabharath, son of Queen Kunti) died, he went to heaven. As he was a great philanthropist, he was given special quarters filled with all comforts of the heaven and also filled with the riches of heaven. He was given a guided all through the day through all the quarters where he saw abundance of riches. As evening fell, he became restless and asked the guide ‘you are showing me all types of riches since morning but haven’t served food till now. I am famished so please give me something to eat’. To this his guide replied that he was not to let Karna eat anything. Karna was surprised and asked the reason for which his guide said ‘you donated lots of riches on earth but never once gave food. Since, you didn’t donate food, you wouldn’t receive it here. You’ll receive whatever you’ve donated only’.

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Karna - The greatest Dani (Giver or one who does charity)

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Karna – The eldest son of Queen Kunti and eldest among Pandavas

Karna was raised a ‘Sudra’ (the labour class) – a charioteer’s son but was actually a ‘kshatriya’ by birth. He was given birth by Kunthi, a princess but was disowned because she was not married by then. (We see a similarity here with the story of Moses)

 

Though bought up by a ‘Sudra’ his kshtriya blood beckoned him to learn warfare technique and he learnt it from none other than the Great Guru Parasurama. He became archer par excellence.

Even today if anyone does charity (in India) he is termed as ‘karna’.  Karna’s name has become synonymous with charity. Because Karna would give in charity anything to a person who would meet him after he had done his ‘surya namaskaram’ (morning prayers which is done as ablutions given to Sun God in India) in the morning. Once King of devas, Indra came to ask him to part with his ‘kavach kundal’ (his natural armour with which he was born as which was his seconed skin). He knew if he gave away his kavach kundal, he could be killed by Arjuna, his arch rival and son of Lord Indra, yet he gave way his armour happily. He took charity to a new level that no one could/can match even today.

He proved his mettle as ‘commander-in-chief’ during Kurukshetra for three whole days. That talks about his warfare knowledge. His parents were extremely proud of him and looked after them with lots of love and respect. He proved himself to be a very good son.

Lord Krishna has immense respect for him for he knew ‘Dharma’ and was always advising his friend Duryodhan to follow it and discouraged him from following his uncle’s plans and wrong ideas.

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