Whenever a hungry person stood in front of
our house, I used to provide food to him even
foregoing My own share of food. For those who
had no clothes to wear, I used to give away My
clothes. Thus, I have been helping every needy
person since My childhood. My motto then as
well as now has been “Help ever; hurt never”. I
had a lot of opportunities to help others since
childhood. Several people pay lip service to the
poor but they do not really help them.
SSS 40.5: February 16, 2007

Story Time: A very pious person was once proceeding
from Kashi to Rameshwaraṃ, at the other end
of this vast country. He was carrying with him
some holy Ganga water to be mixed with the sea
at Rameshwaraṃ. That would be the consummation of his long and arduous pilgrimage through
many a holy place and many a sacred river. While
halfway through, he saw by the side of the road a
donkey in the last throes of life since it was too incapacitated to move towards some source of water to quench its thirst. Its dry tongue and rolling
eyes indicated the agony of extreme thirst. The
pilgrim was so moved by the tragic sight that he
poured the precious Ganges water he had with
him down the throat of the distraught animal.
Moments later, the donkey recovered and could
gain enough strength to pull itself out of the grip
of death. Seeing this, the companion of the pilgrim asked him, “Master! The sacred water you
brought from Kashi had to be offered to the ocean
at Rameshwaraṃ. Why did you commit this sacrilege by pouring it into the mouth of this despicable animal?” The pilgrim replied, “But I have
poured the holy water in the ocean itself, don’t
you see?” Any sevā (selfless service) done to a
suffering jīva (individual self) reaches the Lord
Himself and can never be a sacrilege, for sevā to
the jīva is sevā to the Deva (God). Always be firm
in that belief.
SSS 13.29: March 6, 1977
Service to Family
The first lesson sevā (selfless service) has to
be learned in the family circle itself. Father, mother, brothers, sisters—in this limited group, which
is well-knit, one must engage in loving service
and prepare for the wider sevā that awaits outside the home. The character of each individual
member determines the peace and prosperity of
the family. The character of each family is the basic factor that decides the happiness and joy of
the village or the community. And the nation’s
progress is based on the strength and happiness
of the communities which are its components. So,
for the welfare of the country and of the entire
world, the spirit of service, vital enthusiasm, constructive imagination, pure motivation and unselfish alertness are all urgently needed.
SSS 15.31: November 19, 1981