How do I serve others without feeling depleted?
Q: I have my focus on serving other people more than myself, but I have been feeling depleted. How do I continue to serve others selflessly while taking my own needs into consideration?
A: You are supposed to be focused on being selfless and serving others—that is noble and humble—but it cannot be at the expense of your existence. There are two primary causes of feeling depleted as a result of serving others. One is that individuals are not sourcing themselves; the other is because of serving with impure motives.
Your body is what houses your soul. If you let that go to ruin, then everybody loses. You lose, because you will expire. God loses, because then God does not have you as an instrument, a vessel, and a messenger of His love. And all the people whom you have been serving so selflessly and humbly will lose, because there will be no you to serve them. It is a question of balance. You have to drink from the wellspring and source yourself so that you can serve others. The same principle is used for emergency procedures on airplanes: secure your oxygen mask before securing them on your children. A dead parent is less able to help a child than a breathing parent, especially a child who is not able to help himself.
You have to source yourself in order to source others.
There is a second reason why some people feel depleted as a result of serving others. You have to honestly examine whether or not your motives for serving are truly selfless. If you are serving begrudgingly, without joy, with an expectation of something in return (reciprocity, a favor, money, recognition…), and/or while (silently) wishing you were doing something else, you would most definitely feel depleted.
The joy of serving is the reward for serving.
In His Hands
One sunny afternoon at the Mother Center of Prema Drala, nine-year-old Jasha brought a wounded bird into the house looking for his father. Cupped in both of his hands, this lovely creature was very distressed, and I noticed the severity of the injury. The flesh was sheared off the whole top of the “shoulder” of the wing, almost to the bone, which had completely disabled it from flying. The bird was barely breathing and, though it was clearly terrified in its near-dead condition, it allowed Jasha to continue to hold it because it didn’t seem to have the energy to struggle. If left to its own devices, I know that the bird could not have survived much longer. It did not appear as if there was much that could be done. Jasha lovingly presented it to Pranananda and asked Him if there was anything his father could do to help.
Pranananda gently took the bird outside, sat down at the table, and began stroking its head and speaking softly to it. Together the children gathered around, and we sat at the backyard table in the peace of the ashram gardens, watching eagerly. Before too long, the children resumed their games and we were left alone. My beloved Guru closed His eyes, embraced the small creature in His hands, and I was blessed by a most miraculous experience.
I watched for about twenty minutes as this ragged bird physically rejuvenated before my very eyes. I could see Pranananda glowing as the energy moved through His hands into the bird’s body. The air was dancing with the electricity that was emanating from Him. I watched the transformation of this beautiful creature and, as its fear passed and it surrendered, the bird closed its eyes, went totally limp for ten to fifteen minutes, then began to vibrate with the love that Pranananda poured into its being. At one point, Pranananda released His hands from around the bird. It remained nestled in His open palms, completely trusting, as it continued to drink from the wellspring of His love while it gently rocked from side to side.
I was totally transfixed, my heart burst open, and tears flooded my eyes as I witnessed the physical incarnation of God tending to one of His own creations with such compassion and unconditional love in His own Garden of Eden. When I asked Him what the bird was saying, He told me that “she” was telling Him how very tired and terrified she felt and that she was ready to give up before arriving here. We both watched as this now-sparkling animal delicately rose to a standing position, slowly stepped out of the embrace of Prananandaji’s open palms, and gingerly walked to the edge of the table. I could see the energy around the bird as she glowed with new life. Her eyes were deep, rich, and full again. He whispered in a low soothing voice, encouraging her to fly again. The bird continued to turn her head glancing back around at this wondrous being of pure love who sat before me. She then hopped off the table edge and flew into the gardens.
As she took flight, Pranananda told me that He had telepathically instructed her to fly to the base of the Quan Yin statue in the center of the rose garden and rest a while longer. I watched as she landed there and remained for twenty minutes before making her way out of the property. I sat in awe, again reminded of the miracle that I was privileged to be in the midst of each day. Prananandaji saw my tears and He gazed at me with the most loving eyes and smiled warmly, as the sunbeams danced all around Him.
The next morning, as Pranananda and I were tending the gardens together, our new friend returned. She was hovering just over our heads, singing joyfully, swooping, and dancing on the airwaves. She had brought her mate and, like many others who experience—and are forever transformed by the pure love of—Bhagavan Sri Pranananda, she returned anew to make her home in the heartlands of His embrace and drink from the ever-flowing wellspring of His eternal love. Thank You, my beloved Guru, for allowing me the honor and privilege of serving You in this most sacred mission, as You bring the beautiful reality of Your love to all the hearts of this world.
- Markus Kasunich
Laguna Niguel, California
My Longing Led Me to You
Dearest Guru Louix,
Thank you for having me over and accepting me as your disciple. I know you are liberating me, and I have no words good enough to explain all that I am feeling. I beg you to give me the strength to walk on the path led by you.
Even before I was contacted by your disciples, I had already accepted you as my Guru. It just happened by reading your most beautiful poems, articles, and some chapters from your book. You reminded me again of my childhood dream to fall in love madly with God. I always used to want to be like all those lucky souls who could live in this world and yet be deeply, deeply in love with their Beloved God that they could remember him and sing about him with every breath they took. I also never thought that was/is actually possible for me to be like them, that selfless. But it was something to aspire to.
This dream was long forgotten in my race for what I thought the way my life should be moving. I got too busy controlling, planning, hating, crying, and finally ending up completely closing up my heart so much that it has been hard to feel any joy or look forward to waking up each morning. This has gone on for almost 8 years now, maybe more. And then the miracle happened: All my longing and sincere questing did finally lead me to you.
The moment I read your articles I knew that I was very attracted to your writing and wanted to learn more and more and more. The biggest gift you gave me was reminding of my childhood ardent desire to lose myself in loving Krishna/God. In the last 12 years, I have come to love Jesus also deeply. It would be wonderful if I could follow Buddha’s path too. So I had started jumping from one boat to another and then another, and I was totally exhausted, and yet, could not give up. I thought that my search must be for my Twin Flame—and so pursued different psychics, books, channelers, astrologers, etc. Finally destiny/God/You took pity on me and lead me to Vipassana meditation, my friend Margaretta, Neale Donald Walsh’s CWG and other books; to glimpse 4 Masters in less than a 6-week period. I saw the Dalai Lama, Ammachi, Ching Hai, and Yourself. I am glad it came in that order.
When You asked us yesterday to give example of our faith, I was reminded of a story about Krishna, which I wanted to share with You. Krishna had 2 wives—Rukmini and Satyabhama. Satyabhama was always insecure thinking that Krishna probably loved Rukmini more. Maybe to teach a lesson on love and faith (I am not sure of exact reasons) Krishna announces that he can be bought by the person who can match Krishna’s weight with the weight of whatever commodity the buyer intends to buy Krishna with. Seizing this opportunity, Satyabhama, who wants so much to have Krishna for herself, asks Him to sit on one end of the weighing scale while she heaps all the gold in the palace on the other end of the scale trying to balance the scale. No amount of gold or other things could balance the scale and Satyabhama is in despair. Then comes Rukmini, who is shocked at what she is seeing. Satyabhama asks Rukmini to give a try herself. Rukmini then asks the side of the scale containing all the gold and heavy objects to be emptied out. She just places one tiny Tulsi (Holy Basil) leaf with all her faith and love and the scale immediately balances!
With all my Love and gratitude,
- K.P.
Stanford, CA