If our world has to become a beautiful and peaceful place, we have to get rid of the “me generation” that pervades the society, that presides over office tables and that infests our universities too. It is human nature to say, “If I do this for you, you should do that for me. If I do a favour, you should reciprocate.” That is not selfless service. In selfless service, you perform your actions but you desire nothing.
The marvellous thing about humanitarian service is that once the unhappy person feels that somebody cares about him he is often able to begin caring more about others. Love liberates love: it is as direct and miraculous as that. When once asked to express in one word the guiding principle of happy life, Confucius replied, “It is altruism.”
Working for the poor gives us inner strength. Deep in our hearts, most of us yearn for our lives to be useful, and hope that we can wipe a few tears from the sobbing eyes of our unfortunate brethren. If one concentrates on selfless service to others and makes it a one-point mission this duty can become a deity and keep our heart and mind clean and spotless.
In whatever station of life we are placed, we can do this. We don’t have to go out and look for an opportunity to do this duty. It stands before us all the time, and we need to do very well the work that we have been given. If we are mothers, we should be great mothers; if we are civil servants, we should serve people with great energy, honesty and courtesy.
There is a very interesting parable that sums up beautifully the reward of service. A man died and was transported to hell. He was surprised to find hell a beautiful place, except that people there were very skinny. So he went to the dining hall and saw that, even though the food was plentiful, everyone’s health was bad. His curiosity piqued and he wracked his brain for a clue to this riddle. He then found that the inhabitants were given long-handled ladles to use while eating.
This was so difficult and awkward to do that very little food reached their mouths. As a result, they were starving. After several meals in hell, the man was suddenly transported to heaven. At first, he was overjoyed. Then he went to the dining hall and was dismayed to find that the same ladles were employed there. However, everyone looked happy, healthy and well fed. Then he noticed that instead of trying to feed themselves, the inhabitants were serving each other conveniently with the ladles. It showed how the smallness of the hearts of those in hell had warped their thinking and sensibilities, and the generosity of those in heaven had enlarged their ability to think in the welfare of fellowmen.
