Daily Archives: May 19, 2011

“..for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity.”
– The New Testament – Proverbs 24:16

Kabir – The couplet
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??? ???? ????? ???, ?????? ?? ?? ? ??? ||||

transliterated:
Jo koi ninde sadhu ko, sankat aave soye |
Narak jaaye janme mare, mukti kabahu na hoye ||

Translation:
He who curses the righteous, suffer much in life |
Lives in hell, he does, and finds not but a moment of peace||

My thoughts:
In our daily rush to get to the end of the day, we rarely pause to stop and see the effect our words, actions and thoughts have on those around us. But it is these very actions and words that define our ability to enjoy a peaceful night of sleep at the end of the day.

Every human, rich or poor, needs to feed, and needs to sleep. If I can find enough food to stave off my hunger, and I can sleep a full night without restless tossing, I am already better off than 80 percent of humanity. How much money can buy me that level of satisfaction?

“Not the maker of plans and promises, but rather the one who offers faithful service in small matters. This is the person who is most likely to achieve what is good and lasting.”
– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Kabir – The couplet
???? ?? ??? ??????, ???????? ?? ??? |
?? ??? ???? ???, ????? ????? ??? ||

transliterated:
Bhookhe ko kuch dijiye, yatha shakti jo hoye |
Taa upar sheetal vachan, lakhon aatma soye ||

Translation:
Feed the poor, to the extent personal resources allow |
Blessed by a satisfied soul, we gain the strength to satisfy many more ||

My thoughts:
The quote and the couplet above already state the obvious. But there is an underlying truth that is often ignored. When we serve, especially when we serve without thought of gain or return, we get more than another soul’s blessing. We learn, we discover more of our real self, and we become more that we were when we started.

This is because service helps us reach in and find that inner core of strength to go beyond a material need to understand another person. This learning is more than an entire life can pay for – and the enrichment gained is otherwise unattainable.