Acquire, Only to Give Away

Whatever God gives us, he gives it out of his own creative power. For that he does not have to collect materials beforehand. He creates out of sheer joy and happiness. We do not have that kind of creative power. To create we require various materials.

The ever hungry "me" or "I" within myself is a pauper. It tries to grab everything that can enhance its pride. It looks for honour. It wants to establish its name everywhere and be immortal. It is after fame. It seeks power and authority.

This impersonal "me" or "I" starts collecting things out of which some creation can be made possible. It has to face a lot of trouble while collecting things that can enhance its pride. It has to exert power at times to bring things under its control.

Once Collected, this "me" develops a kind of authority over its accumulations. It may also try to give these accumulations a special form. A sense of possession and pride comes into being, and a feeling of ownership gets build up over these things acquired by this symbolic "me".

God always allows us to acquire such things because that forms an integral part of His universal creation, and without which we fail to find an active role in this whole creative endeavour of the Almighty.

Creativity ultimately leads us to giving away or relinquishment. The true characteristic of our soul is the same as that of the Almighty. That characteristic is to give away or relinquish. Total joy and happiness is achieved by such relinquishment. Our soul becomes happy when it gives, not when it takes.

The river water is for all. When "I" collect it in my bucket it becomes "my" water. If a thirsty person now comes forward, my soul directs me to give water to him. I give him "my" water from "my" bucket. The soul becomes happy as it "gives".

When "I" collect a flower from the garden and offer it to God, it becomes "my" flower. Here also the "me" collects and the soul "gives".

A soul becomes pure and free only through such giving away or relinquishment. We, as humans, may not be conscious of this intention of our soul, but the intention to give away always remains within us.

We cannot give unless we possess or own something. Thus the "me" within us keeps on collecting and possessing only to allow our soul to eventually give them away. If this "me" attains indefinite proportions, and his possession and pride keeps on increasing excessively, the situation becomes miserable for the soul. Then it suffers silently in a subconscious state.

Translation into English based on Bengali works of Rabindranath Tagore

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