RECEIVE WITH GRACE

For living a happy and peaceful life, one has to do his Dharma (duty). At the same time, we should become a contributor and not a consumer. The joy of giving is very much more than when you take from others. I gave chocolates to the young school going kids in my area and I got more joy when I saw them eating the same with happiness. Giving gives you more pleasure than taking and you have to experience the same by yourself.

At the same time, we should learn to receive things from others with grace. We need not feel inferior or diminished as receivers nor do the givers become superior in any way.

Khalil Gibran in his famous book The Prophet succinctly says that while it is the nature of a bee to suck honey from a flower, it is the nature of the flower to give the honey. Thus, neither is inferior or superior to the other.

Karna’s nature is always to give others and Seedhakkadi vallal (lived in Kilakarai) gave a golden ring to a poor man even after his death. As the legend goes, the great philanthropist Seedhakkadi the generous, is said to have donated his ring to a poor man even after his death. The poor man approached him a bit late when his body was in the burial ground and Seedhakkadi, the dead body, stretched its hand towards the poor man offering him the ring on its finger.

When we receive from someone, it is very likely that we begin to feel indebted. Thus, we either try to quickly give back and repay the obligation or continue to live with a sense of indebtedness. What we do not realise is that it is as much the giver’s need to give as it is ours to receive. We are not diminished by receiving nor does the giver become superior. When the fruit is ripe, it falls to the ground and does not ask the ground whether it is ready to receive. So also, we must recognize that the giver also has a need to share, to give and discharge his or her obligation.

As a receiver, we must learn that there will come a time when we will also have to give and if we only nourish the thought of indebtedness, we will never be able to give with a full heart. If we cannot receive with an open heart, with genuine thanks and belief that it is our right to receive, we will never give back with the same alacrity and gratitude.

Receiving therefore, does not make me less of who I am, nor does giving make me superior. Each role has a part to play in maintaining the balance of life, for if there is no one to receive who will we give to? Likewise, if there is no one to give us where can we receive from?

The next time we receive, let us recall Gibran’s wise thought and celebrate the reception, in so doing we will be able to rejoice when we give.

Perhaps one thing we can keep in our mind is that we should give more than what we take. Our thought may be oriented such that we try to give a lot more that what we get from others. The joy that you will get while giving has to be felt by you because ‘Joy’ cannot be measured and must be felt (experienced) by the person.

Can we say that let all of us “Give and Take” as the saying goes. May be giving more than what we take will be the appropriate thing to do for getting immense Joy and maintaining the balance of life.

Be blissful.

S.SEKAR

Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com