There is a beautiful story from Persia of a man who prayed to God to show him who was the most devoted to the Lord. God appeared and told the man to visit the home of one of His devotees in a certain village. So the man set out to the place where God directed him. When he arrived, he found the devotee had never undertaken the pilgrimage to Mecca. When he asked the reason for his not visiting the holy city, the man told him that he had saved money to undertake the pilgrimage, but a neighbour approached him begging money for his starving family. The devotee gave him the money he had saved. The visitor then said, “Your pilgrimage has been accepted. By serving your fellow beings, you are a true devotee and servant of God.”
By serving selflessly, we expand our hearts from our own self to our family, to the community, our country, the world and ultimately the cosmos. Selfless service comes from an understanding that we are all members of one large family of God. True selfless service encompasses helping more than our own physical family; it includes all humanity.
We are often moved and inspired by reports of those who have risked their lives to save someone. We honour heroes who have died for their country. Service is one of the great acts one can do in this lifetime.
It is rare that the average person has to face the choice of giving up his or her life physically in order to save someone else. But there are numerous opportunities that offer themselves to us daily in which we can help someone. The sacrifice may be of our time, of our money, of our resources or of our skills. But there is no dearth of chances to work selflessly for the good of humanity.
People who have helped others selflessly have helped improve the quality of life on this planet. Throughout the ages, some have worked tirelessly to cure diseases or to make discoveries and inventions to make people more comfortable and safe. Others have given their lives for the freedom and rights of others. Some have devoted their lives for the spiritual upliftment of others. Each of us in our own sphere can use our God-given talents and our knowledge and skills selflessly to make a contribution to make the world a better place for all and become God’s favourite.
Sant Rajinder Singhji, head of Sawan Kirpal Ruhani Mission, works towards promoting inner and outer peace.
He can be contacted at www.sos.org
