Seva Paropkar

Service rendered to others without any expectations

Gnani Purush Dadashri

Editorial

If one were to use his mind, speech and body for the benefit of others, he would never be short of material comforts and worldly happiness. Eternal happiness however, is only acquired through Self-Realization. The goal of human life is to use one’s mind, body and speech for the good of others. If one follows this goal, one will attain liberation in this human life, beyond which there is nothing left to attain.

How many of its own mangoes does this mango tree eat? Is not its wood, leaves and fruit used for others? For this, the tree is rewarded by its progression into a higher life form. Religion begins with an obliging nature. Happiness begins from the moment you give something to others.

Most Revered Dadashri says that anyone who takes care of his or her parents will be taken care of and all his needs will be met. Those who take care of a Guru, who is Self-Realized will attain liberation.

Dadashri’s main goal in life was to give happiness to whomever he met. He never thought about his own happiness. He was always looking for ways to ease the misery of the suffering humanity. Such deep inner intent and compassion led to the expression of the extraordinary divine spiritual science called Akram Vignan within him.

In this compilation, Dadashri has given countless, direct explanations of unfailing methods for one to fulfill life’s goal through serving and obliging others. If one were to incorporate these into one’s life, then it can be said that they have fulfilled the purpose of human life.

-Dr. Niruben Amin

Ahmedabad May 2000

Service Rendered To Others

Questioner: What should one do to avoid wasting this human life?

Dadashri: Simply thinking and reflecting the whole day on how not to waste this human life, will bring fulfillment. Instead of worrying about this human life, people worry about money. You do not have any control over your efforts, but your intentions (bhaav) are under your control. Your efforts are under the control of some other entity. However, you can reap benefits from your bhaav. In reality even the bhaav is under the control of another entity, but the bhaav that you do, will give results.

Questioner: What is so unique about the human life form?

Dadashri: The human life form is for service to others. And for the people in India, their life is for ‘Absolutism’ (for acquiring the knowledge of the absolute reality of life). It is for acquiring liberation. The lives of people of other countries are for service to others. Service to others means that you use your mind, your speech and even your conduct for others. You serve others through the medium of your mind, speech and action. One may ask what is to become of him if he serves others in this manner, what will he be left with?

Questioner: He is going to benefit for sure!

Dadashri: Yes but people only believe that they will lose whatever they have, if they give it away.

Questioner: People of a ‘lower level’ of spiritual development would believe that.

Dadashri: People with elevated thinking believe that donations can be made to others.

Life is meant for benevolence and serving others. The deepest science behind this is, that when one uses one’s mind, speech and body for serving others, one will have everything. What if you charged a fee for your services?

Questioner: It will create difficulties.

Dadashri: They charge a fee in the courthouses. They charge for their services and so the laws of service to others are not applicable here!

Questioner: One has to do this for one’s sustenance surely?

Dadashri: Do not think about your sustenance at all. If you do any kind of service to others, you will not encounter any obstacles. Instead what do people think? They do not fully understand the science behind this and so while trying to serve others, they experience results that are just the opposite of what they expect, so they lose faith. If they start serving people now, they will reap the rewards in two or three lifetimes. This is the very Science.

Equal Benevolence for the Good and the Bad.

Questioner: People give service to others for their own benefit. They even tell this to others, but really they are talking about their own benefits. What about those who are not ready to believe that serving others will benefit them?

Dadashri: It is like this: The one who serves others, is not concerned with other people’s understanding. If he were, then he would become judgmental. So therefore one should not look for understanding from others. This mango tree here has so many fruits on it, yet how much of its fruit does the tree itself enjoy?

Questioner: Not even a single one.

Dadashri: Then who is it for?

Questioner: It is all for others.

Dadashri: Yes. Does the tree look at whether a person is kind or cunning? According to the tree, ‘Whoever takes the mango, it is theirs; not mine.’ Its life is lived for serving others. By living in this manner, such living things gradually progress to a higher life form.

Questioner: But many times people bite the hand that feeds them.

Dadashri: Yes, that is the thing one needs to look at. The person who is being benevolent is the one who may receive ingratitude!

Questioner: It is due to lack of understanding.

Dadashri: From where can one get the understanding? If one had the understanding, then everything would be resolved.

Benevolence is the highest of all things. Benevolence is the goal of all human life.

Only These Two Things Are Important in Life.

What is the purpose of life for the people of India? It is for the purpose of breaking this bondage; for releasing oneself from this bondage forever. It is for the purpose of becoming ‘Absolute’ (Self-Realized). And if one does not attain the knowledge of how to become Absolute, then one should live for others. It is for two reasons that one is born as an Indian. Do people do either of these two deeds? People have instead, by cheating others, found ways that pave their way into the animal kingdom.

Solutions for Becoming Straightforward

Questioner: What is the solution for making one’s life ideal and straightforward?

Dadashri: Have an obliging nature; give to others whatever you have. In this manner your life will become pure. Have you ever maintained an obliging nature? Do you appreciate an obliging nature?

Questioner: I have, to a small degree.

Dadashri: If you increase your obliging nature, then there will be greater benefits. Maintain an obliging nature by helping people in any way that you can.

The Lord says, ‘Use your mind, speech, body and soul for others. Then if you experience any unhappiness, come and tell me’.

