2. Need and "To-Do".

As I write down my need list, the first thing that comes into my mind is a lavish 3BHK apartment that can make me feel content in life. To satisfy this "need", I start penning down a "to-do" list that mainly focusses on all the modes of making money, saving targets and approaching the ultimate objective as above.

On 24/10, I came to know a varied definition of "need" when I visited a few downtrodden places located a couple of hundred kilometers from Mumbai, the name that immediately creates a lavish feeling in practically everyone's mind as it is termed as a city where one can dream of everything and achieve anything. Coming to my experience, I would like to pen down a few things about my day visit to Mokhada and a few villages in there.

It is a mix of many things viz. Motivation, Empathy, Grief, Frustration, Eye opening facts, Eye-witnessing the definition of "Need", How a Social service should be defined, What is the difference between visiting an old age or orphanage entertaining them with movie / snacks and serving these people who in real sense are in absolutely downtrodden state. Most of the houses (on average approximately 100-120 sq. ft. floor space) had just a few vessels and that's all about it. A few may be had another pair of clothes and some food that would last for 3-4 days and that was their ultimate asset.

Also there were things to learn implement and developed within. It was more of a stimulation for me rather than assisting in contributing towards their needs. I was not even a "nimit" or postman. I was just an observer of things. It was just my good destiny that i could observe this. Besides, it was a little destiny for them that they could get some aid from donors and the folks who arranged the logistics for the visit. I did nothing but just went, saw and came back.

Ofcourse, did realize a lot of things, learned by experience but today when I m typing this I feel it was just an event. Although I am still visualizing their faces, it's a very shallow thinking of an "additional activity" which can be done once in a few months provided that I am not held up with anything else and the circumstances support. Having tagged myself as a spiritually inclined person, I just want to entertain myself with religious activities. When I say that, I focus on attending spiritual discourses and conferences at my convenience and go ga-ga over it. I easily manage to wash out everything at the end of it, most of the times much before the end of it.

Seva (Serving Society) is an integral aspect which I easily manage to skip from my heart, mind and soul. I strongly propose a few days of visit at such places with a very selfish reason of self-upliftment. I simply want to go and stay with them for 3 days, Cook food and Eat with them; all with an intent of realizing the value of "need".

My "need" and "to-do" list today is much above all the luxuries these people can even think of. Forget about LCD TV and DVD player, even a cell phone is apparently a pretty far fetched thing for them. Getting food, clothing and roof for the current day and witnessing tomorrow's sunrise is their "need". While I comfortably talk and listen about spiritual being, self-realization and salvation, I am unaware, untouched and unexperienced about the miseries of life. I crave for the maximum possible comfort before sitting for meditation / discourses and getting involved in any activity related to serving the society. This is nothing but a pity situation nonetheless.

225 kms away from the Maximum city where I comfortably throw away a couple of grands on a movie and dinner per couple, this is a bitter fact of the human beings (where entire family survives with the same amount for entire month and moreover it is extremely hard to earn the same for them)there that makes me feel pathetically ashamed of being human.