|| Shri Hari ||

How to be Free of Sense of Me and Mine? 

continued.....

Understand this point properly that how is this body for us?   You meditate, you do worship and adoration of the Lord, you do charity and virtuous deeds, you serve, but all these will be beneficial when the sentiments are that all these are not mine, then why do these deeds in the first place?   Do these because you have taken from others. This body too we have taken from others.  Food and water too we have taken from others.  Air too we have received from others.  The road we walk on that too has been constructed by someone else.  The shade under a tree too has been given to us from someone else.  The house too has been received from others.   That which is received from others has to be put in the service of others, by which debts will be paid off. All old debts have to be paid off and new debts should not be initiated.  

This will be useful to us,  he should listen to what we say,  he should agree with us -  as long as such desires remain, till then new debts will continue to be added on.   How will the inert be of any use to you?   You are sentient (consciousness). Then what are we to do?   To break free of the inert body either serve the world,  or serve God, or don't do anything for your Self.

It has come in the Gita  -

Daatvyamiti yadaanam deeyatenupakaarine |

deshe kaale cha paatre cha tadwaanam saatvikam smrutam ||

(Gita 17/20)

"A gift, charity which is made, to one from whom no return is expected, with the feeling, that it is one's duty to give, and which is given at a proper place and time and to a worthy person, that gift is held to be Sattvika (good and pure).

 In the explanation of this verse only God and Vyasji Maharaj knows in entirety.  I am not that highly learned, but it is my notion that by time, place and eligible recipient, it means on attaining proper time, place and proper recipient. (praapti sati).   ‘Anupkaari’ does not mean not to give charity to those who have done you good.    But rather it means, when you give to a person who has done good, then do not regard it as a gift (charity).  ‘Anupkaari’ means -  he who has previously not done any good, he never does any good to you and in the future too there is not the least bit of expectation of him doing any good, such giving with a disinterested spirit,  where there is no expectation of some return is ‘sattvik charity'.  

 continued.......

From "Kalyaankari Pravachan"  in Hindi by Swami Ramsukhdasji