Dharma, true religion begins with an obliging nature. Happiness exists in giving your possessions to others. People however have learned to take away instead! Do not do anything for yourself. When you do for others, then you will not have to do anything for yourself.

Keep Your Intentions One Hundred Percent Positive

Do any of these trees eat their own fruits? No. So these trees teach the human being that he should give his fruit to others and nature will provide for him. The neem tree is very bitter, yet people will grow it because it has its benefits. Otherwise they would uproot it. It is beneficial in many ways: It is cooling to the body, it has medicinal value and its extracts have healing properties. In the golden ages people tried only to make others happy, they were preoccupied throughout their day with thoughts of how to make others happy.

More important than the external actions of obliging others is the deep inner internal intent (bhaav) to help. This intention should always be there. You should help others in whatever way you can. If you have the money, use it. If you have commonsense, use it to explain things to them to alleviate their misery. If you cannot do even this, at least maintain an obliging nature. What does it mean to have an obliging nature? It is to have the nature to do things for others!

One’s nature would be beautiful if one maintained an obliging nature. To give away money, is not an obliging nature. You may or may not have the money, but your intentions should be to help others. You should at least have the intentions to help those who come to you.

One does not simply oblige others by giving them money. All one has to do is to make sure that one has the constant internal bhaav to oblige others.

The Goal of Life.

Without a goal in life, this life is meaningless. How can you call earning money to eat, drink and enjoy yourself, while you still experience worries, the aim of your life? What is the point of a human life that goes to waste? What should we do to reach our goal, having acquired this human life form? If you want worldly happiness, give whatever you have, to others. You can expect happiness only if you make others happy, moreover you will only get miseries by making others miserable.

Understand the law of this world and of all the religions in just one sentence: ‘He who wants happiness should make others happy and he who wants misery, should make others miserable.’ Do whatever suits you. Now, someone may question, how it is possible to make others happy without money. Money is not the only thing that you can give. You can maintain an obliging nature; you can run errands for others, you can give them advice and you can oblige them in many other ways.

Sitting in front of God’s idol is not religion, unless one finds the focus (ekagrata) of unity of thoughts, speech and acts. Reaching one’s goal is dharma. But if you focus on obliging others, then it is a focus in itself. If you make the decision that you want to maintain an obliging nature, the change will occur within you. Decide that you do not want any ‘wildness’ in your nature, even if the other person is behaving ‘wildly’ towards you. Is this not possible? Would changes not occur from the time you make that decision?

Questioner: But it is difficult.

Dadashri: No, even if it is difficult, you have to make the decision, because you are a human and not an ordinary human at that. You are a person from India. You are the son of ascetics! You have tremendous energy within you. What good is the energy that is concealed? If you make a decision, based on what I am telling you, then it will definitely materialize, otherwise for how long can you carry on this ‘wildness’? And are you happy with this ‘wildness’?

Questioner: No

Dadashri: On the contrary, you invite miseries.

Punya from Obliging Others.

Until one achieves liberation, punyas (past life good deeds) function as a friend and paap (past life bad deeds) as an enemy. Now what you have to decide is whether you want a friend or an enemy. You have to ask how you can make an acquaintance of a friend and get rid of the enemy. If one would like to make an enemy, I would tell him to run himself into debt while living extravagantly and precariously and deal with what lies ahead later on. And if one wants a friend in the form of punya, I would point to a tree and tell him to learn from that tree. Does a tree enjoy its own fruits?

Questioner: No, it does not!

Dadashri: These trees and plants are here to serve humans by offering their fruits. What do the trees receive in return? They go into higher life forms and the humans also progress with their help! Think about what the trees lose and what we gain as a result of eating their fruit? We get happiness from eating their fruits, and from this our tendencies change, and we attain spiritual benefit. 5% of this benefit goes to the tree that gave you the fruit and 95% of it will remain with you. That 5% takes the tree to a higher life form and we also progress. So these trees want you to eat their fruits and enjoy their flowers.

Yog, Upyog Paropkaray

If you like this world and you can afford to do so, if you desire the worldly things and the sensual pleasures, then do this much: ‘Yoga, upyoga, paropkaraya’.

Yoga means the union of this mind, speech and body. Upyoga means the use of one’s intellect, mind and the chit (component of the mind, which has vision and knowledge) for others, even if it is for one’s own family. How does this dog acquire its food? It is because she is taking care of her puppies and since God resides in her puppies, she too is taken care of. The entire world functions on this very foundation. From where do these trees get their nourishment? Do they have to make an effort? They are not emotional at all. They never become anxious. They never think about walking a mile to a river for a drink.

All that is needed is an honest and a mutually obliging nature; just this much is needed. This much is necessary. Do only that which is beneficial for the human life. There are only two kinds of people for whom worries stop. One is a Gnani Purush (Self-Realized) and the other are those who oblige others.

The Real Method of Obliging

Questioner: What constitutes good actions in this world? Can you define them?

Dadashri: Yes. These trees have good actions, but their actions are not based on a doer-ship. These trees have a life. They give their own fruits to others. You should do the same; give your fruits to others. In so doing, you will continue to receive your own fruits. Whatever fruits arise for you, whether they pertain to your body, your mind or your speech, if you freely give them to others, you will receive everything for yourself. You will not lack any of life’s necessities. When you ‘eat’ those fruits yourself, you will experience some hindrance or obstructions. What would the owner of the tree do, if the tree ate its own fruits? Would he not chop it down? People not only eat their own fruits, but in addition they ask to be paid for it!

