Glorying in your opulence before the destitute is a crime
Your body and riches,
learning and intellect, power and strength, position and authority and
everything else belongs to God, you owe them to Him and all exist for His
service alone. The usefulness of all lies in their being utilized in His
service, and the fulfilment of your life too lies in this.
Wherever a thing possessed
by you is needed by another, know that the real owner of the thing, viz., God
Himself seeks it from you. Therefore respectfully surrender to Him with great
humility the object belonging to Him and deem it your good fortune to have done
so.
Never regard anything as
your belonging to you nor pride yourself on it. Take to yourself that much
which is barely necessary for you as a boon from God and continue to devote all
the rest to His service alone.
The Lord resides in all at
all times and every moment, rather than the Lord Himself stands manifested in
the endless heterogeneous forms of all. Realizing this honour all, love all, respectfully
do good to all. Do not seek the destitute with an air of kind-heartedness, but
as a destitute only and, experiencing their misery as your own, try to rid them
of it.
Compassion is only another
name for the mellowness of heart occasioned by a feeling of inborn sympathy at
the sight of another’s suffering and a selfless inclination to relieve it.
Compassion makes no distinction between one’s own and another. Compassion
precludes pride. Compassion makes on rejoice in service and self-abnegation, brings
humility in its train and does not allow a feeling of inferiority to appear in
the heart of the individual to whom service has been rendered by you, rather it
makes him or her realize the mercy of God. Such compassion – the softest
propensity of the heart to treat the suffering of another as one’s own,
accompanied by a natural endeavour with one’s body, mind and money to relieve
it—is a most welcome trait. Cherish it by all means; but never glory in your
kind—heartedness, never consider yourself superior.
To assume an air of opulence
before the destitute is a crime. Live in the midst of the destitute as a
destitute only. Lifting them up as much as you can, raise your standard of
living too to their level. All the same never advertise your opulence nor insult
another while glorying in your possessions. Exalt yourself only through
humility—through meekness—by serving all the best of your ability.
To deal roughly and harshly
with a destitute by using haughty words in his presence is an offence against
God it is the Lord Himself who stands manifested in the form of that destitute.
Therefore behaving meekly speak sweet words to all, release a stream of cool
and sweet nectar everywhere by your polite and mellifluous speech; pouring
nectar in hearts burning with the venom of suffering make them venomless, cool,
tranquil and sweet. And do all this for the sake of service to the Lord and
recognizing everything as being done through His energy and inspiration and
every material as His possession. The Lord will feel highly pleased by your
unassuming and selfless service and His pleasure will crown your life with the
greatest success.
- Glorying in your opulence before the destitute is a crime