Giver Or Taker

You need the giving mind-set, not things, to give away something.

Twice, Bill Gates is given a free newspaper by a poor paperboy....

“Bloomberg,” John was typing up on the WhatsApp family chat group, “recently released their 2017 list of the ten richest people in the world.”
“Out of 200 billionaires profiled for this exercise, the American, Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, is currently the richest man on the planet with a net worth of USD 86 billion.”
“The Spaniard, Amancia Ortega, founder of the Inditex fashion group, famous for its global brand Zara is second richest person in the world valued at USD 76 billion.”
“Pa, your favourite, legendary American investor Warren Buffett is at number 3 with USD 68 billion. Founder chairman of online retailer Amazon.com - Jeff Bezos is at number 4 with USD 63 billion.”
“Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder of Facebook, is eight richest in the world with a net worth of USD 50 billion.”
“Success,” Abraham wrote back, “is often measured in our world by the amount of wealth one has. I like to think though, that the amount of wealth they have is also a measure of their luck, vision, persistence and hard work that got them where they are today.”
Joy forwarded them a story she had read recently. It read:
“Someone asked Bill Gates, who he thought was richer than him.”
“There is one,” Gates replied. “When I wasn’t rich or famous, I had once wanted to buy a newspaper, but didn’t have the money. As I was walking away from the newsstand, the paper boy called me back, gave me the newspaper and said: This is for you. Take it!”
“I don’t have change,” Gates said.
“No problem,” the boy insisted. “It’s yours. Free!”
Strangely, sometime later, this story got repeated again as Bill found himself in similar circumstances. The same boy gave me another newspaper free.
“I can’t accept it,” Gates said. “I have nothing to pay you with.”
“No problem,” the boy replied. “I make enough profit. It’s on me. Take it!”
After he became rich, Gates decided to find that boy. He found him after a month and half's search.
“Do you remember me?” Gates asked him.
“Aren’t you Bill Gates?” he was puzzled. “No, I don’t remember meeting you before.”
“You gave me a free newspaper, twice,” Gates reminded him, “years ago. Now, I’ve come to repay that debt. You can have anything you ask for. How can I compensate you?”
The newspaperman laughed.
“You can’t compensate me!” he said. "I gave you, when I was poor. You want to give me, when you are rich."
You don't have to be rich, or wait to be rich, to give. Real attitude of giving is when you lack. Keep the Spirit Alive…
“I don't know if this story is true,” John replied. “But the lesson is good. The attitude of giving or sharing is important, although I think the quantity of what you share matters too…”
“If we are able to get the right message from every story,” Joy replied happily, “its purpose is served.”
“There are no right or wrong messages,” Abraham typed back. “We take what we want, depending on how we are feeling at the moment.”
“Richness is not a number in your bank account, it is a state of mind. I think this story is flawed, because the paperboy couldn't have given any free newspapers away - had he felt poor at the time.”
“Only the rich (mentally, even if not materially) give. They are the only ones who can give. A starving mother, with nothing to eat in her house, can give her only morsel of food to her baby.”
“What can those who feel poor, give? One can be materially rich, yet feel poor. They’ll not part easy with anything.”
“To give away something, you don't need things. You need the giving away mind-set. Generally, you are either a giver or taker.”
“The idea of repaying your debts (whenever resources and opportunity allow) would have been a great moral of the story, had the paperboy accepted compensation.”
“He could have done more good with that. But he didn't. He fed his ego, denying the richest man on earth - Bill Gates! I guess that’s another way to be compensated. We don’t all want money, or always want money…”
“I think that ending runs against the grain of the story. It also leaves Bill Gates unredeemed, in a way. What messages should it have delivered then?”
“The idea of gratefulness (Gates hadn't forgotten after so many years, and went looking for his benefactor) would have been a great message of the story, but that wasn't highlighted!”
“The idea of perseverance (Gates looked for him for 45 days!) would have been a great message of the story, but that wasn't highlighted!”
“The idea of helping if you can - in whatever little way you can (Don't wait to be rich to give) would have been a great message of the story, but that wasn't highlighted!”
“The idea of unconditional altruism (paperboy gave - expecting nothing in return) would have been a great message of the story, but that wasn’t even mentioned!”
“What was highlighted is a conundrum, perhaps even a paradox! It was the one thing I totally disagreed with in this story. Mental Attitude has nothing to do with your Material Condition. The two are mutually exclusive, really.”
“The paperboy is not richer than Gates - by his own admission. Gates wouldn't think the paperboy was richer than him, just because he refused to be compensated.”
“The Rich don't think that way. Let the story author show at least some respect to someone who has succeeded so brilliantly and so completely, by having virtues and clarity we would do well to emulate.”
“Gates didn't need to seek out the boy who did good to him. Good (and bad) acts are like ripples in a pond of water. They move away from the force that sets them in motion.”
“They don't return to their source. They don’t need to. They spread the goodness (or badness) out - far and wide. This is how I think, good and bad works...”
“I found it interesting that Gates was used as a character in the story to make it more credible, given the challenges of health, sanitation, access to financial services, and agricultural development that Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is trying to address in the world. Hats off to them.”
“I also liked the punch line in the end: Keep the Spirit (of giving, being grateful, and repaying debts) Alive. Thanks for sharing it, Joy. It was such a message-rich story.”
“Gosh, Pa,” John wrote back. “Never thought a story could have so many different perspectives. So much to learn still…”

