Feeling for others

Once there was a severe drought in a village. There was no water, people were dying of hunger and ailments. There was no money, no medicines etc. A Mahatma took his bag and went to each and every house to collect whatever little he could get from them to serve the needy and poor people who were severely affected by the drought. He collected lot of donation but that was not sufficient enough to help all the people.

He knew there was a very rich man near the village but he was extremely stingy. He would hesitate to spent money for his wife's treatment also. Only money would count for him. He was least affected by the drought. He knew that people are suffering but would not come out to help the needy. Mahatma tried to approach that rich businessman. People of that village alerted him and said that this businessman will not give a penny. He is very kanjoos(stingy). But Mahatma did not pay heed to all this. He marched ahead went to him and requested him by saying "My son, will you please give me ten thousand rupees. I will return back this money to you by evening. I will show to the people of village that, see, this rich businessman has donated ten thousand rupees to help those people affected by drought. Then other rich people will also start donating. Your name will appear in newspapers and all the villagers will talk about and appreciate you. As promised I will definitely return this money or more of it, if possible, to you and will not let anybody know about it. But your name will be taken by everybody, you will become very popular. People will come to greet you and praise you forever. Man was convinced by the Mahatma and offered him ten thousand rupees.

Mahatma then showed the people that this stingy man has donated ten thousand rupees and started praising him. People were all surprised and hearing this more and more people started donating money. This way Mahatma collected a lot of money which was enough to help all the needy villagers.

In the evening Mahatma went to the rich man's house to return his entire money with interest. The man refused the money by saying that please use this money for betterment of villagers. He said " I am feeling so happy and contented that I cannot believe. I have been receiving calls and people are visiting my house to thank me. Even media people have given me so much importance. I never felt so big in my life. My heartfelt thanks to you who encouraged me donate and help people. Now I feel how satisfying it is help others. I am feeling so jubilant."

The Mahatma smiled and answered "when we do something good our inner voice always appreciates us,we feel contented but when we do bad our conscious nags us. But we have killed our conscious, we have no time to listen to the God within us who is all the time with us, guiding us from within. If you pay little attention, you will know that God, the Almighty is within us and around us in the form of this beautiful universe."