Service - Pt. 7

"Do you think you are serving Me?"

Once a gentleman decided to feed an old Brahmin as an act of service.  In his opinion, a non-Brahmin would not be suitable to serve, so he wanted only to feed a Brahmin.  After waiting the entire morning, around 1.30 p.m., an old Brahman of 80-85 years came by.  Immediately, this gentleman escorted him home.  Food was served and the brahmin started eating.  But the gentleman was highly irritated because he suspected that that person was not a brahmin - he had not washed his feet first or had he said his prayers or sprinkled water around his plantain leaf.

Then he said to the Brahmin, "This food is not for you!  Please leave."  Then, as usual, he ate and slept.  In his sleep, Bhagawan appeared in a dream and said, "Hey, you!  Are you a buffalo?  I fed this old brahmin for 85 years!  He was eating twice a day comfortably.  Yet you could not feed him even once, and you think you are serving Me?  Do you think that food will reach Me?  Stupid - you are stupid."  Straightaway, the gentleman woke up and went in search of the old man but he never found him.

It is apparent that Bhagawan appeared in the form of that Brahmin to teach that person the lesson that he is not helping anybody.  This present moment the opportunity is given to each one to help oneself by helping others.  So this is the realisation of "Service to the Spirit".

(From the book "Sai-Chology" by Prof. K. Anil Kumar)