Nowadays, we use the word ‘philanthropist’, to describe a
multi-millionaire who donates vast sums of money to charitable organisations.
The word ‘philanthropist’ is derived from two Greek words, ‘philas’, which
means loving, and ‘anthropos’, which means 'man'. In other words, the root
meaning of philanthropist is ‘a loving man’. Aren’t we all capable of becoming
philanthropists? Of course we are – if we give of ourselves, from a heart
filled with love.
Indeed, charity begins at home, but
it need not stay put there. Extend your service to society, the community in
which you live. Let your community reach out to others – and you will find that
the whole world is soon linked by the spirit of selfless service.
Can you read? Then read to a blind
student. Can you write? Then write a letter, or fill a form for someone who is
not so lucky. If you are not hungry, share your food with someone who is. If
you are happy, contented, at peace with yourself, reach out to those who are
not as fortunate as you. We all have something to give. Let us give with love
and compassion, and we will make the world a better place.
We regard ourselves as responsible
citizens. We pay our taxes and our bills on time; we exercise our franchise and
fulfill our democratic duties; we try to obey all traffic rules; we steer clear
of breaking laws; we try not to interfere in other people’s affairs…
But this is not enough. Doing our
duty is all right but we need to do our duty and a little more. The opposite of
love is not hate but indifference, or apathy – to the needs of those around
you. We need to contribute our share to the welfare of the world; to what
Krishna called ‘lokasangraha’. When we all perform little acts of service,
little deeds of kindness, the world will be a better place.
The Gita talks of the duty of yajna
or sacrifice. M K Gandhi interprets sacrifice to mean service. He points out
that the Gita also tells us: “He who cooks only for himself is a thief.” There
is no higher law of yajna, the law of service. “True yajna is an act directed
to the welfare of others, done without desiring any returns for it, whether of
a temporal or spiritual nature,” Gandhiji says. “The body therefore has been
given to us only so that we may serve all creation with it.”
A lot of us tend to believe that the
little that we can do, counts for nothing, against the vast canvas of the
world’s misery and suffering. But just as little drops of water together make
the mighty ocean, so too, little acts of kindness and compassion can and will
make a difference.
When we start living and working for others then our lives,
too, become richer, more rewarding, and more meaningful. We are able to tap
into our inner shakti to its highest potential; we become more energetic, more
creative; we solve problems easily. Above all, we grow in consciousness that
all life is One, all life is reverent, all men and women are interrelated – and
that birds and animals too, are our brothers and sisters in One family of
Creation. Is not this the highest form of consciousness – this awareness of the
unity of all life? Follow Dada Vaswani at speakingtree.in and post your
comments on the website
About the author - DADA J.P. VASWANI
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Universally acclaimed as a
humanitarian, philosopher, educator, acclaimed writer, powerful orator,
messiah of ahimsa, and non-sectarian spiritual leader, Dada J.P. Vaswani has
captivated the hearts of millions worldwide. In the eyes of many, Dada J.P.
Vaswani is a man who symbolizes the true spirit of the India of the rishis as
a harbinger of love, peace and hope.
Today, Dada J.P. Vaswani is the
spiritual head of The Sadhu Vaswani Mission, and also the moving, inspiring,
life-giving and life-sustaining force behind its multifarious activities.
Holding aloft in his hands, the torch bequeathed to him by his Master, Dada
carries across the globe the message of India's deathless culture. Through
him, the joy of faith and peace flows out to many. In him, thousands of
faithful devotees behold the image of their Beloved.
Thousands upon thousands of avid
readers who have read his best-selling books regard him as a great
inspirational writer. Distinguished audiences who have heard him address
eminent forums like the World Parliament of Religions, the Global Forum of
Spiritual Leaders, and the United Nations Millennium World Peace Summit hail
him as a brilliant and captivating orator. Animal lovers revere and admire
him as an apostle of non-violence who strives tirelessly for the cause of
reverence for all life. And, to the thousands spread all over the globe, Dada
J.P. Vaswani is an unquestioned spiritual leader.
Dada J.P. Vaswani was a brilliant student who obtained his B.S. degree at the young age of 17. He was awarded a fellowship at the D.J Sind College for standing first in his class.
His M.Sc. Thesis on “The
scattering of X-Rays by Solids” Was examined by Nobel-Laureate, Dr. C.V
Raman. Although Dada's conclusions were in divergence with those of Dr.
Raman, the originality of his views impressed the eminent scientist.
Dada gave up a career in academics
to follow in the footsteps of his illustrious uncle and Guru, Sadhu T.L
Vaswani.
In order to propagate the Masters
ideals, he edited three monthly journals – the Excelsior, the India Digest
and the East and West series.
The Excelsior, a youth journal,
became so popular that its circulation surpassed that of the daily newspaper,
the Sind Observer!
Another task given to Dadaji by
the Master was to serve as the Principal of St. Mira's College for Girls.
Dada set a living example before teachers and students and was dearly loved
by them.
Dada is the author of over 50
books in English and many more in the Sindhi language. Dada's writing reveals
practical tips on happy, successful, spiritual and non-violent living. Many
of his books have run into several editions and several have been translated
into the Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati, Kannada, Papio Mento, Arabic, Mandarin,
Spanish, French, German, and Indonesian languages.
In 1966, when Sadhu T.L Vaswani
shed his physical body, he passed on the baton to Dada J.P Vaswani.
Dada has spoken form many
prestigious platforms including the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago,
The World Hindu Conference in Colombo, the Global Forum of Spiritual Leaders
and Parliamentarians at Kyoto – the U.N and the House of Commons in London.
