UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE

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UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE

Baba said, "The best way to receive, is to give" in Sri Sai Satcharitra Ch. XXXV.

This happened a long long time ago.

A little boy asked his father : "Daddy, what is the difference between gods and demons?"

The father said to the little boy: "Son, I will organise a big banquet at our

residence where I will invite both the gods and the demons. At the end of the

banquet you will get your answer."

And the father sent out invitations to both the gods and the demons. On the

appointed day, a most lavish banquet was organised and hundreds of gods and

hundreds of demons arrived at the house.

The demons were an impatient lot, disorganised and noisy. They asked the host

that they wanted VIP (very important person) treatment, and therefore wanted to

have their food served first to the demons and the gods must eat last.

The host agreed to their request on one condition that the demons tie wooden

planks to both hands when eating. The demons said that if the same condition

was also applied to the gods as well then they had no objection to tying the

wooden planks on both their hands when eating.

All the demons had wooden planks tied to both their hands and they immediately

sat on the floor, seating one next to the other in one straight line. They were

all very eager to be served with delicious food.

The first course of food arrived. It was the best smelling soup in a bowel with

spoon. Now when the demons got spoons filled with the soup, they realised that

they could not bend their hands to bring the spoons to their mouths. They tried

to lift their hands over their heads and tilt the spoons with their mouths wide

open. They got the soup falling in their eyes and all over the face and also on

their expensive garments.

The demons got noisier, became angry and started swearing at the host. Some of

the demons wanted to beat up the host. Some demons tried to restrain the other

demons and they started fighting among themselves. The demons agreed that it

was totally useless for them to remain at this banquet as it was not possible

to eat the food without bending their hands. It was impossible to eat the food

without messing up their beautiful and expensive garments. With angry words the

demons left the banquet.

Now it was the turn of the gods to eat. The gods were of a peaceful nature. They

also sat in a line on the floor. Both their hands were also tied with wooden

planks. When the first course of food was served, which was the delicious soup,

the gods first recited the food prayer. The gods realised that they could not

bend their hands, and therefore it was impossible to eat the soup.

Each of the gods thought: "Never mind if I cannot eat the soup, but let me be of

help to my fellow brother who is seated next to me."

The gods turned towards each other and started feeding each other. They thus

enjoyed the most delicious soup. Then the next course of meal was served and

they enjoyed that delicious meal. They went through five course meals and ate

to their hearts content. They thanked the host, presented the host with gifts

they had brought, and peacefully went back to their homes.

The son was observing all that happened. The father told him that a major

difference between the gods and the demons was the difference in their attitude

of ‘Giving’ and the attitude of ‘Taking.’ The demons thought only about their

individual self-interest whereas the gods thought about selflessly serving

others. When you open your heart and give selflessly, you receive also much

more than you give.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

There are only two types of people in this world, the one possessing a divine

nature and the other possessing a demoniac disposition. Men possessing a

demoniac disposition know not what is right activity and what is right

abstinence from activity. Hence they possess neither purity (external or

internal) nor good conduct nor even truthfulness.

(The Bhagavad Gita Chapter 16, verses 6 & 7.)

Tamaso Ma Jyotirgamaya......

What is the easiest way of practising and bringing religion into our lives?

There are two broad principles governing human action. The first of the two

principles is based on the attitude of GIVING. The second is based on the

attitude of TAKING.

If the attitude of TAKING prevails in a society you will find its members

possessed with multifold selfish demands and desires. Consequently, there is

struggle, stress and strain in that society with crimes, robbery, rapes,

corruption, inconsiderate selfish behaviour, becoming prevalent at national,

community, family and individual levels.

Let their attitude change to GIVING. Their demands and desires drop their

selfishness. Harmony, peace and happiness will reign in that very same society.

The dignity of human race is founded upon the principle of GIVING. Life is to

give, not to take. One ought not to demand from society. Perhaps one's only

right in the world is to give, to serve. To serve one and all. Serve the

nation, serve the society, the family and yourself. This is the first of the

elements of right living. We need to do service to maintain our proper

spiritual well being. While the physical body resorts to service, the mind must

embrace the world with love.

This is the second element of right living. All our emotions must be amalgamated

into a mass of universal love. Our pleasures and pains are identical with those

of our fellow creatures. This is true love. The feeling of true love arises

from purity. Such purity of love upgrades us to greater spiritual heights.

Knowledge of Vedanta inculcates the elements of right living into our physical,

mental and intellectual personalities. Our actions develop a spirit of true

service. Our emotions get chastened with pure love. Our discrimination gains

subtlety to distinguish between the higher and the lower aspects of life with

the result that our attachment for the lower drops off. By maintaining these

disciplines at the three levels of our personality, we live an ideal life.

(By Sri A.Parthasarathy, from his book Vedanta Treatise)