Think
of the average person who has just finished reading a good book.
The book is returned to the bookshelf, and the reader relishes
a feeling of satisfaction, knowing that he can read it again whenever
the spirit moves him.
Now, consider
a person who lives in our world of kindness. He chooses to dwell
in a state of mind where the book he owns is an object to benefit
others. He makes it available to anyone who wishes to borrow it
and thereby enables them to receive the same pleasure and enlightenment
that he enjoyed while reading it. In the world of kindness, an
object such as a book has the potential to benefit hundreds of
people. They don’t have to purchase it in order to receive the
pleasure it affords.
Now consider
all the other things, like books, that can be shared with others
— cassettes, musical instruments, beds, chairs, tables, plates,
clothing, food items, and the list is growing from minute to minute
as the people who live in the world of kindness discover more
goods and services they can give and lend.
This must
sound like a utopian dream. How can such a world exist when we
are so busy competing for jobs, amassing fortunes, and trying
to carve out our piece of the pie? First, take a deep breath.
Imagine that there is plenty for everyone. We don’t have to jostle
our way in that line in order to keep our footing. Perhaps we
can all win, and not just one of us be the winner and the
rest of us the losers. G-d has certainly designed the world with
enough for everyone, and we can become partners with Him by using
our resources to help others.
The consequences
are mind-boggling. It changes the whole direction of life. When
you are navigating through life, you are looking for totally different
landmarks than most people. You are looking for opportunities
that other people ignore or don’t even see because they haven’t
developed the eyes to see them.
You are
living in a world where material objects have no value in themselves;
their value stems from their ability to benefit people and not
only the people who own them. In the world of kindness, people,
not things, take priority. It’s a revolutionary world, and it
exists in the here and now.
Everyone
can learn to master the art of doing kindness. A person doesn’t
need special qualifications like a guaranteed yearly income or
a diploma from an Ivy League university. There is no admission
price and no specified visiting hours. It is a precious opportunity
that belongs to everyone at all times and in all circumstances.
A poor person who is a giver, according to his abilities, doesn’t
see his own poverty because his pleasure in giving is endless.
His little house can be filled with a special quality of light
and happiness that can’t be found in some palatial homes full
of luxurious furnishings.
