Renewal Of Sacrifice And Selflessness

THE MESSAGE ON THE AIR The field of sacrifice and selflessness is very wide. It can be something very small, and it can also be very big. When you are travelling by bus and you give up your seat for a woman or an old man, that is also a sacrifice. If you are an officer in an institution, and you step down to give the position to someone more capable, that too is a sacrifice. If you feel anger or hatred against someone, but you cool down your feelings with patience, that is also a sacrifice. If you have more material wealth and your brother has less, and you give him a portion of your wealth, that too is a sacrifice. In this way, the chain of sacrifices continues all through life, every single day. Without this kind of sacrifice, a better social life cannot be built. In life, no great work can ever be done without sacrifice. Every big task always demands selflessness. To lift the nation, we must be ready to put ourselves in the background. To develop the country, we must accept personal loss. To raise humanity, we must lower our own flags. To improve collective life, we must control our desires. To uphold principles, we must crush our ego. To give peace to our neighbours, we must place restrictions on ourselves. All such actions are examples of sacrifice, and it is this kind of sacrifice whose importance is taught by the festival of Eid al-Adha. All India Radio, New Delhi, 14 July 1989.