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A little girl was in immediate need of 2 units of blood. When her brother spread the word through a social networking group, he did not expect to see a dozen strangers coming forward as donors in less than an hour. In another incident, a teenager was sleeping on a bench at a park, shivering. A passer-by took off his own jacket, spread it over the sleeping boy, inserted some money into its pocket and quietly walked away. No expectations and no questions asked, only pure intentions.
We can examine scenes from our own life and ask—why do I help a stranger to cross the street? Why do I not bypass someone who is begging without dropping a coin into his bowl? Why do I give donations to orphanages, old-age homes or hospitals? Why do I teach my kids to be kind? Why does a parent, child, spouse or sibling donate an organ without even thinking twice, to save a loved one?
Let us ask ourselves—"Can I burn that which can give a mother her child, a family their father, a country its soldier. Can we burn to ashes that which can change the destiny of eight families?"
The answer is simple. All we want to do is to help people. As compassionate beings, this is our purpose and intention in life. We want everyone happy. We can't see anyone in pain, even a stranger. We may argue or assume that anger and hatred are strong emotions, but compassion is what we are made of. It is our strength, it is our nature. So it flows from us to everyone else in the world. That is why we not only feel compassion, we act on it.
The truth is our selflessness and our generosity know no limits. Whether it was the tsunami in India, earthquake at Nepal, terror attack in Paris or children suffering in Syria—most of us united as one family to help victims in any way we could.
Yet, despite wanting to be helpful in every situation, we become powerless at times. When someone needs a liver, someone awaits a heart transplant, someone's kidney needs replacement, and we see their families and friends devastated. At these moments, our inner voice of compassion whispers, "I wish I could help them."
There is comfort in knowing that each of us can help and gift lives in miraculous ways. When we leave this body, we know that within a few hours our body is either going to be buried or burnt. But the organs in this "dead" body have the power to give and save up to eight lives. Let us pause and ask ourselves—"Can I burn that which can give a mother her child, a family their father, a young woman her husband, a country its soldier. Can we burn to ashes that which can change the destiny of eight families?"
When we donate our organs or the organs of a family member... are we really giving? Imagine the thoughts and feelings of the family who has received a new life and we will realise that we are only receiving... receiving blessings of health and happiness for many life times.
If each of us signs up today to pledge our organs, tomorrow no one will lose their life waiting for an organ. Let us sign up today for organ donation. It takes only two minutes to register and gift a life. You can start here.
You can reach BK Shivani at bkshivani@awakening.in