Guiding Light: Do Good To Others

Do as much good as you can, to as many as you can, in as many ways as you can, as often as you can. People everywhere, bear the burden of misery and suffering. Lighten their loads, carry their burdens for them! Help as many as you can, to lift their load on the rough road of life. The day on which you have not helped a brother here, a sister there, is a lost day indeed.

Swami Vivekananda tells us that this earth is called karma-bhumi — the sphere of karma. If this be so, then it is up to us to choose bad or goodkarma.

All actions that are born out of good will, understanding, compassion and selflessness are good karma. When you perform such actions, they bring you peace and joy.

It has been said that when you share your joy with others, it doubles itself. When you share your knowledge and wisdom, you only become wiser. Therefore, give, give, give! 

Seva-bhavna is done in an attitude of dedication and selflessness. It is no use to serve others with the expectation of reward or praise. Nor is it true service to help only those whom we love and consider to be our own people. He who is truly good, regards all creation as one family.

When you come to think of it, this too relates to the law of karma. For insight into karma will make us realise that in our numerous births and rebirths, we have had countless friends and relatives. How can we deny that we are karmically linked to hundreds, may be, thousands of people, across our various janmas? Why then, should we confine our loving, sharing and caring to a narrow circle of people whom we regard as our own?

Nor let us expect gratitude and praise from those whom we have served. Rather, it is we who must be thankful to them, for having given us the opportunity to do good karma, which is only to our own benefit! You may have spent your worldly wealth and physical effort in their service — but they have helped you gather spiritual wealth that is far more valuable, and boosted your effort to achieve liberation from the bonds of karma!

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

Published on: Tuesday, August 29, 2023, 06:00 AM IST