My Vivid God

A grateful heart is happy, as it overflows with wonderment.

“We’ve had three houses on the market now,” Rose was despondent. “for over two years. They are just not selling. It is beginning to hurt…”

“He moves in mysterious ways,” Rosh patted her hand. “He bears us no ill. He is working on it…”
“Is He?” asked Rose. “I just can’t see it at the moment. You sure our file hasn’t gone missing …”
“No,” Rosh shook his head. “A lot more than a few houses not selling can go wrong in life…”
“Look around,” he said, pointing at the vivid colours in the garden around them. “Life is vivid, but what can we see if we stay asleep?”
“He does his work, but we remain blind to it. Mere Sahib de rang neyare, rang niyare …”
He remembered the absolutely amazing rendition of this song in the Punjabi film Ardaas by Gippy Grewal and Sunidhi Chauhan. He hummed it softly for her now, blissfully.
Her spirit began to lift.
“Isn’t that the Punjabi song you were hearing yesterday?”  asked him, joining them outside. “It’s got a very uplifting, inspiring beat. Pity, I don’t get the meaning of the lyrics.”
“Translating Punjabi poetry is out of my league,” said Rose “You tell us the meaning, Rosh.”
“Its theme is gratefulness - something you keep reminding me about, son,” said Rosh. “The secret of happiness is gratefulness in your heart. Gratitude for your fellow man. And for your maker.”

Ek Onkar Satnam, Karta Purakh, Nirbhoh, Nirvair, Akal Murat, Ajooni Saibhang

“God is one. Truth his name. He is the doer – creater of all. Fearless. Without malice. Embodiment of timelessness. Formless. Unborn. Indestructible.”
“He is beyond birth and death. He is the enlightened one. He manifests as the guru's grace, through whom you were reminded of His name. Meditate on it. As it was true in the beginning. Remained true throughout the Ages. Is true today. And Nanak says, will remain true forever.”

Gur parsad Jap. Aad sach, jugaad sach. Hai bhi sach. Nanak, hosi bhi sach

“Awareness of this unchanging Truth is your Guru’s gift to you. What to do with it? This realization of the Absolute - that always was, is, and always will be. Nanak says, remember.”

Beda paar laga lae tu, bandya satguran de naal lag ke

“Crossover safely, human, by tying your boat (life) to the true teachers. They will show the way. Guide you in crossing the ocean of life. As you can see, Guru is very important in the Sikh faith.”

