 When I first met Shree Muktanand Bapu in Chaparda, Gujarat I was tired of life and totally lacking in direction. To bring some life back into me he suggested the idea of serving humanity and I went along with the idea like a child thinking that it sounds good and that it would be good to support him in his work.
After nine years my thoughts have shifted. Now I understand why Muktanand Bapu suggested the idea of serving. Intially I had thought that I was supporting him in his humanitarian work but I now realize that he is an accomplished man and does not necessarily need my help to carry on with his work! I now experience immense spiritual growth and his suggestion of serving was entirely for my benefit. People sometimes have an attitude of superiority when serving, thinking that we are better off than the needy and out of pity we should help them. This thought is not in harmony with spiritual growth. When we help our own children or families we don't think of ourselves as being superior to our own children or families. We simply act out of love and joy. We love every second of it. That's the attitude we must adopt when we serve. Also there should be no thought of ownership or any expectation from the people we help. Serving has taught me to erase the boundaries that we all have between our own children and families and the children and families of the world. When we can truly feel that the whole world is our own extended family then we can truly say that we have grown spiritually. I thank God for my musical gifts which has made my charitable task easier. My co-trustee Himat Gami has been a huge support with not only his accountancy skills but his regular financial contributions as well. I thank all IJF supporters for walking this path with me. I would not have been able to carry out this wonderful work without our generous donors, my supportive trustees, my family and extended family. I also wish to show my gratitude to my guru Shree Muktanand Bapu for bringing me to this level experientially. Vijya Kara
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