Nrayan Seva

In Bharateeya term, there are two types of Narayanas in society. One is Laksminarayana and the other is Daridranarayana. What was so beautiful about this was both were Narayana. The duty of Laksminarayana was to help Daridranarayana.
People generally think that Laksmi means only money but if you happen to go through the Srisuktam then you may understand that any wealth was Laksmi. Anything can make you rich like knowledge, power, fame, ideas, strength and you can name any virtue. That also means that one may be Laksminarayana with one virtue but may be Daridranarayana in other. So it was not a permanent label but based on desh (place), kaal (time) and paristhithi (situation). so the philosophy was, that if you have it, share it with those, who don’t have it. Also, if you don’t have it, ask from the people who have it. this also meant asking was not bad. So beggars were nor scorned and not looked down as problem for society.
I remember when ever any beggar arrived at our home we used to shout out “Mummy, Narayana has come. What shall we give him?”. Reply used to differ according to time. Mother used to say “ask him, we have chapatti, will he take?” or sometimes “ tell him food is still being cooked he can either wait or comeback later.” Used to look very usual matter but I think there was the Bharateeya culture being inculcated. As a policy we did not offer money but only food sometimes old clothing too. And there was some change there too. Don’t call then Daridranarayana just Narayana is enough.
When I arrived in Japan, in Kyushu, I found hard to see any Narayana. The reason was not that there were no Narayana but I was staying all the time in my lab and my room which were in a new settlement area. When I landed in Hakata to attend the sai center program I saw few of them. Few looked mentally challenged others were in old age. They did not ask for anything. Few were seen picking empty cans or garbage. I think they might have got something for that. Later, I came to know that Sai devotees also did Narayan seva.
I too went with them. They would have brought some food items, cooked or bought. They made packets of food and went round the park. I saw there were few people who had their dwelling place, much hidden by think foliage of the park, made of left over plastic sheets. Room used to full of waste and recyclable material. We gave items we had brought along with us. They said thanks. We came back.
After 30-60 min walk we could hardly find 5-6. I did not ask any question. Mostly I was silent witness to all happenings. I heard that in Kobe Sai center does bigger Narayana Seva with hundreds of them coming for food. I did not believe it earlier.
The image which I had was that japan is prosperous country with stabilized society. My personal opinion is that they are very careful people and plan meticulously. They belive system and cooperate with it. they work hard and never complain. All these were good points. There was something strange too which I observed. I remember, once pen has fallen down from my professor’s hand I bent down to pick it up. He stopped me. He bent down to pick it up. We did not talk about it. But I understood. What was so natural in Bharat was not acceptable here. Taking help made people feel that they are someway inferior, an unacceptable thing for a country with pride.
It happened again in Nagoya; I was coming back from my college and saw a person had fallen down on the footpath. Looked like, he had sprained his leg. Passers by did not even stop to enquire. I stopped my bicycle and bent down to ask if I could help the person in getting up. He looks at me with strange glance. And then came a clear No. he continued with his struggle with pain. I had no option but to leave the place as other people were also gazing me with enquiring look. I am foreigner in this place and have many limitations. I don’t know the local law and even very poor with language and communication.
I came to know that Nagoya center also has Narayana Seva activity, every alternate Saturday. So I went there too. I was amazed to see more than 200 lined up for hours to receive the food packet. Many were old, but few were youthful too. Some were shabbily dressed but few were even well dressed. They say that they are homeless people. For us, in Bharat, being homeless is not such a big problem. But here problem are very different.
In Japan, a very structured society, one gets job when he has an address. So if you don’t have an address you cannot get any job. Even temporary job or daily wage earning becomes difficult. Generally, people have very stable job and many a times they stay in company sponsored accommodation. Economy is coming down. Companies have started laying off. Suddenly people find themselves nowhere. No social security, no health insurance no social network. Where does it leave you?
I have heard that Japanese say that there are no poor people but only lazy people. If you work you can get what you want. So if you are seen helping these people then you will be thought as the one who is promoting laziness. May be they are true.
When I see somebody waiting in queue for hours just to have a a morsel of rice or a bun or one banana, I don’t see any logic in argument. Just go and give. He is my Narayana at that moment. I don’t want any logic at that moment.
And I hear from the news that poverty has been rising in Japan. People don’t want to accept it. Government doesn’t want to discuss it. They plan to solve it. But today’s hunger does not need a long term planning. It needs a bread or rice to get solved. I don’t want to solve problem of whole universe. But I know when I do Narayana Seva Narayana will take care of it.