Satyopanisad

[Guest guest]

Swami! What is essential for us now?

 

If you have love, it is enough. Everything will be added unto you. Service,

sacrifice, humility, devotion, discipline, etc are contained within love. It is

only love that prompts and promotes all virtues. Where there is love, there will

be no ego, hatred, jealousy and such other low mean, animal qualities.

 

There was a lady in Paris. She led her life with the little money she had. She

saw one day some helpless footpath dwellers shivering in the cold. She was

deeply moved by this sight. Everyday she used to take a few blankets along with

her and offer them to those poor, needy and forlorn. This had gone to the notice

of the elders and finally the government. They decided to honour her. A few

youngsters came to her to congratulate her. She said that she was not happy

since she could not help everyone, when the compassionate Almighty God was

helping everyone always. She further added that she felt ashamed and frustrated,

as her help could not be extended to everyone.

 

I will tell you another story. There was in an army a soldier who lost both his

legs in a war and had to move with the help of crutches. Since his service was

relatively short, he was not eligible for all the retirement benefits. The Major

of his unit gave him some money and asked him to return. The soldier, on his way

back home, had to stop in a village and take shelter in a choultry as it was

raining heavily. The money on hand also was exhausted. Next morning, a

schoolgirl happened to pass the same street, saw this soldier, and made

enquiries. The girl was deeply moved by his plight. Since then, she used to go

to school an hour early everyday, collect some fruits on the way, sell them, and

purchase a few chapatis for the soldier.

 

After a couple of weeks, the Major happened to pass the same way and noticed the

soldier. The major was surprised to see him, for even after a long time he had

not yet reached home due to paucity of funds. The Major found out how the

soldier was managing himself all these days. In the meantime, the girl came and

served chapatis to the soldier. The Major followed her and went to her house. On

seeing him her parents thought that their daughter must have done something

wrong and so he had come to make an enquiry. When they were about to punish her,

the Major intervened and said to her parents, " You are indeed very lucky! How

many of us have such children with magnanimity, love, concern for the needy, and

the spirit of service? " He was about to give some gold coins to her parents who

said " Sir! We don't want all this. We can live with our hard earned money. Who

can guard these gold coins at home? Please leave us alone, Sir! " The Major felt

happy and left for his native place where he found an eligible bridegroom for

this girl and performed her marriage. This is the true wealth of love.

`Expansion of love is life. Contraction of love is death'