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WHAT IS DADA J.P VASWANI'S PHILOSOPHY AND TEACHING?
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The following is a reproduction of
a section of Dada's article in East and West series, May 2000 titled “What
life has taught me.”
1. In the endless adventure of
existence, God and man are comrades. God is our one unfailing companion. He
will never leave us. We may try to run away from him. But he will continue to
follow us as our own shadow. In the words of Thompson, he is the “Heavenly
Hound.”
2. There is a meaning of mercy in
everything that happens to us. For God is All-love. He is All-wisdom. He is
too loving to punish, too wise to make a mistake. Whatever happens in the
Divine Providence happens for our own good. Nothing happens a moment too
early or too late…..therefore wherever God takes us, let us go, wherever he
keeps us, let us remain. Let us never forget that all is well, all was well,
all will be well both tomorrow and a hundred years hence.
3. When man surrenders himself to
God, He takes upon Himself his entire responsibility. All we need to do is to
hand ourselves over, in childlike trust to the Lord. And the angels of God
will go ahead of us to clear the way.
4. Thought is a tremendous force
in the life of any individual. Thoughts shape our attitudes. Attitudes mould
our character. Character influences our life. By changing our thought
pattern, we can change our life.
5. Problems and challenges are not
a dead end; they are only a bend in the road. Problems are not stumbling
blocks; they are stepping stones to a better, richer, more radiant life. Not
unoften, problems become the door through which God enters our life. We have
surrounded ourselves with hard shells which keep God away from us. Problems
crack the shell and God easily enters our lives.
6. Neither rites nor rituals,
neither creeds nor ceremonies are needed to improve the condition of the
world. All that is needed is to love one another.
7. Are you anxious to love God?
Then you must be prepared to lose yourself.
8. Do you want God to be yours?
Then you must first become his!
9. How may we know that we are
drawing closer to God? The closer we draw to God, the more tender and
compassionate become our hearts to the needs of those around us.
10. What is the best exercise for
the heart? Reach down and lift up as many as you can.
11. Misfortunes are blessings if
we handle them well. They are like knives which hurt or help as we hold them
by the blade or handle.
12. Life is too short to be spent
in fault-finding, holding grudges, or keeping memory of wrongs done to us.
Forgive even before forgiveness is asked. Forgive and forget.
13. The worst thing that can
happen to a man is that he has a hot head and a cold heart.
14. If a person has moved in the
wrong direction, he can always take a U-turn. The angels of God will be with
him. The past does not – cannot – bind us!
15. You who are looking for
miracles, open your eyes and see! All around us are the miracles of God.
16. A tiny seed grows into a huge
banyan tree. A caterpillar becomes a butterfly.
17. Open thine heart and let love
enter in – and all things in the universe will gravitate to thee. For love is
the power that pulls!
18. Give, give, give – until it
hurts to give! This will release you from bondage to the ego - and to things.
19. I must never forget that every
thought I think, every word I utter, every action I perform, every feeling,
every emotion that wakes up in me, is recorded in the memory of nature. I
might be able to deceive those around me, I may even succeed in deceiving
myself. But I cannot deceive nature.
20. When a particular problem has
vexed you for sometime and you are unable to do anything about it, hand it
over to God. Breathe out the aspiration “ “Thy will be done, O Lord!” Soon a
way will be shown to you.
21. Does God want our work? Or
does he want our love? He wants that we should work for Him in love.
22. If you wish to know God and
understand him, you must love Him more and more! The more you love him, the
more you will know him. The key to knowledge is – LOVE.
23. The aim of life is to realize
that we are immortal spirit – not the bodies we wear!
24. An infinite potential lies hid
within us. We are unaware of it, because we think of ourselves as limited,
restricted creatures. We have identified ourselves with a biochemical mental
organism. Our true self is the atman. Tat twamasi! That art thou! There can
be no limit to what we can do – and achieve!
25. When all around us the storms
blow and the tempests roar, let us close our eyes, think of God and repeat
the words “God is with me-and He is in control.” Those are words of power and
can quell the fiercest storm.
26. No man can attain to
enlightenment by his own efforts. Enlightenment cometh to man by the grace of
God. Strive for enlightenment – yes. But like the peasant who tills the soil
and sows the seed – then turns to the heaven for chandi ka gola (the silver
drops of rain)
27. The greatest illusion which
man suffers from is perhaps the illusion of death. In reality, there is no
death. Death is very much like the sunset. When the sun sets here, it has
already risen elsewhere. Likewise, death here is birth elsewhere. For life is
eternal.
28. The greatest intoxication is
that of the ego. The worst madness is that of anger. The person who is free
from arrogance and anger finds goodness and beauty wherever he goes.
29. Has someone offended you or
insulted you? Insults are like bad coins. You cannot avoid them, but you can
refuse to accept them.
30. The test of a man is – how
much he can bear and how much he can share and how soon he confesses a
mistake and makes amends for it.
31. If while praying we can think
of worldly matters, why can we not, when doing worldly things, think of God?
32. Think positively. Eat
sparingly. Exercise regularly. Walk as much as you can. Be careful to see
that your thoughts and actions are clean. A guilty mind breeds many diseases.
There is the way to live a happy, healthy, harmonious life.
33. I have met many who will go to
any length to prove the superiority of their religion over those of others.
They will hold endless discussions and debates. They will even fight for it –
and die for it. But I have met very few who live for their religion – who
bear witness to the great teaching in deeds of daily living. Religion is
life!
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