19. Listen to Heart – Selflessness is its own Reward….

Hari Bol...

19. Listen to Heart – Selflessness is its own Reward….

Motive should be Selfless. Motive should be Selfish. Both the sentences have everything in common except for one word. One has Selfless which indicates positive and other is Selfish which indicates negative. Selfless gives positive energy with positive vibrations and positive thoughts and positive action and selfish is negative energy with negative vibration and negative thoughts and negative action. Selfless motive is having, exhibiting, or motivated by no concern for oneself which can also be termed as unselfish motives. It is the quality of not putting yourself first but being willing to give your time or money or effort etc. for others. Acting with less concern for yourself than for the success of the joint activity.

As per Khalil Gibran, “Wisdom ceases to be wisdom when it becomes too proud to weep, too grave to laugh, and too selfish to seek other than itself.” Selfless actions and thoughts are not only possible, but give a real sense of satisfaction and abiding happiness. Selflessness means we act without thought for how we will profit or be rewarded. If we give help to others, but expect recognition or the favor to be returned, this is not a selfless action. True selflessness means we would do the action, even if it was never know to anyone else. Selflessness means we identify with others. Our service to others is not an act of condescending charity in helping others; our action is motivated by a feeling of oneness. We help others because we identify with their problems and their suffering. Selflessness is its own reward.

It helps to conquers pride. In a true selfless action we are not acting to feed our ego and receive the flattery of the world; we are not acting out of competition or desire to prove our self to others. Selflessness means we act out of a motivation to do the right thing and help others. By definition, selflessness cannot involve inflating our ego, it does exactly the opposite. Selfless helps us to expand our mind. When we act only out of selfish motives we bind and limit ourselves. Every action, we calculate how we might benefit; this attitude hinders the intuitive and spontaneous feelings of the heart. When we act through selfless motives we are helping to expand our sense of self and sense of identity. This enables us to get joy from the achievements of others; it enables us to get joy from serving others. This outlook on life is the best guard against jealousy, meanness and vanity. As per Sri Chinmoy, “Your mind’s selfishness, Is your all-exclusive individuality. Your heart’s selflessness, Is your all-inclusive universality”. True Friendship and love is not like a bartering service at an auction. If we wish to love in a selfless way it means we need to identify with others. This is very different love to the human love that demands and expects things in return. Real love and friendship must involve a forgetting of self and a willingness to put others first. Selflessness is Attractive. It is ironical that when we work for praise and outer recognition it proves fleeting and elusive. But, if we are really selfless, our sympathetic actions will definitely be appreciated by others. True selflessness is a quality that we instinctively appreciate in others.

While giving a thought on Motive it should be Selfless rather Selfish, the first name and picture which came to my mind was of our lovable Mother (who needs no introduction) – Mother Teresa. Clad in a white, blue-bordered sari, she along with her sisters of the Missionaries of Charity became a symbol of love, care and compassion for the world. Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, known the world over as Mother Teresa, was an Albanian-born Indian citizen who abided by her religious faith of Roman Catholicism to serve the unwanted, unloved and uncared people of the world. One of the greatest humanitarians of the 20th century, she led all her life serving the poorest of the poor. She was a ray of hope for many, including the aged, the destitute, the unemployed, the diseased, the terminally ill, and those abandoned by their families. Blessed with profound empathy, unwavering commitment and unshakable faith since young, she turned her back to the worldly pleasures and focused on serving the mankind ever since she was 18. After years of service as a teacher and mentor, Mother Teresa experienced a call within her religious call, which changed her course of life completely, making her what she is known as today. Founder of the Missionaries of Charity, with her fervent commitment and incredible organizational and managerial skills, she developed an international organization that aimed towards helping the impoverished. For her service to the humanity she was honored with Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.

Mother Teresa felt that her work with the poorest of poor was a directive from God. When she breaks her silence after hearing the Lord’s voice in regards to her ministry, we learn some key elements of her belief system. Her statement, “I am merely God’s pencil. It is He who writes,” is key to the humility that she exudes. Mother Teresa is not glorifying in her accomplishments, but giving full credit to the Lord. For all that Mother Teresa accomplished in her lifetime, she remained humble to the end.

I would like to spell few of her quotes,

·        We all are pencils in the hand of God.

·        Work without love is slavery.

·        Every time you smile on someone it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.

·        Never be so busy as not to think of others.

·        Love is a fruit in season at all times and within reach of every hand.

Arjuna due to his saintly and selfless nature and because he was overwhelmed with emotions he once again says to Krishna, “Alas, how strange it is that we are preparing to commit greatly sinful acts. Driven by the desire to enjoy royal happiness, we are intent on killing our own kinsmen”. Driven by selfish motives, one may be inclined to such sinful acts as the killing of one’s own brother, father or mother. There are many such instances in the history of the world. But Arjuna, being a saintly devotee of the Lord, is always conscious of moral principles and therefore takes care to avoid such activities. It is the custom—according to kshatriya fighting principles—that an unarmed and unwilling soldier should not be attacked. Arjuna, however, decided that even if attacked by the enemy in such an awkward position, he would not fight. While observing the situation of his enemy, Arjuna stood up on the chariot, but he was so afflicted with lamentation that he sat down again, setting aside his bow and arrows. Such a kind and soft-hearted person, in the devotional service of the Lord, is fit to receive self-knowledge.

All Glories to Lord Krishna & All His Loving Devotees….. Hari Bol……

Courtesy : Bhagavad-Gita As It Is (by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada ) ,  Srimad Bhagavad-Gita ( by A. Parthasarathy  & www.gitadaily.com ) www.google.com Chapter 1 : Text 45 – 47