Q: Is it OK for us to hire some domestic help? It is a different case if one is sick or old. But a healthy person who is quite capable of doing his chores, should he hire a helper? A driver, for his car just because he has the money to afford it? All great Yogis have shown by example that one has to do his work himself. But there is a counter argument that some people put to hire them. All people are not created with equal talents. So if we do not hire these less talented people as domestic servants, they will not be able to find employment and they may turn to negative paths or live in abject poverty. Indirectly we are helping them to have a better life and earn their living while engaging them in some productive activity and also get our work done. How much strength lies in this argument?
Guruji: Look at nature. Each entity does its work by itself without complaining. The Sun does not say “I am on vacation”. The rain does not tell “Water the plants for me”. The Earth does not say “Give me a couple of pushes so that I can keep rotating”. The tree does not say “Give some shadow to the travelers on my behalf as I am tired today”. Each entity does its work by itself and does it every day without fail and without complaining. God feeds the tree growing on the ledge on the top of a dry hill. So he will take care of providing for each person he has created. You do not have to play God and try to provide for your servants. No person should make another person serve him. There is God in each and every person and once you start seeing this you will not be able to allow him to clean up your mess. The argument that you are helping the maid is a moot point, a justification for your laziness, an excuse for your incompetence.
Devraha Baba was a great saint popular in the North. Some say that he was 600 yrs old and others that he was 800 yrs old. When I went to meet him during Kumbhamela, he was himself carrying the big pieces of wood and erecting his “manch”. If some devotee offered to help, he used to say – “Door Javo – Hamra kam Ham kudh karengey(Get away – I do my work myself)”. He used to build his own wooden tree house or platform and bless all devotes by placing his feet on their head. When I was working in Trivandrum, there was a centurion, a widower who used to live by himself. He was a retired commissioner, a vedic pundit and a very pious man. He used to wake up every morning at 4:00, do his Sadhana, cook for himself, clean his small hut and wash his clothes. Though his children lived near by, he used to eat at their homes only on special occasions and when he fell ill which was very seldom. When ever he heard that I am in the area, he used to run to where I was and engage in Satsang. He used to say that he does all his work so that he can be independent. He lived this way till the day he died. Sadhaks have to stay fit and only then can they engage in Sadhana. These simple daily chores flex and tone our body and keep it fit. If we stop doing these, gradually we will lose the ability and become the slave of the machine or the servant that does these work for us. That is you grow dependent and that is not good.
Guruji: Look at nature. Each entity does its work by itself without complaining. The Sun does not say “I am on vacation”. The rain does not tell “Water the plants for me”. The Earth does not say “Give me a couple of pushes so that I can keep rotating”. The tree does not say “Give some shadow to the travelers on my behalf as I am tired today”. Each entity does its work by itself and does it every day without fail and without complaining. God feeds the tree growing on the ledge on the top of a dry hill. So he will take care of providing for each person he has created. You do not have to play God and try to provide for your servants. No person should make another person serve him. There is God in each and every person and once you start seeing this you will not be able to allow him to clean up your mess. The argument that you are helping the maid is a moot point, a justification for your laziness, an excuse for your incompetence.
Devraha Baba was a great saint popular in the North. Some say that he was 600 yrs old and others that he was 800 yrs old. When I went to meet him during Kumbhamela, he was himself carrying the big pieces of wood and erecting his “manch”. If some devotee offered to help, he used to say – “Door Javo – Hamra kam Ham kudh karengey(Get away – I do my work myself)”. He used to build his own wooden tree house or platform and bless all devotes by placing his feet on their head. When I was working in Trivandrum, there was a centurion, a widower who used to live by himself. He was a retired commissioner, a vedic pundit and a very pious man. He used to wake up every morning at 4:00, do his Sadhana, cook for himself, clean his small hut and wash his clothes. Though his children lived near by, he used to eat at their homes only on special occasions and when he fell ill which was very seldom. When ever he heard that I am in the area, he used to run to where I was and engage in Satsang. He used to say that he does all his work so that he can be independent. He lived this way till the day he died. Sadhaks have to stay fit and only then can they engage in Sadhana. These simple daily chores flex and tone our body and keep it fit. If we stop doing these, gradually we will lose the ability and become the slave of the machine or the servant that does these work for us. That is you grow dependent and that is not good.
