Random Acts of Conscious Kindness (R.A.C.K.)
(Daily Sadhana For Practicing Love in Action)
Full version
Objective: Purifying the head (mind), heart & hand (actions)
Goal: Improving daily sadhana
Strategy: Random Acts of Conscious Kindness
Measurement: Transformation of the individual
Sathya Sai International Organisation, Hong Kong
www.saibaba.org.hk
The Teachings
Why Kindness?
1. Not only is the capacity to be kind possible only because of the
Divine Consciousness within, in the Gita at Chapter 15, verse 15,
Lord Krishna says He is seated in the hearts of all, referring not to
the physical heart but the spiritual heart, which is the mind that
has been “trained to entertain constantly the positive qualities of
love, tolerance, mercy, charity, kindness and the like.”1 Thus, the
Lord resident within is the source of kindness.
2. In Sai Baba Gita, Swami said: “The very word human or humane is
used to denote kindness” and “Of all the different flowers of devotion,
God accepts the flower of human kindness with the greatest love.”
Thus, our devotion to Swami requires us to be kind.
3. The absence of kindness is, therefore, proof of our ignorance. This
ignorance is the cause of our unhappiness and so must be overcome.
Understanding R.A.C.K.
Random acts of kindness are not unique and need not be grand or
unusual. One sees them in our city. Yet, we need to make them a
means for our transformation.
1. Why RANDOM? Wherever there is a need we should be ready
to serve selflessly, expanding our hearts and minds beyond the
narrow confines of our kith and kin. Our kind acts make us kinder
and we nurture the Satwic quality of our mind to overcome the
dominance of Rajasic/Thamasic qualities. Our kindness prepares
us to receive the grace of the Lord.
2. What ACTS? An essential requisite in any sadhana is to develop
unity and purity in thought, word and deed, so that they become
proof and expressions of the Love that Swami tells us to nurture
within. These acts of selfless service of our fellow being are the
means of serving God – Manava Seva is Madhava Seva.
See Swami Chinmayananda’s explanation in The Holy Geeta.
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3. How? By being CONSCIOUS (or mindful, as the Buddhists
say) that the Lord resides in every being and that every act of
kindness is an offering to the Lord. Being conscious promotes
the Satwic quality in our thought, and hence in our actions. Any
indifference to the suffering of others or, worse still, causing
suffering to others, is proof of the lack of understanding of the
unity of all creation in God, which Lord Krishna and our Swami
emphasized.
4. KINDNESS: as an emotion it represents compassion and as a
feeling it represents empathy. When practiced with an attitude
of self-sacrifice, it is Divine Love.
The emphasis of the R.A.C.K. initiative is not on the recipient of
your kindness, he/she may or may not be changed. The objective of
R.A.C.K. is to change you, to uplift you, so that you experience the
Divine Love of the Lord.
Kindness to oneself
1. We cannot be kind in our thoughts, words and deeds towards
others unless our minds have been trained to constantly express
positive qualities like kindness. Thus, the kindness within is the
solid foundation for us to practice R.A.C.K. at home and in the
community. In order to foster this kindness within, we need to
understand and experience the divine quality of this virtue. This is
only possible when we are kind to ourselves first. The sadhana of
purifying our mind and refining our intellect, when practiced with
faith and devotion, will gradually reduce the grip of the enemies
within and allow love to shine forth as kindness and the other
virtues.
2. We deny ourselves happiness and peace within by allowing
our minds and hearts to be consumed by negative thoughts of
the past2 or fears of the future3 because these feed the enemies
within us. Equally, living day-to-day seeking happiness through
gratification of our senses and our desires, or through our
attachment or possessiveness of people and things, or seeking
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e.g. guilt, regret, anger
e.g. insecurity for our children’s welfare or losing something we presently have
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name and fame (and so feeding our ego). Experience shows in
this way we deny ourselves permanent happiness. Swami says
pleasure is the interval between two periods of pain. Renounce
all the above.
3. The preoccupation with our body and our thoughts/personalities
often leads us to seek approval from others. We seek acceptance
so that we are ‘loved’ and not alone. Yet, this creates dependency
on external forces and experience shows that this inevitably
upsets our equanimity when people are not approving or
disapproving.
4. By learning to let go of the past and surrendering the uncertainty
of the future to the Lord, we free ourselves of our burdens. By
realizing that true happiness is within us and is the foundation
of our happiness in the world around us, we stop seeking it from
outside. By accepting that we are not our body and our thoughts/
personalities and that these will decay over time, we seek selfconfidence and self-satisfaction from within, i.e. from the faith and
confidence in the Lord resident in our hearts, who is our only friend.
Therefore, nurture your devotion, wisdom and knowledge of reality.
5. When we act against our true nature, e.g. when we do not do
our dharmic duties or we speak ill of others, we commit sin and
our conscience will ‘prick’ us. If it doesn’t, it only demonstrates
how numb we have become to its voice. Acting sinfully is not
being true to oneself and subjects us to the consequences. Also,
harming the body given to you by ingesting wrong foods/drinks,
illicit substances, etc. is also not being kind to oneself. Be kind
to yourself by seeking forgiveness for past sins and resolving not
to commit these again4, live by the purity and divinity of the Sai
name you attach yourself to.
6. Moksha, or liberation, is destruction of delusion and attachment.
Swami says we achieve liberation by devotion, wisdom,
renunciation and knowledge of reality. With liberation comes
permanent happiness. Swami says one can only get liberation by
purity of the mind. It is this simple.
