Daily Quote
The choice is not between violence and nonviolence, but between nonviolence and nonexistence.
Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. quote
Day 50
“Man becomes great exactly in the degree in which he works for the welfare of his fellowmen. The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
M. K. Gandhi
Most of us work for our own benefit. The result is always the same We may become
financially successful through that work, perhaps even gaining accolades and honors. Yet
there is always a feeling of emptiness and longing behind it. We see this in those whose
lives are driven by the quest for wealth and fame. It is never enough. We always seek the
bigger house, the bigger auto, latest fashions, etc. Having served only ourselves, we have
lost ourselves and thus seek to fill the hole left by it.
Yet those who are happiest are those who have given themselves to a cause which serves all
of humanity, not simply themselves or even one group. They find fulfillment, recognition
and a different kind of wealth. In serving others, they have found themselves, and the hole
is once again filled. Think of those in history who have given themselves to service of
humanity. Their legacy and greatness live on long after they have left this earth plane.
Does this mean that we sacrifice possessions and personal goals for the sake of a cause? No,
it means that true greatness and personal joy comes when we serve. There is nothing so
black and white in Gandhi’s words. As many famous individuals have shown, it is possible to
acquire wealth and possessions and also serve humanity. The service is in the quality of the
gift, not in the quantity of the service. Our greatness, in the eyes of others as well as our
own, comes through service to life, and through no other way. That is Gandhi’s point.
Whatever else we may do or be, if we truly seek that sense of self, the only way to find it is
to reach out and serve.
Affirmative Practice
Today, I will meditate on my service to the world. Is it for my gratification, or is it in
service to life? Today I will seek one new way in which I can serve humanity and all life.