musings 142

Our Heavenly Father as also our parents and gurus and many friends have already placed us under debt by providing us with a lot of blessed things, and even if we are trying to give back something, it is just like repaying such debt.. a debt which is so huge that we cannot ever repay..
If we cannot understand this, and be grateful for that reason, how can we bring ourselves to be of help and service to others,, where we do not find any apparent previous obligations ?
Secondly, we have to realize that we cannot ever do adequate service to God, and often to our parents or to our masters because they are not in want of any offerings or service from us..
The best thing that we can do is to serve others, without expecting any benefit in return , because we have already been more than adequately paid by God and parents and Gurus..
Regarding gratitude, a statement of Rama, made to Hanuman, after judging all the services the latter rendered to the former is worth mentioning..It is from Valmikiramayanam
**let me be in eternal debt
मय्येव जीर्णतां यातु यत्त्वयोपकृतं हरे।
नरः प्रत्युपकारार्थी विपत्तिमभिकांक्षति॥
वाल्मीकिरामायणं
mayyeva jīrṇatāṁ yātu yattvayopakṛtaṁ hare|
naraḥ pratyupakārārthī vipattimabhikāṁkṣati||
vālmīkirāmāyaṇaṁ
മയ്യേവ ജീര്‍ണതാം യാതു യത് ത്വയോപകൃതം ഹരേ
നരഃ പ്രത്യുപകാരാര്‍ത്തീ വിപത്തിമാഭികാംക്ഷതി
This is an endearing statement by Lord Rama to his friend and benefactor Lord Hanumaan.
" Oh you the pride of the Vanara Clan, I wish that whatever great help and assistance rendered by you to me may remain with me as very old and un-returned .
Those who are eager to return a favour are in a way waiting for difficult times to come around for their old benefactors. I never wish that any bad situation should occur to you where I can think of repaying the favours done by you."
This type of noble thought can arise only to an extraordinary being.
We are all basically filled with vanity.
Most of us help others, if not for any quid pro quo, at least to get the kick out of it..
We want to drive home for ever the point that we have helped someone...
and directly or impliedly throughout our lives when we see a person for whom we had the privilege of rendering some help, we never fail to point it out and derive some pleasure.
But here the Maryaadhaappurushottama's wish is that His dearest friend who had rendered invaluable service and to whom he is beholden all his lifetime should never get into any trouble.
Ordinary logic would make the Lord to have a desire to see Hanumanji in a difficult situation so that the bhagavan can come to Hanumanjis rescue and repay the old debt of gratitude.
Sure, the favour received which is not reapid puts the Lord Himself at a lower pedestal than his devotee in the eyes of the people..
But then the parties involved are Hanuman and Rama,, both representing all that is great and noble in the universe..**
(this is quoted from kanfusion.blogspot.in )