They charge Rs.22 for filling out one request form! In a country where they used to argue a case at no charge, and in addition provide hospitality for the people, this country is now reduced to doing this! In the past, if there were conflicts in a village, the head of the village would bring both the parties together to come to an agreement. He would make the debtor pay a portion of the money owed and arrange for the balance to be paid off in installments. Then he would feed both the parties and send them home! Do we have such lawyers today? Therefore understand and recognize the times. When one spends everything on himself, at the time of his death, he will be miserable. He would not want to die leaving his property behind!

One should not charge money for advice. Today a person donates large amounts of money and yet if someone comes to him for advice, he charges a fee. How can such a person call himself a Jain, when he charges for advice? He shames even the Gods and the Vitarags (the fully enlightened Ones) He may argue that he has to make a living, but to charge a fee even for the ‘know how’ is sheer madness.

Questioner: Are you saying that this fee is for one’s excessive intellect (buddhi)?

Dadashri: There is nothing wrong with the intellect. This intellect is a wrong (viparit) intellect. It brings harm to one’s own self. God has not objected to intellect. God has said that the intellect can become right (samyak) also. If there is an increase in intellect, one may even feel that he wants to help others in any way that he can.

Obliging Nature

Questioner: In my opinion, we are obliging when we stop a dog from killing a pigeon. Now isn’t that considered coming in the way of vyavasthit?

Dadashri: One is only able to oblige when it in one’s vyavasthit to do so. We have to maintain an obliging nature. With that only punyas will be bound and it will not allow for any miseries. If you cannot give money, then you have to oblige people in any way that you can, through the use of your intellect, by advising them or by running errands for them.

You Can Only Benefit from Obliging.

You will not incur any loss or experience any hindrances if your life is spent serving and obliging others. All your wishes will be fulfilled, but if you fret, none of your wishes will be fulfilled. By worrying and fretting, you will not be able to sleep. These rich businessmen cannot sleep for days on end because all they have done is cheat people.

So be obliging. If you are going to the post office, ask others if they want anything mailed while you are there. What is wrong in asking? Someone may say that they don’t trust you, in which case you should ask for their forgiveness. But do it for others who do trust you.

I am telling you this because such was my childhood character. At the age of twenty-five I had an obliging nature so that my friends used to call me a ‘superhuman’.

Who do you call a human? A human is he that gives and takes equally. He will give happiness to those who make him happy and give miseries to those who give him misery. This kind of dealing is a characteristic of a human being.

Those who take away others’ happiness, go into the animal form. Those who have human dealings of give and take of happiness, remain humans. Those who give away their own happiness for others to enjoy, incarnate as celestial beings, or ‘superhumans’.

Normal Egoism in Benevolence.

Questioner: Does egoism accompany benevolence?

Dadashri: The egoism of the one who is benevolent, is always normal. His ‘egoism’ is vastavik (as is). And greatly increased is the ego of those who work in the courthouse charging $100.00 to do people’s work.

The law of nature is such that if you give the fruits of your own efforts to others, nature will take care of you. That is the hidden science. It is a paroksh dharma. Then comes pratyaksh dharma, and then finally comes adhyatma dharma. The purpose of the human life, the essence, is only this: to use one’s mind, body and speech for others.

The New Goal of Today and The Reactions of the Past.

Questioner: Should one’s aim in life be to be a philanthropist?

Dadashri: Yes, one should live life serving others. If you suddenly change your conduct to doing this, you may continue to experience suffering because of reactions of past karmas and become discouraged as a result! You will have to suffer for a while, after which you will not have any miseries. But for now you are starting afresh and the reactions from the past will come for sure.

Eventually Benevolence Towards One’s Own Self.

You will always be rewarded for helping others and living for others, but the rewards will be worldly rewards, such as material comforts.

Questioner: What if, instead of obliging others, one obliges one’s own Self?

Dadashri: That is all. One has to do everything to be benevolent to one’s Self. Those who do will be blessed. But to do that one has to know one’s Real Self; one has to know his Soul. Until then one has to be benevolent towards others, and that will yield worldly rewards. To know the Self one must know “who am I?’ In reality you are shuddhatma (pure soul). Until now you had been thinking ‘I am Chandulal’. You say that this, ‘Chandulal’ is definitely ‘I’ (ego). I am her husband, his uncle, in this manner your beliefs continue. Is this not the knowledge that you have? You have not progressed further, have you?

Service to Human Beings is a Social Duty.

Questioner: But in social activities there is kindness in service to others, there is a care for doing something for others; help someone get a job; help admit the sick into hospital etc. Are these activities not one kind of social duty?

Dadashri: Those are all ordinary obligations.

Questioner: Therefore, should one assume that serving people is a worldly duty?

Dadashri: It is not even a worldly duty. It is called a social duty. That which is convenient to a society, is convenient to the people. And that same service may be inconvenient in other societies. You can only call it a worldly duty when it is the same for everyone. Whatever you have done so far is considered serving the society. Each person’s societal service is different. Each society is different hence each service to society is different.

Service to Others Begins at Home.

Questioner: Why do people do service for others?

