Page 156 - https://ia800806.us.archive.org/12/items/mwk-eng-book/Leading-a-Spiritual-Life.pdf
P. 156
Living with Courage in a Discouraging World
this mental capacity and you will be able to live with
a peaceful mind, even in a situation where there is no
peace in the world
Living with Courage in a
Discouraging World
One should save oneself and try to live with courage in a
world full of disappointments.
once happened to meet a businessman who confided
I to me that formerly he had been in the habit of very
generously giving his assistance to others. However, he
had now stopped this practice, as he found that no one
acknowledged the contribution he made, except by way
of lip service. This experience had been a disappointing
one for him and, as a result, he stopped helping others. I
told him that there was an old saying: Neki kar aur darya
mein daal. (Do good deeds and cast them into the river),
that is, forget the good works you have performed. I
explained to him that what he had experienced was not
the story of just a handful of people but was rather the
common experience of the majority. Therefore, the best
formula is to do charity for your own inner satisfaction
and not for receiving acknowledgment from others.
Charity does not just entail one’s giving money to
155