To serve with love

You are the best and honest judge of your own actions.

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Your dishonesty is always watched by you.

Nietzsche, the German thinker once said, "Ye shall someday love beyond yourselves, so first learn loving."It was of this "loving"that Swami Tejomayanandaji talked about on 14 March 1996 at the PHD House. He was invited by a joint meeting co-hosted by four Rotary Clubs of Delhi.

The Rotary theme of the year being, "Serve with Love and Integrity", Swamiji gave a one-hour talk on the theme.

Swamiji began by questioning whether we live in a social milieu of a totally collapsed value system. He then very reassuringly said that for sure we do respect these values of integrity and honesty, but in others.

We want our servants to be honest and demand a high sense of honesty and integrity from our accountants and employees. With characteristic humour Swamiji asked, "Does anyone want a dishonest security guard or watchman?" This squarely was a hit on our double standards. He insisted that we cultivate positive goodness as against passive goodness.

Explaining passive goodness he gave the example of the man who came to Swami Chinmayanadaji and boasted, "Swamiji everyone in my office takes bribes, but I have never taken a bribe." Swamiji then asked him jokingly as to why he didn't take some bribes too. Pat came the reply, "Swamiji, I would, but no one has offered me one!" This kind of passive goodness falls as easily as a sand wall at the whim of a passing breeze. Integrity means that we honour our promises and commitments, not that smartness lies in never making these commitments.