Kujj naal na jaanaa ae, sab kujjh rae jaanaa ae jagg te

“Nothing will go with you. It will all be left behind here. Then why err, why accumulate?”

Te Bhullan bakhsh dinde, bakhshan haare, main balhaare

“He, the forgiver, forgives our trespasses. I am so grateful.”

Mere sahib de, rang neyare, main jaavan vaare

"My Master’s blessings are unparalleled, I am ecstatic."

Satnam satnam ji, jap lae Waheguru Vaheguru ji

"Chant the good name, the true name. Chant glories to the Guru, the teacher."
“Isn’t ‘rang’ colour, and ‘nyara’ unique?” Smith asked. “So, a multicolored Lord? My vivid God!”
“That too,” Rosh laughed. “Interesting, that you transliterated it like that. Our God is indeed colorful. He manifests in vivid colors. Just look around.”
“When grandpa Dev couldn’t shower himself in his last years, I used to bathe him. When the cold water hit his body, he used to chant ‘Hare Raam, Hare Raam’.”
“The colder the water, the louder his chanting. I used to ask him why he chanted ‘Hare (Green) Ram’ and not ‘Neele (Blue) Ram’, ‘Peele (Yellow) Ram’, ‘Lal (Red) Ram’ or ‘Bhure (Brown) Ram’.”
“He used to smile, but just keep chanting. I remember my question even today, because he never answered it. He wanted me to find my own answers. It is your questions that change your lives in the end, never their answers."
"Hare' also means to remember, so 'Hare Ram' meant remembering Ram (God). Other combinations I had made up were non-sensical in that sense, but he could very well have chanted ‘Lal Ram’ – so long as he did it soulfully.”

Data sab nu hi jaane, koyi raja, koi bhikhari

“The Benefactor knows all, the rich and the poor. It matters not what language they speak or whether they even speak. It is immaterial what name they use to address Him, how they perceive Him, and whether they even perceive Him.”

Oho aap hi taa hai, saare jag da lakhari

"He is still the one, who cares for the whole creation (writes our destinies)."

Taan hi aap karda ae, paar utaare, main jaawan vaare

"That’s why he himself, sees us through, I am awed."

Mere malik de rang neyare, main jaavan vaare.

"My Master’s facets are unique, I find them awesome."

Satnam satnam ji, jap lae Waheguru Vaheguru ji.

"So, chant His name with gratitude. Chant Guru's name with gratitude."

Ki ki kari jaavan dasso, Sahib di Vaddiyayi

"What else can I reveal about the magnanimity of the Lord, tell me?"

Jinne kakkhaan di kamayi vich, barkat payi

“Who makes people with meagre means, prosper.”

Hath fadke karde ne, aap kinaare, main balhare

“Holds their hands until they are beached safely, I sing His glories."

Mere rabba de rang neyare, main jaavan vaare.

"My Lord’s legends are singularly distinctive, I sing odes to Him."

Satnam satnam ji, jap lae Waheguru Vaheguru ji.

"Chant the true name. Thank your Guru. Be aware of their blessings. Acknowledge them!"
“What will that do? Don't they weave their magic regardless? They do. But, we still need to flip a switch inside us, so there is light. For us to see it. The garden is all around us, but we see nothing of it while it is dark."
“Both plenty and paucity, you see, exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. We see nothing in the dark, where there may be everything. We need light to see. And it is always our conscious choice whether we will flick that light on or not...”
“When we choose light, we see the abundance that is present. Love, health, money, job, family, friends, nature and things that give us pleasure. The nothingness of dark vanishes instantly. We experience Eden on Earth."
"A Heaven, rich in colours, where one is content with what one has…”
“It is easy to be thankful,” Rose sighed, “when one is happy.”
“It is not happiness that makes us grateful,” Rosh smiled. “It is gratefulness, that makes us happy.”