Dadashri: It is because of good intentions and care for others. This intention is to relieve people from their miseries. It is a very high intention. But some people who do charity work however, may act differently at home. That is not considered charity. Charity should begin at home, then for your neighbors and then comes the service to others. Some people who do charitable work behave differently at home. Service to people in the home comes first, what do you think?

Questioner: This gentleman is saying that in his case, there are no complaints about him.

Dadashri: That means that his service is real.

Perform Benevolent Service While Keeping Your Intentions Pure.

Questioner: While helping other people, does it give good results if we keep in mind that there is God within them?

Dadashri: If one has a vision of God, one would not then get involved in service to people. Because after having that vision, one would not leave that God. This service to others is to be done to acquire God. Service to others should be from the heart. If it is from the heart, it will reach everywhere. When service to others brings prestige, it can put one into difficulty. When service to people is done without the expectation of prestige, it is real. Prestige will indeed come but one should not have any expectations for it.

People are not likely to do service to others without expectations of some kind. It is because of their hunger for fame, pride and all kinds of other greed that they give service to others. Those people, who have no desire or need for anything, are the ones who really help others, whereas these people do it for notoriety. When internal intentions are devious, external difficulties will arise. When one stops accumulating unnecessary wealth, everything will be resolved. On the one hand he wants to accumulate wealth, and on the other, he wants to help people, how can the two be possible?

Questioner: Right now I give service to human beings. I go begging from door to door and then give to the poor.

Dadashri: All that will be ‘deposited’ (as merit karma) in your account. The value of whatever you do as a middleman will be determined and then you will get eleven times that amount for being a ‘broker’. You will receive the rewards for that in your next life and in this life peace will be your reward. Peace will come to you in this life and also your next life for the good work that you do. Real service is that which is done silently without others’ knowledge. It is a silent service. If it is visible, then it is not called a service.

I met a man in Surat, who told me that he was doing community service. I asked him what kind of community service he did and he said that he collected money from wealthy businessmen and gave it to the poor. I asked him if he knew how that money was used. I told him that I would show him how he could help the poor: He should take the money from the businessmen but instead of giving it directly to the poor person, he should buy a vegetable cart for him and give him some money to buy vegetables. He should tell the man to sell the vegetables and from the profit he makes he should reimburse him a certain amount every day for the cart, allowing him to keep the rest. It is not necessary for the poor people to start a large business. A vegetable cart would earn him enough money by the end of the day. This incense fills the entire room with its fragrance while burning. Can we ourselves not create a ‘fragrance’ also?

When I was about twenty-five years old, I used to be egotistical and my ego was very eccentric. I used to feel that if a person did not gain something from meeting me, then it was useless. So everyone that met me benefited from me. What good would it do them to meet me if they did not gain something from me? Similarly this mango tree is not a mango tree if one cannot enjoy its fruits while they are in season. The tree itself does not benefit from it. Should one not be thinking like this? Should the human life not be like this? People would become wise if this were explained to them.

Questioner: Yes, such a mahajan sansthaa (a group of great people) used to be everywhere, just as you are saying.

Dadashri: But today even that too is put in difficulty. Nobody is at fault. It was meant to happen, but if one were to think like this, one can improve things. Dharma is to improve that which has become spoilt. People are always ready to improve that which is already improved.

Service to People is Service to God.

Questioner: Is service to people the same as service to God?

Dadashri: No, it is not a service to God. When does one do service for others? It is when one feels hurt inside. When you see people’s circumstances, you feel pity for them and it pains you from within, so to ease your pain, you help them. The help you offer is really to ease your own pain. When people say they have given so much to help others they are only doing so to relieve their own pain. Do you understand what I’m saying? It is very profound. Nevertheless, it is good to give to others because you will gain from it.

Questioner: Service to people and to people with godlike qualities is service to God. Is it better to serve people with godlike qualities or should one worship idols instead?

Dadashri: Service to people and to those with godlike qualities will procure worldly happiness for you, and slowly, step by step, will lead you to liberation. But that does not happen in every lifetime. Only in certain lifetimes do events fall into place. This means that since it does not happen in every lifetime, it is not a principle.

The Ladders of Salvation are Separate.

Service to the society is not the same as Jagat Kalyan (salvation of world). Service to the society is a worldly wish and for that one does whatever one is able to, but it is all on a superficial level whereas Jagat kalyan is a very different matter altogether. It is very subtle ………... All this is in a plain language but jagat kalyan is in a very subtle language; it is an extremely subtle language. There are only very subtle intentions…there is only a hint of it.

Service to Society is a Characteristic Trait.

Social service is a commitment that one takes on, which he is bound to so much that he does not take much care of those at home. Whatever the internal bhaav, comes from one’s prakruti (characteristic, personality, formed complex of thoughts, speech and acts) and ultimately it is all a function of prakruti. The nature and function of prakruti vary. Some people’s nature is to give happiness to others, while some make others miserable. Both traits belong to the prakruti and not the Soul. The traits of the prakruti manifest in whatever way they were bound.

