Inner Happiness
I live in Indore, in Indias' heartland. On our way back from an adjacent town, my friend and I stopped at a highway dhaba. Placing our order, we stretched ourselves out on the cane chairs. A motley group of people occupied other tables.
As we glanced around desultorily, a ragged man sauntered in and sat down. He poured himself a glass of water from the steel jug. He drank two glasses, but ordered no food, nor did the dhaba boys ask him.
When our tea and samosas arrived, he looked at the food, filled his glass again and drank it. We saw no greed in his eyes, but it was an easy guess, that the guy was hungry and had no money.
The dhaba boy told us, "Oh! That madman comes in everyday. If he has money, he eats something; otherwise he just drinks a few glasses of water and leaves. My boss said that since water has been given to us by the Lord, we must never stop anyone drinking it at our dhaba."
This logic really touched me. I asked the boy to serve the man a plate of samosas. When he did so, the man looked at him. The boy pointed to us. The man looked at us but made no acknowledgement.
As he picked up the first samosa, a little girl in rags walked up and just stood there. He gave her the samosa, which she wolfed down. He picked up the second one and handed that to her, too. She grabbed it and ran away. He pushed away his empty plate, filled up his glass again, drank the water an walked away from the dhaba without a backward glance.
I asked myself if I were capable of a gesture like that ?
As we glanced around desultorily, a ragged man sauntered in and sat down. He poured himself a glass of water from the steel jug. He drank two glasses, but ordered no food, nor did the dhaba boys ask him.
When our tea and samosas arrived, he looked at the food, filled his glass again and drank it. We saw no greed in his eyes, but it was an easy guess, that the guy was hungry and had no money.
The dhaba boy told us, "Oh! That madman comes in everyday. If he has money, he eats something; otherwise he just drinks a few glasses of water and leaves. My boss said that since water has been given to us by the Lord, we must never stop anyone drinking it at our dhaba."
This logic really touched me. I asked the boy to serve the man a plate of samosas. When he did so, the man looked at him. The boy pointed to us. The man looked at us but made no acknowledgement.
As he picked up the first samosa, a little girl in rags walked up and just stood there. He gave her the samosa, which she wolfed down. He picked up the second one and handed that to her, too. She grabbed it and ran away. He pushed away his empty plate, filled up his glass again, drank the water an walked away from the dhaba without a backward glance.
I asked myself if I were capable of a gesture like that ?
The most I could muster was, 'I HOPE SO'.
If sharing what we have in excess is generosity, then how would we describe what that madman did?
"SELFLESS LOVE ?"
It is what Intellectuals talk about and madmen practice.
*Happiness comes from spiritual wealth, and not from material wealth ...
Happiness comes from giving, not by getting.
If we try hard to bring happiness to others, we cannot stop it from coming to us also.
To get joy, we must give it; to keep joy, we must scatter it.
- John Templeton*
"SELFLESS LOVE ?"
It is what Intellectuals talk about and madmen practice.
*Happiness comes from spiritual wealth, and not from material wealth ...
Happiness comes from giving, not by getting.
If we try hard to bring happiness to others, we cannot stop it from coming to us also.
To get joy, we must give it; to keep joy, we must scatter it.
- John Templeton*
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