The Tampa Bay Sai Center is very service oriented. They like to do large service projects such as medical camps and Dental Clinics and this is to be expected as some of the members are doctors. When they start a new project they send emails to all their members suggesting they get on board. You can see their point in doing that. Many hands make work easier or something. My health isn't good and I have no transportation so I never have joined in. But this morning I was asked to contribute money to the service project. Now I am sure that they are sincere and the money would be used correctly but I've never been asked for money before and it was a bit of a shock.
Isn't there a hard and fast rule in the organization that no one should ask for money? I've heard people say that the thing they liked most about Baba people is that they have never asked for money. Swami has always been so strict about that. 30 years at Prasanthi and no one ever asked me for money for the ashram. Maintenance charges were always minimal and dear Mr. Unni was always so careful. I could be cynical and say...hump, He hasn't been gone even a year and already they're asking for money but I know it isn't like that. The project is a good one, school supplies for troubled youth but asking money is never a good idea. In fact I've been involved in so many projects over the years and the rule of thumb was, you pay the bills yourself. In fact you consider it an opportunity to do that. 15 books I wrote and printed....15,000 books for children donated to Swami's Trust was my contribution to His Mission....15,000 dollars and on a pension too. I'm not bragging. I am so grateful that Swami allowed me to do that over the years. Being a foreigner and a woman it was the only way I could do service in India. But my point is that it was my project (Swami's really) and I footed the bill happily.
So are things going to change now with Swami gone? (Swami is not gone) Will money rear its ugly head? Got an email saying some Sai Org. in Europe was asking for $10,000 from people for service projects. God help us! Perhaps we need a stronger hand now for guidance since it may be difficult for some to obey Swami's principals. They are so high and pristine pure that it is difficult to live by them but I think we must do that.
What is service anyway? I could carry around peanut butter sandwiches for the homeless around here. Actually chocolate chip cookies are easier to handle and bring more smiles than a soggy sandwich. But why isn't that as good a service project as a Dental camp. You know what? I need bottom dentures myself and can't afford it. So maybe that's one reason why I don't rush out to the Dental Camp.
Maybe my service days are over and I can rest on my laurels. Maybe I've done enough now. Service should be an attitude anyway shouldn't it? Shouldn't we always be ready to serve our fellow man in any way possible like a kindness or a cookie or...an offer of transportation to the Center to worship the Lord? I think I should simply ask the Center to remove my name from their list. I hate to, they're such nice people.
That is really surprising! I thought that the official Sai Centers had very strict guidelines about asking for money. If I were you, I would reply with an email, in a nice and respectful way of course, saying you were surprised about the monetary donation request and asking if the Sai Org had changed guidelines about such things. Or else, you know Bozzanis, you could ask them about it. It seems to me if the Center overstepped their bounds, it should be brought to the attention of the powers that be. Otherwise, what will happen to the org?
ReplyDelete