Service-Disservice -The Nature of Prakruti

Whatever help you give to others is a trait of your prakruti. There is no purushaarth (real effort) on one’s part, but it is the mind that makes one believe that he is the ‘doer’. The belief that, ‘I am doing this’ is an illusion. After this Gnan however, you will still continue to do service because it is in your nature, but that service now becomes pure service. The service that you do at the moment is shoobhseva. Shoobhseva is service that is done through bondage. Even a shackle made of gold is bondage after all. After this Gnan, you will not feel pain, no matter what happens to the other person; his pain will be alleviated and you will be filled with compassion. At the moment what you experience for others is pity. That pity, will always give you pain. Where there is pity, there is always ego. However, without the bhaav of pity, the prakruti would not do any service. And after this Gnan your bhaav of pity will turn into karuna compassion.

One’s reward for the bhaav to give service to others is worldly happiness and the reward of the bhaav to do disservice, is worldly unhappiness. One cannot find the Self with the bhaav to give service, but until you find the Soul, you should maintain an obliging nature.

The True Server of Society

Dadashri: Whom are you helping?

Questioner: I spend a lot of time helping people.

Dadashri: There are all kinds of services to society. It is a true service only when there is not even the slightest of belief that, ‘I am doing a service to society’.

Questioner: You are right.

Dadashri: There are many people who give service to society; they go around wearing their white hats and the belief ‘I do service’, but the true server is he who does not have this belief.

Questioner: When we do something good, our ego comes in right away and says ‘I did it’!

Dadashri: Yes it will appear.

Questioner: What should we do in order to forget that?

Dadashri: One should not have the ego of ‘I am serving society’. When you do something good, the ego will appear and so you should ask for forgiveness from the Lord or whichever God you believe in, that even though you do not want to have any ego, you still do. Do only this much. Can you do that?

Questioner: Yes I can.

Dadashri: Do just this much.

Service to society, to some extent destroys the ‘My’ (the sense of possession associated with ‘My’). When ‘My’ is completely destroyed then one becomes a Parmatma (the absolute divine Soul)! Then bliss is inevitable!

Ego in Seva

Questioner: So isn’t there anything that remains to be done for the world?

Dadashri: There is nothing that you have to ‘do’; it is the ego that has arisen. Only humans take on the ego of ‘doership’.

Questioner: This lady is a doctor. When a poor patient shows up, she feels compassion for him and takes care of him. So based on what you are saying, one does not even need to have compassion, right?

Dadashri: Even that compassion is natural but one still has the ego of, ‘I have so much compassion!’ It is fine as long as one does not have any ego in this, but one cannot stop from having this ego!

The Role of Surrender in Service

Questioner: While doing worldly service (seva), if one has the bhaav of parmatma’s seva (service to the absolute divine Self in all), is it not compulsory?

Dadashri: Yes, the fruit will be punyas, but not liberation.

Questioner: If one passes on the benefits to the shreya sakshaatkaari supreme Soul, meaning doing it for the Lord, in the name of the Lord, even then does one not attain liberation?

Dadashri: No, one cannot pass on the benefits that way.

Questioner: What if we surrender it mentally?

Dadashri: If one does surrender in this way, no one will accept the benefits, nor would they give them. All this is mere talk. True religion starts only after the ‘Gnani Purush’ gives one the Atma. It then continues on its own. Worldly religion on the other hand, has to be followed and learned.

Worldly Wealth as a Byproduct.

Questioner: Does desire and effort for worldly prosperity hinder spiritual progress? And if it does, how does it?

Dadashri: If you want worldly wealth, you have to go in one direction and if you want spiritual wealth you have to go in another. So would it not hinder you if instead of going in one direction, you go in the opposite direction?

Questioner: Yes it would.

Dadashri: So it is a complete hindrance. Spiritualism and materialism are in opposite directions.

Questioner: How can one do without worldly prosperity?

Dadashri: Has anyone truly made worldly wealth in this world? Everyone is after worldly wealth, but has anyone ever really succeeded?

Questioner: Some have, but not everyone.

Dadashri: Man does not have control over this. If nothing is under one’s control, what is the point of all this agitation and aggravation? Meaningless!

Questioner: As long as one has an intense desire for it, how can one go towards spirituality?

Dadashri: Yes it is acceptable to have an intense desire. The desire will be there, but that control is not in our hands.

Questioner: How can the desire be quelled?

Dadashri: His desires will be fulfilled; things will come his way. One does not have to fret too much for it. Just keep doing your spiritual activities. This worldly wealth is a byproduct. Start your spiritual ‘production’ and the byproduct of wealth will come to you free of cost.

Questioner: What do you mean when you say if you want to go on a spiritual path? How are you supposed to go?

Dadashri: No but first do you understand that when you do spiritual ‘production’, worldly wealth becomes a byproduct. Do you understand that?

Questioner: I believe what you are saying; I do not understand it.

Dadashri: Then even if you believe it, all this is byproduct. Byproduct means free of cost. The temporary happiness of this world is free of cost. On the road to procuring spiritual happiness, this byproduction has come about on the wayside.

Questioner: You see many people who are not interested in spirituality but who are wealthy materially and are happy with this.

Dadashri: Yes you do not see them going in the direction of spirituality, but it is because of the spirituality they have practiced, that they enjoy the worldly happiness.

Questioner: Does that mean that if in this lifetime one does spiritual things one will gain material wealth in the next life?

Dadashri: Yes, you will reap the benefits in the next life. You may see people that enjoy material wealth but are not spiritually inclined.

What is the Goal of the Deed: Service or Money?

