sridatta
Indian in Human Form
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Registered: 06-2005
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Bliss obtained in the social work
Bliss obtained in the social work
A devotee asked about the bliss that can be derived in the fame obtained by doing the social work.
Swami replied: When the social work is done, people will praise you. Such praise will enter your brain and causes intensive happiness. Suppose, a person is imagining the same social work done by him and consequent praise, such imagination can also generate the same intensive happiness. The feeling gives happiness. In the first case hearing the praise generates the feeling. In the second case imagining the praise from the people can also generate the same feeling.
Once feeling is same, the result of the feeling (happiness) is also the same. You are in no way greater than the second case. If you consider the eternal fame even after your death, you are in no way connected with it to derive happiness in the next birth. Therefore, do not fall in the illusion of fame, which is also Maya. If you serve the God and do the social service under the guidance of God, God is pleased with you. The pleasure of God is real and is not illusory as in the above case of the fame.
At the Lotus Feet of His Holiness Sri Dattaswami
Anil Antony
www.universal-spirituality.org
Universal Spirituality for World Peace
antonyanil@universal-spirituality.org
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6/10/2007, 6:56 am
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AndyS333
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Registered: 03-2006
Posts: 1133
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Re: Bliss obtained in the social work
If I understand you correctly, Datta, I may actually be able to agree with you, to a point (e.g., I don't buy into reincarnation).
Real happiness isn't found in doing good things so that we feel good about ourselves ("look how righteous I am"), or to get praise from other men.
But doing good out of love for our fellow man for God's sake can help us be truly happy because it is God who is working in us.
quote:
Matthew 6:1-4
1 "Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. 2 "Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (RSV)
Last edited by AndyS333, 6/30/2007, 1:28 pm
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6/30/2007, 1:27 pm
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