Hariharananda Tapovanam (Himalayas)
October 14, 2004

My loving and divine Sailors of the Ark of Love,

Om namo narayanaya. God bless you. I am so happy to know that you are all continuing your noble work, simply and humbly. Disinterested service, done in conjunction with our regular Kriya sadhana, is the SUREST way to purify the heart so that we may gain the true vision of God. Without developing the habit of performing selfless service, we remain prisoners of our own pride, selfishness and ego, even though we may be practicing intense austerities or long periods of meditation, and life passes away without reaching the Blessed Lord. Hands that serve are holier than lips that pray... See the second and third chapter of the Bhagavad Gita.

That is why members of virtually all ashrams and monasteries dedicate a substantial amount of time and effort to charitable activities. And what greatest opportunity for you than serving God's most helpless and rejected, the poor children?

I am so proud of you all for having taken on this divine task and persisted all these years, despite many difficulties. Do not worry about the fruit of your work. Just do the best you can, remain unperturbed by life's ups or downs, and "proceed forward!" as Baba would exhort us. Gradually like-minded souls will be attracted by your calm determination and abundant joy of service, and they will join you. It is God's eternal Law. What great blessings you have in store for you! You cannot even imagine...

Humble,
Swami Sarveshwarananda