The night prayer for forgiveness may be chanted (see last page)
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7. Be kind to yourself: free yourself of your burdens to obtain
permanent happiness – offer everything to the Lord. Reaffirm
daily that Swami addressed us as Embodiments of Divine Atma/
Embodiments of Divine Love and live up to that. Treat yourself
with this respect, not with guilt, anger, anguish, etc. Always be
happy!
Practise Kindness
Create a Habit of Kindness
1. As obvious as the need for kindness is, we have actually not been
prepared to be kind. Our preoccupation with seeking happiness
through the body-mind-intellect has blinded us to the source of
the kindness within. The outer search has fed the six enemies
within, which are obstacles to Love, and hence kindness. Our
past actions characterized by these enemies have created deep
impressions in our mind, vasanas.
2. The competitiveness in our society has actually disavowed the
virtue of kindness. It has led to the belief that there is no room
for kindness in our dealings in society.
3. Yet, the turmoil in the world is a reason why we should revert to
a common teaching in many religious/spiritual traditions: give
in order to receive, or in our case, give kindness to get kindness.
Practicing kindness can change your perspective … and your life.
4. In as much as there are karmic consequences of being hurtful or
blind to the suffering of others, the karmic fruit of our kind actions
will help us on our spiritual journey. Watch your words, action,
thought, character and heart to avoid bad karmic consequences.
In moments of unkindness, stop and ‘catch yourself ’, you are
about to fall.
5. Every conscious act of kindness accumulates to eventually become
a habit of kindness. The habit of kindness with understanding
and the right attitude becomes a spiritual sadhana. Regular
sadhana purifies the mind and heart; it strengths the intellect.
Satwic thoughts and deeds enable us to remove the six enemies
and negative vasanas. With simplicity and purity, the turmoil
caused by competitiveness can be blunted and peace can return.
6. Practice kindness REGULARLY. “We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Aristotle
Strategies to practise Kindness
1. Prepare a list of possible acts of kindness depending on our
circumstances, e.g. householder, businessman, professional,
career woman, young adults, children, etc. For example:
• Housewives: cook or serve the helpers randomly.
• Businessman: practice fair trade, pay a fair wage, donate to a
good cause, etc.
• Professional: do some pro bono work or use your knowledge
and skills to serve society.
• Career woman: support a colleague who could use a little help.
• Young adult: give up your seat in the MTR/bus to those in need.
• Children: help around the home and take care of younger
siblings.
• Sai Centre: welcome devotees so they are comfortable and
experience the bliss of bhajans, seva, study, etc., e.g. ensure the
elderly have chairs and manage their shoes, and help to keep
the toilets clean.
2. Be committed and dedicated. Inspiration doesn’t always come
before one acts, it sometimes comes after one acts. So don’t give
up, don’t get ‘bored’. Believe in the power of Kindness – believe
in Sai.
3. Don’t judge who deserves your kindness and who doesn’t. You
really don’t know. Judging others does not make you kind, it
makes you judgmental.
4. Practice one act of kindness in thought, word and deed each day.
• In thought: say a private prayer for someone or have a good
thought for/about someone, especially someone you may not like.
• In word: say something kind or be helpful.
• In deed: lend a helping hand to the mother struggling with a child
and pram up some stairs or help someone junior to you in a task
he/she must complete.
You may or may not make a difference to their lives, but you’ll make
a difference to your life.
5. Don’t expect any gratitude – that’s a bondage you can live
without. Be kind because you are kind.
6. Notice your feelings when you are kind and when you are not.
Check if you:
- felt good the first time, and the 10th time, and the 100th time
- felt happy for the recipient
- felt good when thanked or gratitude shown … or it didn’t
matter
- felt thankful for the opportunity – imagine climbing the ladder
on a board game
- got bored after a while and lost interest in the sadhana –
imagine stepping on a snake and going backwards
- lost focus
Understand habit formation: After the initial enthusiasm in any
new endeavor, reality sets in. Accept this reality. Knowing what
Swami said about devotion and kindness, ask yourself: “How
will I feel if I do this?” and “How will I feel if I don’t do this?”
Remember your sadhana will transform you to make you more
loving, i.e. closer to Swami.
7. Constantly reflect on your sadhana. After a little time, see if:
- your kindness was really random, i.e. to anyone in need
- is becoming a habit
- you experience joy in doing something kind everyday
It may help to keep a list, review it after one week and then reflect
on how you could do better. Offer your list to Swami and ask for
His help. Involve Him in this journey of personal transformation.
8. If it will help, share your weekly record with a fellow devotee
who is on the same journey as you.
9. Practice FULL-TIME DEVOTION to earn the Lord’s love. Anything
less so as to allow yourself the time and energy to earn the
world’s love is like accepting the life of a pauper rather than
regaining your place as a prince in the kingdom of heaven.
Night Prayer
Karacharana Kritam Vaa
Kaayajam Karmajam Vaa
Shravanaa Nayanajam Vaa
Maanasam Vaa Paraadham
Vihitama Vihitam Vaa
Sarvame Tat Kshamasva
Jaya Jaya Karunaabdhe
Shri Mahaadeva Shambdo
O Lord, kindly forgive all the wrong acts and omissions I
have committed, whether I committed them knowingly or
unknowingly, with my hands, feet, words, ears, eyes or mind.
Glory to you Mahadeva, who is the ocean of kindness and
compassion and the cause of happiness.