The Good Samaritan is a parable told by Jesus in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 10:25-37). It tells the story of a traveler who is beaten, robbed, and left for dead on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. A priest and a Levite, both figures of religious importance, pass by without offering help. A Samaritan, a person from a group traditionally despised by Jews, stops and cares for the injured man, even taking him to an inn and paying for his care. The parable is a lesson on loving one’s neighbor, particularly those in need. The parable challenges the idea of who is considered a neighbor.
Recently I received a nice email message. It was a kind and encouraging reply to my earlier mail. This reply contained in it a reference to the following blog post: (1)Being a Good Samaritan in Un-Neighborly times.
The reference blog-post calls our attention to remind each of us to become Good Samaritans, especially now, where being a neighbor and friendly nature to help each other is being challenged on many fronts.
Indeed it is the same powerful thought and its simple, yet universal message for humanity is also noted in the Vedic Philosophy (I.e) learn to see anyone and everyone and for that matter anything as yourself, as an undivided part of nature – Tat Twam Asi. This thought enables anyone to become and behave like a Good Samaritan, instinctively! While I am just another ordinary human, to the extent I think and try to live true to the above principle, the joy of uplifting others – anyone – seems to come alive naturally like the fish floating and swimming effortlessly in a body of water.
I drew attention to this message to another friend. He acknowledged the valuable message of the parable of Good Samaritan and its resonance with the Vedic grand pronouncement (Maha Vakya) mentioned above!
He added: “from childhood, norms train us to be most efficient to take care of our own needs, may be exclusively to the point of avoiding others and their needs, like the priest and the Levite. These limitations have been there for eternity. May be the priest and the Levite who stood aside, were even tired of their good deeds they have done in the past? “
Such personal limits come to the surface as long as we think of us and others as different from each other. To think and live in that thought that “I” and everything are all part of the same substratum is the first axiom of Vedic Philosophy. (2) Vedic Philosophy summarized in three points – Spirituality In Practice . Being a Good Samaritan is easy to understand if we manage our mind to reflect ourselves in the situation of others. Consider a serious road side car incident. The moment our mind sees a role reversal and “I” am the person involved in the accident, jumping into action to help – being a Good Samaritan – is almost instinctive. Developing such thought – of role reversal – as a natural part of our living is suggested by Tat Twam Asi . This universal outlook of undivided union with all, is noted in the well known story from ancient Tamil literature of Pari Vallal, a Tamil chieftain renowned for his exceptional generosity. It is said that he gifted his chariot to a jasmine creeper. (3) The story recounts how king Pari, while traveling, noticed a jasmine vine on the road side, struggling to grow without a support. Moved by compassion, he dismounted from his chariot and offered his chariot as a support for the plant. This act of kindness reflects a mind that sees the self – “I” – as an integral part of everything around us. Tat Twam Asi.
A statue of King Paari giving away his chariot as a support to a climbing wine
Image source: Wikipedia.
My friend added “Also some may find asking for help a bit too naive in a sense?” While we are all integral and inseparable part of nature, we remain divided as individuals thanks to our knowledge, bias and ignorance (Vedic Philosophy – Axiom 2). (Please see Reference 2). Feeling naive to either ask for help when genuinely needed or hesitant in volunteering to help when a need truly arises, are both “bias” built into the society! This self-isolation may be at the core of many mental health disorders today, especially in our youth and in their parenting?
Spirituality in Practice – being a true Good Samaritan instinctively – is as much a practical philosophy as well as the need?
References:
Spirituality In Practice 
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