Spiritual knowledge is the only thing that can destroy our miseries for
ever; any other knowledge satisfies wants only for a time. It is only
With the knowledge of the spirit that the faculty of want is annihilated
for ever; so helping man spiritually is the highest help that can be
given to him; he who gives man spiritual knowledge is the greatest
benefactor of mankind, and as such we always find that those were the
most powerful of men who helped man in his spiritual needs; because
spirituality is the true basis of all our activities in life. A
spiritually strong and sound man will be strong in every other respect,
if he so wishes; until there is spiritual strength in man even physical
needs cannot be well satisfied.
Next to spiritual comes intellectual
help; the gift of knowledge is a far higher gift than that of food and
clothes; it is even higher than giving life to a man, because the real
life of man consists of knowledge; ignorance is death, knowledge is
life. Life is of very little value, if it is a life in the dark, groping
through ignorance and misery.
Next in order comes, of course, helping a
man physically. Therefore, in considering the question of helping
others. We must always strive not to commit the mistake of thinking that
physical help is the only help that can be given,it is not only the last but the least, because it cannot bring about
permanent satisfaction. The misery that I feel when I am hungry is
satisfied by eating, but hunger returns; my misery can cease only when I
am satisfied beyond all want. Then hunger will not make me miserable;
no distress, no sorrow will be able to move me. So that help which tends
to make us strong spiritually is the highest, next to it comes
intellectual help, and after that physical help.
Source: By Great Masters
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