selflessness

Selflessness: having little or no concern for oneself, especially with regard to fame, position, money, etc. - Dictionary.com

Now the dictionary definition of selflessness is much more rigid than the emotions that a selfless person can evoke. Since a young age, many of us are taught to be selfless and do the most we can for our community. However, there are certain situations that require us to put our own needs in front of others. This paves way for cognitive dissonance. So I argue, what really is the meaning of being selfless?

For me, it is when we know that personal sacrifice is worth it for the benefit of others. There are many stories of brave heroes and gods that have given up their wellbeing for the sake of others, but a simple story from the Mahabharata may be the best example of all.

The story goes that a Brahmin and his family were living on a fixed, one time a day eating routine. They lived off their barley crops. However, one day a flood hit and all their crops were washed away. The family started to starve without any food. Slowly, they replanted the crops and although they were able to get some food, they began to become thin and weak. One day, the Brahmin made a trip to a nearby town for work and after a long day, he was rewarded with carrots and wheat, enough to feed his family a full meal for the first time in weeks.

When the Brahmin returned home, his wife and daughters got to cooking and used the carrots and wheat to make five plates of food. As the family was getting ready to eat, an old man showed up at their doorstep. Now the man was weaker and thinner than all the family members, shaking in desperation out of hunger. All he wanted was a glass of water. Looking at his despair, the Brahmin offered him his plate of food. After the old man had eaten the Brahmin's food, the family could tell that the man was still suffering from hunger. One by one, all five members of the family gave their food to the old man. After the man was finished eating, he blessed the family and bid them goodbye. The family was again left with no food, but their hearts were full.

The next morning, when the Brahmin went to check on his crops, they were flourishing. When he returned home, he found his house covered with jewels and gold. His wife informed him that the old man had returned after the Brahmin had gone out that morning. The old man they fed was in fact Dharma. Dharma is the Hindu God of death and justice, who bids Yama to take everyone to Yamaloka. Amazed at the sacrifice the family made to help him (not knowing it was him, Dharma), he rewarded them with prosperity and gifts. Thereafter, the Brahmin and his family lived a fulfilling life, giving back just as they had received.

This story illustrates how a selfless mentality can bring upon an individual good fortunes for their good deeds. Although the Brahmin and his family were suffering from hunger, they chose to help someone who was in more despair then themselves, truly being selfless in their actions. In these situations, I feel that our priorities can change to fit the circumstances, but the righteousness of our actions is always served. As they say, good things happen to good people, especially when we do good out of the goodness of our hearts.

Author's Note: This is the story that the golden mongoose tells the Pandavas in Part D of the Mahabharata about the Brahmin and his family who, although stricken with hunger, withheld from eating and gave their food to someone else (who ended up being Dharma). Although this story is not found in many versions of the Mahabharata, it is an integral part of Yudhishthira's coronation ritual. After the horse sacrifice, the Mongoose emerges to tell the bothers this story of selflessness. I thought the story was quite motivational when I read it the first time, so I wanted it to be the first story I used for my portfolio. I liked the idea of rewriting stories in a way where I feel like I am engaging my audience so I have chosen a motivational speech type format, where I am talking directly at the person reading and hoping they will apply what I am saying to their life. As college students, we lack motivation at times, but true determination to achieve our goals can only be possible if we stay motivated. College has a tendency to be demotivating at times, so I felt maybe someone could get good use out of this blog! The Brahmin is an example of how sacrifice and the will to do good for others will result in good karma for oneself. Overall, I incorporated the original story told by the mongoose but made minor alterations such as Dharma giving them prosperity. In the original story, they are given peace in heaven by God. To make it more into a speech format, I tried to lead my audience into the topic of selflessness and then close on it as well.

Banner Image: A traditional brahmin: Wikimedia

Bibliography: The Mongoose

Author/Source: The Story of the Great War by Annie Besant (1899)