Paying it forward
Even just one sincere smile can create a chain reaction of kindness that reaches across whole communities.
Children, a sweet smile on the face is an outward expression of the divine consciousness within. Where there is a sincere smile, there one will always find love, happiness, compassion and patience. A smile brightens up our life. A sincere smile is like a light that dispels the darkness of sorrow and disappointment from the hearts of others.
A man was standing by the roadside, looking dejected. Rejected by everyone, he had lost the will to live. A small girl passing by gave him a sweet smile. That smile comforted him to no end. The thought that there was at least one person in the world who would smile at him revitalised him.
He thought about a friend who had helped him years ago when he had been in trouble. He at once wrote a letter to his friend. When the friend received the letter from this man, whom he had not heard from for years, he was elated. He gave Rs 10 to a poor man, who bought a lottery ticket with it.
Wonder of wonders, his ticket won the jackpot! After he had claimed the prize money, he saw a sick beggar lying by the roadside. The man thought, “God blessed me with this money. Let me help this beggar.” He took the beggar to the hospital and paid for the treatment.
After the beggar recovered and was discharged, he saw a puppy that had fallen into a puddle of water. The wet puppy was too frail to walk. It was whining pitiably from cold and hunger. The beggar picked it up, wrapped it in his own clothes, and carried him on his shoulders. He made a small fire to warm the shivering pup and shared his food with it.
The food sated it and the fire warmed the puppy. Refreshed, it started following the beggar. When night fell, he went to a house and asked the owners if he could sleep there. They allowed him to spend the night in the outer veranda.
In the middle of the night, all of them were awakened by the dog’s ceaseless and frantic barking. They saw that one part of the house was up in flames: the room in which the only child in that family was sleeping.
The parents rescued the child from the room and, by their collective efforts, were able to put out the fire before it spread any further. Giving the beggar and his puppy space to sleep had proven to be a blessing for the family.
It all started with the innocent smile of the small girl. All she did was to smile at a man on the roadside, but how many lives that smile touched! That smile was able to awaken love and compassion in the hearts of so many people and shine a light in their lives.
Even if we cannot help people in a big way, we must try to smile sincerely at those who are hurt and lonely and speak lovingly to them. If we are able to give happiness to a soul, even for a moment, our life becomes blessed.
The writer is a world-renowned spiritual leader and humanitarian.
Even if we cannot help people in a big way, we must try to smile sincerely at those who are hurt and lonely and speak lovingly to them