Any work has some sort of purpose behind it! If one has a higher purpose, for example if he wants to build a hospital to help the poor and the needy, if one’s intention is to serve others, then the byproduct will be money! Do not think of money as the main ‘production’. The whole world has made money the main production and that is why it does not benefit from the byproduction.

One should just have the intention to serve others and money as the byproduct will increase. So if we keep money as a byproduct, we will acquire more of it. But people make money their main goal so money does not come. I am telling you therefore, to keep this as your main goal: the constant intention to serve others, so that the byproduct will keep coming by itself. One does not need to expend any effort or spend money for the byproduct. It comes free of cost.

So decide that you want to do service for all human beings. Use whatever skills you have to serve people. This should be your only goal. As a result of this you, will attain many other things free of cost, and you will never be short of money, while those in the pursuit of money will suffer a loss. People have created factories for money and so the byproduct is not there. Money is the byproduct of byproduction, the process of forgetting human qualities of godliness and instead harming and hurting human beings through greed and devious means.. One should concentrate on the main production, the search for and the surrender to the Lord within all, in order to receive the byproduct free of cost.

The Salvation of the World is an effect

Anything that is done in order to attain one’s Soul, is production and because of that one will get the byproducts and all the worldly necessities. I only keep one type of production myself and that is, ‘That the whole world finds eternal peace and that many attain liberation!’ This is my production and I continue to receive its byproducts. The tea and snacks that are served to me are different to what you receive. What is the reason behind that? It is because my production is of a higher kind than yours. In the same manner if your production were of a higher quality then the by-products would also be of a high quality. Every job has an aim. If one has seva bhaav as one’s aim then money will definitely be come as a ‘byproduct’.

Indirect Way to Serve the Lord

All other production is a byproduct and in it, you will acquire everything that you need and easily at that. When one is preoccupied with the production of money, one does not easily acquire it. They are always stressed and anxious. They have good food to eat at home and so many other comforts and yet they do not enjoy them. So serve people, because God resides in them and not anywhere else.

You are a doctor for humans so I am telling you to do service for humans. If you were a vet I would tell you to do service for the animals. There is also God within the animals but in the humans, God is manifested more!

The Path to Moksha Via Serving People

Questioner: How is the path to liberation higher than the path of service to society? Can you please explain this?

Dadashri: If you ask a philanthropist what he is, he would tell you that he is a philanthropist, would he not?

Questioner: Yes he would.

Dadashri: So to say, “I am a philanthropist,” is egoism, but if I ask this man who he is, he would say, “For my identity, I am Chandubhai but really I am a pure Soul”, and that would be without egoism.

The ego of a philanthropist is for a good cause, but it is ego nevertheless. If one’s ego were for a bad deed, he would be called an ogre! And if the ego were for a good cause, then one would be called a Deva. Ego is ego. Ego means to wander aimlessly. Once the ego is finished, one can experience liberation right away.

To Know ‘Who Am I?’ is One’s Duty

Questioner: What should each living being do? What should be their duty?

Dadashri: Whatever he is doing, that itself is his duty. But we just merely say that “This is my duty”, we do egoism by saying, “I did this”. You should now try to find out the answer to, ‘Who am I?’ You should make an effort towards understanding that, so that all the puzzles will be solved. Thereafter no new puzzles will arise, and if no new puzzles arise, then one starts to become independent.

Money is a By-product

Questioner: Each person has some form of a profession; be it a lawyer or a doctor, but ultimately his work is done for the benefit of people, is it not?

Dadashri: Yes but they carry out their work without making the decision that ‘I want to do good’. Without making any decision and without deciding a goal, the train just keeps chugging along. Nothing has been decided about which town one wants to go to or which town one wants to stop at or where one will stop for a break along the way. One just keeps running about. That is why everything is tangled up. One should do the deed, after deciding a goal.

You just have to change your goal, nothing else. From the engine of a pump, you can use one belt to produce water while the other belt can be utilized to separate rice from the husk. So the difference is only in how you utilize the belt. You have to decide a goal and keep it in your awareness. That is all. Nothing else is needed. Money should not be in one’s awareness.

Service to the ‘Self’ Comprises All Religions.

There are only two kinds of dharma (religion). One is service to the world and the other is service of the Self (one’s Soul). The service one does for the Self, falls under the category of the ‘home department’ and the worldly service procures worldly happiness and material wealth. And where neither of these exists, all those are social discourses. And it makes one dangerously intoxicated. Wherever there is any kind of worldly service going on, there exists dharma. If you cannot do service for the world then do the service to your own Self. The service to one’s own Self is higher than the service to the world, because the one who does service to his Self does not hurt anyone!

Questioner: But one should have the realization that one should be doing service for one’s own Self!

Dadashri: That realization is not easy.

Questioner: How can it be done?

Dadashri: You should ask the Gnani Purush who he serves and whether he could show you the way.

The Qualities of The One Serving The Self

Questioner: What are the qualities of the service to one’s Self?

Dadashri: The first and foremost is not to hurt anyone. Everything is included in this. Non-celibacy does not come into this. To be non-celibate would be tantamount to hurting someone. Just think how many embodied souls die when one happily commits non-celibacy. By doing so, service to others completely stops. The other qualities are not to lie, steal, kill or hoard money. If one hoards things or money, it is considered hinsa. It is the same as hurting others. Everything comes into this.

Questioner: What are the other qualities of service to one’s Self? When can one say that one is doing service for the Self?

