Love & Serve

As I mentioned in “100 Days of Positivity”, I went to Manhattan for a day and returned the following day. I found the signs for the yellow cabs inside JFK with a little difficulty but eventually found where to go. The Cab driver, a Sardarji with free-flowing beard asked in an assertive voice, “Where to?” I answered, “Marriott Marquis” in Broadway. Throughout the journey, he uttered no other words until we reached Marriott. I got off the cab and asked him to get my bag from the trunk and he replied, “You pay me first”. Realizing that is the security for him to get paid before I walk away, I paid him in cash for the ride with liberal tip and gathered my bag from the trunk. I wished him, “You have nice day”. He smiled happily.

Marriott Marquis was like Penn Station with so many people walking around in the 8th floor where the main lobby (Check-in/Check-out) was located, giving me the emotions of walking in the streets of India. I looked at my Fitbit watch, and it was 10:20 a.m. I realized that the check-in time is not until 4 p.m. and with so much crowd, I wasn’t going to get a room until late in the evening. I used my charm to tell the gentleman who checked me in, to allot a room asap but he politely responded that they have no rooms vacant and gently asked me to leave my baggage with the concierge with an assurance that he would do his best. I called one of the team members of my client that I was supposed to meet, and he came to meet me at the lobby. This is my first experience doing business with a spiritual organization. The gentleman asked me to go have dharshan of the holy mother first. The Divine Mother hugged me with a lot of love and gifted me a bead bracelet from a box she kept right next to her. The spiritual fervor in the hall was delightful to watch. Caucasians, African Americans, Hispanic, West Indians, Pacific Islanders and Indians are equal in numbers.

I walked out of the hall with the intent to go for the business meeting and the team asked me to have lunch first. A delicious vegetarian meal was served by the Divine Mother’s organization. Right after I finished my lunch, I went back to the lobby to check on my room, bang, it was ready. I collected my bag and left it in my room and came back quickly for the meeting. The meeting went extremely well followed by the demo of arguably one of the finest software products I had seen in healthcare technology. In the evening, there was another spiritual program for world peace and I got one more dharshan of the Divine Mother followed by guided meditation. For the first time in my life, I understood the significance of guided meditation that too in a group setting. Whether it is my discipline or the facilitation of the group meditators, I was able to see bright white light for good two minutes. What I liked the most is the direction to bring all the powers to the palm, apply the energy into all parts of our body and then shake hands with two people adjacent to me for global harmony.

The next day, I was getting ready to leave for Florida and waiting for a cab. A cab pulls into Marriott Marquis and a fine Sardar (a different man) greeted, “How are you doing, Sir? I hope your day is going well so far”. Unlike the other cab driver, he engaged in constant conversation through out the journey making the cab ride so comfortable. I came to know about when he migrated to the US, his son working for one of the top consulting firm in New York, his daughter doing medicine, his service in the Indian army, his wife, etc. He showed the photograph of his children. He got down from the cab to take the bag out and greeted me again for a pleasant plane ride. He was full of smile throughout the cab ride.

I greeted the lady at the gate and requested whether she could give me an aisle seat. She readily obliged by assigning an exit door aisle seat in Group A with a bright smile. I realized people traveled from many cities far away from New York to love and get loved by the Divine Mother. She simply said in her brief discourse to love everyone and serve everyone. Whether it was the cab driver on my way to Manhattan or gentleman in the lobby assigning rooms or the cab driver on my way back home or the lady at the gate, everyone is looking for love from the fellow beings and is ready to love. I am determined to take that first step of providing unconditional love to my fellow beings.

 

Dear Smt. Jayasala:

Thank you for your first and quick response. You are right. Love begets love. In order to win love of everyone, we need to be always showering love to the fellow beings. Almost all divine souls teach that. Pretending results in habits and habits become character.

Viswa

 

@GeetaKashyap,

There is a proverb in Tamil "Agathin Azaghu Mugathil Theriyum" meaning "inner beauty of a person will be visible in the face". Love is contagious. When we express the sign of love, it makes one feel happy besides making the person in front happy as well.

Viswa

 

Dear HariLakhera Sir,

I couldn't agree more with you. Soft words, a smile, greetings to begin with, inquiring how the day was going to express care, inquiring about general health with elders, taking blessings from the elders, inquiring with a neighbor whether we could be of any help in times of need, etc. are good sign of expression of love with an intent to serve. I agree there is a good chance to misunderstand our genuine smile or our appearance or gesture or action always but love finally wins as you have indicated.

Viswa