The Fine Art of Serving Others

The Fine Art of Serving Others

By Swami Jyotirmayananda


GOODNESS is the very essence of one’s soul. By doing good to others, one discovers the essen­tial glory of one’s own Self. All religions of the world concur that the test of true piety in life lies in one’s ability to do good to others.

A life that does not flow through good deeds becomes stagnant, and collects the moss of egoistic vanities, the stench of frustrated desires, and the croak­ing frogs of restless cares. But a life that flows on through acts of goodness sparkles with the light of joy and is rocked by the breeze of Divine grace. Instead of ugly frogs and frothing moss, the swans of heaven sport in a life that flows on with the sparkling waters of goodness to the surging ocean of the Self.

Goodness is the song of the God-ward soul. The essence of goodness lies in promoting one’s move­ment towards God-realization. That which leads to God is good, but that which turns one away from God is evil, demoniac, unhealthy and illusory.

An aspirant must develop a keen insight into the philosophy behind the need to do good to others. He helps others in order to attain purification of the mind and to move on to the heights of spiritual realization. The Self is the one, non-dual, Absolute Reality. The human heart is constantly pressured by the urge to discover that oneness through acts of goodness, kind­ness, generosity, self-effacing love and magnanimity.

There is a unique joy in the heart of a person when he is able to render help to someone who is afflicted, when he is able to kindle a spark in the dark night of a wandering soul, when he is able to extend his hand to a person drowning in the marshes of illusion. However, due to the mental limitations caused by ignorance, one begins to nourish the creeper of vanity within one’s heart. Acts of goodness ought to bring about humanity, self-effacement, and simplicity in one’s personality. But instead, they often cause pride, arrogance, and a sense of superiority over those to­wards whom goodness has been directed.

WHEN the mind is complexed, and life is steeped in egoistic illusions, people do more harm than good in the name of helping others. Backed up by selfish illusions, the help that is rendered brings about a sense of degradation in those helped. It promotes illusions within the person who is the doer of these so-called good deeds, and within the people who receive such goodness. It weakens the one who gives and the one who receives.

How then can a person be good to others? That demands a subjective preparation and an objective adjustment to the needs of practical life. An aspirant must practice concentration and meditation, and gain deeper insight into the nature of the Self. This is greatly aided by the spiritual teachings of his Guru. He must promote health in both his body and his mind in order to express goodness through his life.

At the objective level, he must see how he can be of best service to the people around him. He must expand his talents and learn new techniques to be of practical help to people. You can help people as a doctor, as a lawyer, as a musician, as a scientist, as an artist, as a philosophical guide, or in any area of service. Everyone is endowed with some unique talent through which he can be of great service to the people around him.

The highest form of help that can be rendered to another person is to inspire him to tread the path of Yoga and move on to the goal of Self-realization. The highest good deed is to awaken a person from the deep sleep of ignorance. The highest gift is the gift of wisdom that enables a person to be free from all forms of dependence. However, this understanding of what is the highest should not restrict your practical magna­nimity in daily life.

When you encounter a thirsty person, you must give water to him instead of planning to present spiritual discourses to quench the thirst of his soul. When a man needs physical assistance, you must be helpful to him in a physical manner; and even if your acts of goodness are often confined to the physical plane, you must consider these as God-given opportunities for the upliftment of your mind and soul. You must perform good deeds to others with a spirit of serving God in them. It is this spirit that renders your deeds “good” no matter how limited they may be. On the other hand, works of mighty propor­tions, if done with a sense of egoistic superiority, do not carry the aroma of true goodness.

THERE is a great difference between the soft cadence of April showers that infuse life and refresh the vegetable kingdom, and the torren­tial rains that cause devastation to the tender crops as well as to green trees. Truly good acts are like the gentle showers of spring, while ostentatious deeds of mighty proportions are like torrential rains, often destroying and devastating the very vegetation which they intended to nourish and save. Such is the differ­ence between good deeds done with the spiritual attitude of serving God in man, and those done without this ennobling understanding.

A truly good act is a sharing of oneself with others, based on the mystic realization that all is One Self. It is sustained by ego-effacing love. When you give a flower to your friend, you are giving yourself to him through a symbolic token. When you do a kind act, you give yourself to that person through the act of kindness. You are trying to say, ”O friend, all that is mine is yours, and all that is yours is mine. In fact, there is no difference between you and me. Let us unite with each other in order to abide in the Non-­duality of the Self.”

When your mind glimpses this idealistic under­standing, you will feel a sense of shyness about seeking any recognition for being a doer of good deeds. You will rather feel obliged to a person who gives you the privilege of serving the Self in him through your limited means. Instead of vanity, you will develop humility. Instead of making others obliged to you, you will feel spiritually obliged to them.

An aspirant must not let the vision of harmony and oneness be dissipated because of the illusions of give and take that sustain the practical realities of life. He must give with utter humility, and receive with a spirit of uplifting love proceeding from the Divine Self. His giving is an expression of Divine love, and his receiving is an acceptance of a Divine blessing. Thus, whoever receives any gift from you, either in the form of an object or a kind act, will be truly delighted. Even when you do not give any material gift, your very presence in this state is an abundant gift of humanity.

Human love is measured by the illusions of give and take. But Divine love is ever full. It does not broaden itself by giving, nor does it shrink by receiving. It gives beauty and vitality to the blooming flowers, and receives fragrance from them. It is neither depleted by giving, nor enriched by receiving. Such is the vision of universal love which gives and receives like the rising and falling of waves in the fullness of the ocean.

Acts of goodness must be like an aroma emanating from a blooming soul. You should not even be aware at the egoistic level of your acts of goodness done to others. An interesting story is told about a Sage who, by the force of his austerities, deserved a heavenly boon. The angels insisted on giving the boon of miraculous powers to him, but he pleaded that the boon should rather be given to his shadow. As a result, the shadow of the Sage worked wonders in the world, while he himself remained oblivious of all the good that pro­ceeded from him. This is the secret art of doing the utmost good to one and all.

GIVE abundantly. Give with love and humility. Be a dynamic servant of humanity. Share all that you have with others. Share your very being with all. Do not be miserly. Do not keep your knowl­edge, your wisdom, and your talents locked up in the confines of your own little self. Fling open the doors of your mind. Just as imprisoned air blends with the joyous breeze, so too allow yourself to blend with the breeze of cosmic life. Realize, “I am all that is,” and be free.

“International Yoga Guide” Vol. 34, NO. 11, July 1997



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