First World Vs. Third World

Sep 8, 2004

A reader of this blog send me a nice note, urging me also to consider working in developing nations over first-world countries like the US. I responded with this:

India has a lot more need than the US, but ultimately all these things we provide help to are symptoms. In my experiments with life, to find the seed for all this grief in the world, I have noticed that a component of the cause always resides within myself. Whenever I serve, whenever I act without wanting anything in return, I liberate myself from the ignorant delusion of the ego and illuminate some of that freedom to the collective.

From that perspective, it doesn't matter where you serve but it is of paramount importance that you serve. And whenever you serve, the universe most certainly responds. I leave it to the universe to create conditions where my service may have a utilitarian purpose also.