Serve the Society without Expectation

- Ravi Ila Bhatt

In a small dusty village of Gujarat, there lived a poor man named Ramu. Every morning, before heading to the weekly market where he sold vegetables on a small cart, Ramu would first visit the village ashram. There, he swept the courtyard, fetched water from the well, and tended to the small Tulsi plant in the middle of the yard.

As he worked, he would often fold his hands before his Guru, an old saintly figure everyone in the village respectfully called Baba, and say,

“Baba, bless me. I only want one thing—wealth. My hut leaks in the rain, I cannot even afford a proper bullock cart. Please, Baba, bless me with money.”

One day, Baba looked at him quietly and asked,

“Ramu, is this why you come to serve in the ashram every day? Only to become wealthy?”

Ramu, simple and honest, replied,

“Yes, Baba. That is the only reason. My dream is to earn more, that is why I come to you.”

Baba smiled gently and said,

“Do not worry. When the right time comes, opportunities will silently open doors in front of you.”

Ramu touched his feet and went away.

After some time the village slowly began to change. Ramu’s fortunes turned too. His small cart grew into a proper shop at the market. With sharp business sense, he bought more land, built a large house with a tiled roof, and even purchased a pair of fine bullocks. Soon, people began calling him Ramu Seth instead of poor Ramu.

But in the busyness of life, he forgot the ashram. Days turned to months, months into years. He never again swept its courtyard, nor watered the Tulsi plant.

Many years later, one quiet morning, Baba was surprised to see a familiar figure walking into the ashram. It was Ramu, now dressed in fine clothes, but with tired eyes. Without saying a word, Ramu picked up the broom and began to sweep, just as he had done in his younger days.

Baba asked,

“Ramu, what brings you here after so many years? I heard you are now a wealthy man. Why this sudden return?”

Ramu put down the broom, folded his hands and said with a heavy voice,

“Yes, Baba, I earned a lot. I married off my children into good homes, my fields are fertile, my house is big, and money is never short. But my heart is restless. There is no peace. All these years I wanted to come back, but something always kept me away. Today, I couldn’t stop myself. Baba, you blessed me with wealth, but not with peace of mind.”

Baba looked at him with calm eyes and said,

“But, my child, when did you ever ask me for peace? You only asked for money, and you received it. Now, why have you come back?”

Tears rolled down Ramu’s cheeks as he fell at Baba’s feet.

“Baba, from today, I will not serve you with any wish in my heart. I don’t want wealth, nor name, nor comfort. I only want peace. Allow me to serve here, without expectation.”

Baba raised him up and said,

“Remember, Ramu—what you ask for, you may receive, but peace of mind is never gained by asking. True peace comes only when you serve selflessly, without hoping for a reward. Service done with a condition binds you; service done with love frees you.”

Ramu joined his palms, his voice choked with emotion.

“Baba, now I understand. Peace of mind is the greatest treasure. From now on, I will serve, not to get something, but because my soul longs for it.”

Moral : “If you ask, you may receive, but you will not find peace. If you serve without expectation, you will receive even what you never asked for.”