Dadashri: Those who do service for the Self do not hurt anyone even if everyone in the world were to make them suffer. Not only do they not hurt anyone, but also they do not even wish them ill!

Yes and even if someone were to cross your path hurling abuses at you, it would not affect you. You should just watch what you are doing. The other person will continue talking like a ‘radio’!

Questioner: If everyone in your life were to bring misery upon you, you would not be able to tolerate it. When people at home insult us, we cannot tolerate it!

Dadashri: What can you do? Where can one go, if you cannot accept this? Tell me. If one does not approve of what I am saying, what else can he do? Is there any other place with a ‘safe-side’? If there is, then show me.

Questioner: No not that. But we do have our ego don’t we?

Dadashri: From the time of birth the ‘ego’ becomes an obstacle in everything. One should not let it become an obstacle. The ego will dance the way it pleases. ‘You’ do not need to dance too. You are separate from it.

Besides This, All Else Is Religious Entertainment

That is why there are only two religions; there is no third one. All others are ornaments! Ornamental portions and people are awed by it.

Where there is no service of any kind, there is no service to the world, it is all religious entertainment and they are all ‘ornamental portions!’

The function of the intellect is only acceptable as far as that intellect has the intention to do service and give happiness to others. Intellects of all other kind create bondage. It creates bondage and subjects one to endless beatings. Intellect always looks for profit and loss. When one boards a bus, it immediately looks for an empty seat. The intellect that allows us to do service for others is good. But, the intellect that does service for the Self is better. He that serves the Self, serves the entire world.

Let There Not Be any Suffering for Anyone in the World

That is why I tell people that every morning, before leaving home, they should say, “Let me not hurt any living being in this world through my mind, speech and body.” They should repeat this five times. The rest of the responsibility is mine! I will take care of it! Say this much at least. Then if someone does get hurt, I will see to it! But say this much. Do you have any objection to this?

Questioner: No I have no problem with that.

Dadashri: Make sure you say it and even if you end up hurting someone, the responsibility is mine. I will take care of it. I will take care of everything. All you have to do is repeat this sentence of mine, five times every morning! How can it be a problem if you recall, ‘Dada Bhagwan’ with a true heart?

Questioner: That is what we do.

Dadashri: Yes do that. There is nothing else worth doing in this world.

Worldly Religion in Brief

One should become paranugrahi graceful to others,in order to teach people the religion of the world. For the salvation of others, one has to become paranugrahi. Whatever one spends on oneself, all goes to waste, but to spend anything for others is an adjustment for the future.

What does the pure Soul say? I will take care of he that takes care of others. I will have nothing to do with the one who takes care of himself.

When you do the work of the world, your own work will continue to be done and it will amaze you.

What is the nature of the worldly life? There is a God within each and every living being in the world, so if one hurts another being even in the slightest degree, adharma (lack of religion, immorality) will arise. If one gives happiness to another being, then dharma arises. The fruit of adharma goes against one’s wishes and the fruit of dharma goes according to one’s wishes.

‘Relative religions’ is the path of the worldly life; it is the path of philanthropy. The path of moksha goes beyond philanthropy; it delights in the Self.

The Beginning of Dharma (Religion, moral duty)

Dharma begins from the moment one gives happiness to others. Compassion begins when one is constantly preoccupied with helping others in difficulty. Since my childhood I have always tried to help people in difficulty. True compassion is when one does not think about oneself; only then does Gnan manifest.

If you cannot do service for others, at least make sure that you do not hurt anyone. Do not hurt anyone even if they have caused you problems. They cause problems for you because of some past account. Act in a manner that does not hurt anyone.

This is All You Need to Learn

Questioner: Should one become happy by giving happiness to others?

Dadashri: Yes just learn that much! There is nothing else worth learning. This is the only religion in this world. You will only be happy if you give happiness to others.

If you have money, you should help others in whatever way you can. Do whatever you can to help them get back on track. If you comfort someone, God will comfort you.

The Gnani Gives a Written Guarantee!

Questioner: In attempting to give comfort today, one’s pocket would be picked!

Dadashri: Let your pocket be picked. It is a past account that is being settled. But if you comfort someone now, you will definitely benefit, I give you a 100% written guarantee. I must have given before, which is why I have so much happiness right now. My business is the enterprise of only giving happiness to others. You do not want enterprises of unhappiness. Those who want to, can come and collect their happiness and those that come to give you unhappiness are your pending accounts, which you need to settle with equanimity.

One should not give unhappiness to anyone because he will only invite predators that will take revenge. Those who satisfy their vengeance do not do so without a reason, they are paying back for pain caused to them.

If You do Service, You Will Receive Service

The first and foremost service worth doing is for one’s parents. If one serves one’s parents, he will not lose his peace. Nowadays people do not serve their parents with a true heart. When one turns thirty, his ‘guru’ (wife) appears and she wants to move away. Have you seen such a guru? At the age of twenty-five or so one acquires a guru and once the guru comes, he changes. The ‘guru’ will say that he does not know his mother. He may not listen at first, but after being told several times over, he changes his opinion about his own mother.

If one serves one’s parents with a pure heart, he will never experience loss of peace; that is how this world is. This world is not such that one is justified in getting rid of it. People would blame the son: If the children do not serve their own parents, then how is it the parents’ fault? I explain to them that the parents are not receiving service from their children, because they themselves did not give it to their own parents. So this hereditary trait is wrong. Now if they begin to behave like children should, it would be good.

