She said, “We are all travelers in this world. One day, every one of us has to leave this world. The more baggage you carry, the more difficult the journey becomes. Giving is everything because there are no pockets in a shroud. A person enters this world with a closed fist and leaves with open hands. The only thing that goes with us is our karma.”
She said a person should always think of others before themselves. She said, “Before eating your own food, you should feed others. Before taking a sip of tea, feed the pigeons with millet, give a roti to a cow, milk to a dog, food to ants, and biscuits to squirrels. This is our moral responsibility.”
She pointed out that people hold on to things unnecessarily. She said, “We buy ten sets of clothes and keep storing them. When winter ends, people pack away old clothes even if they no longer fit or are damaged. Instead, give them away. They may help someone next winter. Reduce your burden.”
Rakhi said charity does not always mean giving money. She said, “During Shivratri, if people are visiting a temple and offering bel leaves, you can help clean the temple. During Navratri, you can clean the fans or help put up flags. Remove the dust covering your own destiny through service.”
She said the happiness people search for is found in giving, not in taking. She said, “Try feeding a cow with your own hands and then pass by the same route for the next few days. The cow will recognize your vehicle and come running toward you. Try it once. It feels wonderful.”
Turning to gratitude, Rakhi said it begins in childhood. She said, “You teach a child how to behave, and the child learns from what they see. If you respect your mother-in-law and touch her feet, your child will learn to respect you. If you feed pigeons, your child will learn compassion.”
She said gratitude should be a daily practice. She said, “I always say, O God, thank you. Thank you for giving me life. Thank you for letting me see this morning.”
When Nidhi asked whether karma or destiny is more powerful, Rakhi did not hesitate. She said, “Only karma. Through karma, you can change your destiny. Charity is karma. Respect is karma. Love is karma. Putting a smile on someone’s face is karma. If you focus on karma, destiny changes on its own.”
She ended the conversation with a story about a tailor who kept his scissors in his cap. She said his son asked him what he was doing, and the father replied, “Never cut people apart. If two people are fighting, make them friends. Join the threads. Join hearts. Connect people. Become someone who brings people together.”