So I am making that happen in each and every home. The children are becoming good and so are the parents.

In doing service for the elderly, your Spiritual Science of Absolutism will develop. How can you serve an idol? Do the legs of an idol ache? Service should be done for one’s guardians, the elderly or one’s guru.

Should One Forsake One’s Service for the Sake of Religion?

Serving one’s parents is a moral duty. Whatever the situation maybe, to do service is one’s moral duty and as much as one practices it, one will receive that much happiness. One’s happiness arises as a result of serving the elderly. If we give happiness to our parents, we too will receive happiness. Those who make their parents happy, are never unhappy themselves.

I bumped into a man I once knew at an ashram and asked him what he was doing there. He told me that he had been living there for the past ten years. I told him that his parents were seriously ill and were living in extreme poverty. He told me that he could not do anything, when helping his parents meant forsaking his dharma. How can you call this a dharma? Dharma is when one embraces one’s parent and one’s family. Your worldly interaction should be ideal. How can the worldly interaction that forsakes one’s own dharma, as well as forsaking the relationship with one’s parents, be called dharma? Do you have parents?

Questioner: I have a mother.

Dadashri: So serve her properly. You will not get a chance to do so again and again. If a man tells me that he is very unhappy, I would tell him to take good care of his parents, so that the problems of the worldly life do not affect him. He may not become wealthy but at least he would not be subject to any pain. Then he is free to practice dharma.

I too served my mother. I was twenty years old and therefore quite young. So I was able to take care of her. The only service I did for my father was to carry his body on my shoulders at his funeral. Then I came to the realization of all accounts. Goodness! There must have been so many such fathers in previous lives. What should we do now? At least take care of the one who is in front of you. Those who are not here, are gone. But as long as they are present right now, take care of them. If they are not around, do not worry about it. Start again from where you left off. The service to one’s parents is ready ‘cash.’ One cannot see God, but at least one can see them.

The Real Need is Service for the Elderly!

Nowadays the people that suffer the most are the elderly. But to whom can they complain? The children do not listen to them. There is such a wide gap between the two generations. The old man does not let go of his old ways, even though he suffers for it.

Questioner: Every 65 years the same situation remains.

Dadashri: Yes it stays the same. The same situation, so in this day and age, what is really worth doing? It would be good for them to have a place to live. After I thought some more, I said that the first thing one needs to do is to give them this Gnan. Then we should make sure they have a place where they can eat. One can consult public and social services for this and it would be okay. But once they have Gnan, at least their work begins. And once this ‘Gnan’ is given, they will be at peace. Otherwise how are they to find peace? What do you think?

Questioner: Yes that is right.

Dadashri: Does what I am saying appeal to you?

If an elderly man lives at home where no one pays any attention to him, then what would happen? He cannot say anything and from within he binds wrong karmas. That is why people have created old peoples’ homes. It is not a bad idea. It helps. But it should be called something more dignified. It should be given a more respectable and dignified name.

Happiness In Life Through Service to Others

First comes the service to your parents. Then comes the service to the Guru. The service to both should definitely be there. If the guru is not good, then one should leave his service.

Questioner: What about now, when people do not take care of parents, what life forms do they get?

Dadashri: If one does not take care of one’s parents, he does not attain happiness in this lifetime. The living example of serving one’s parents is that one does not suffer throughout one’s life, nor does he experience any difficulties.

This science of our Hindustan was very beautiful. That is why the scriptures tell us to serve our parents. In doing so, one will avoid much unhappiness in life related to money. It is a different matter if it is the law, but nevertheless one should definitely take care of one’s parents. Because if you do not take care of them, then who will take care of you? Children observe everything. They do not grow up with good values if they see that their own father is not taking care of his own father.

Questioner: What I want to know is what responsibility the son has towards his father?

Dadashri: Children should fulfill their obligation to their father and if they do this, they will never be short of money, they will receive all the things they need. If one takes care of the Guru, one goes to Moksha. But nowadays people neither take care of their parents nor the guru. So they are all going to be unhappy.

The Greatest Obligation is to the Parents

The person that finds fault with his parents will never get anywhere. He may become wealthy but he will never progress spiritually. One must never look at parents’ faults. How can one forget the benevolence of their parents? Even when someone gives us a cup of tea, we cannot forget our gratitude towards them, so how can we forget our gratitude towards our parents? Do you understand? That is why you should be very indebted to them. Serve them well.

In this world there are three people we should feel gratitude towards. And that gratitude should never be forgotten. Father, mother and the Guru! You should never forget the benevolence of the three people that have put you on your way.

The Fruit of Service to the Gnani

You should keep hidden your position as a person who receives service and instead work with intention to serve. The ‘Gnani Purush’ is considered the server of the entire world and also the person to be served by the world. He could be considered the server. ‘I’ serve the entire world and ‘I’ am served by the entire world as well! If you understand this, it can get your work done!

‘I’ take the responsibility as far as making sure that whoever comes to meet me at least gets the opportunity of my ‘darshan.’ ‘I’ am responsible for anyone that serves me and I have to take him to moksha without fail.

Jai Sat Chit Anand

ajod evaa maara param Gnani…Dada naamey raheta rahii

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Last update January 29, 2001

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