Kindness, compassion, bounteousness, benevolence, humanity, consideration, empathy, generosity, open-handedness, open-heartedness, respect, thoughtfulness, et al., cannot be taught, and therefore cannot be learnt, for they are natural attributes of the soul, of the very being that wears the cloak, through each journey of life.

Our basic ingrained nature is rooted in the goodness of being. Yet, we allow the mind, intellect and ego to bloom buds of negative attributes that blinds us from the goodness of our being. This results in the need to teach what we call good manners and humanity. The lessons of good manners and being good human beings entails the list above, along with the pleasantries of “Thank You,” “Sorry,” “Excuse Me Please,” “I beg your pardon,” “Please,” etc. 

While gratitude is the very nature of the being, we take to complaining so easily, that we find comfort in whining, crying, demanding, criticising, grouching, grumbling, moaning, sulking, fretting, moping, brooding, nagging and menacing. We take to the frown and have it pasted on our faces. We wrinkle up at all we do not like. Then we go for anti-aging procedures to induce the ever-fixed smile in order to appear younger. The fillers create smiles that remain till the next filler section. The frown is in the mind, but on the face is the created smile.

The more you give out of something, the more you receive it. This has been repeated time and again. Yet, we feel it is natural to complain in all its forms. How sad is that!

Even sadder is when we have to be taught what a random act of kindness is. I recall when I had attended an Art of Living course, way back in the late 1990’s; and on the third evening of the workshop we were given homework. The teacher asked as to do three acts of random kindness through the next day before assembling for the workshop.

To be honest, I too frowned at the thought of being kind randomly. I did not understand it at that point. I knew kindness. Till then, kindness always brought me something in return. Like my parents reminding me always: “Be kind to your sister and we’ll always love you.” Or the teacher saying, “Be kind, so that God love your more.” Kindness was a part of a barter system, where awards could be calculated. This is what my mind, intellect and ego conditioned me to enact kindness and generosity. Always in terms of the returns.

I unabashedly asked the teacher, “What do you mean by random acts of kindness?” 

The teacher replied, “Acts of kindness done randomly, with no manipulative calculative thoughts causing the acts. Mindful acts of kindness only for the benefit of others, and no sight or interest in the returns. An investment of your time and effortlessness with no returns expected. Kindness for the sake of kindness.”

All of use nodded our heads in the yes, albeit with the mind, intellect, ego, of each one voicing doubts. I decided to go with it. Ignore thoughts and complete the homework.

The next morning, when the milkman rang the bell, I opened the door and with a broad smile thanked him for the packet. I then asked him, “Bhaiya, how are you?” He responded, “I am happy right now, because you care how I am. It feels so nice, when someone acknowledges my presence and just like that asks me about my well-being.” Well, that was random, and I must say left me feeling pleased from within.

I noted in my notebook – first random act of kindness done – acknowledged my milkman, he was happy, I am happy.

I then allowed my mind to divert towards others acts of kindness that I could execute, and probably beat the number three that all others would definitely accomplish. The more the mind, intellect and ego wandered into the this territory, the smaller I felt. There was something diminishing my very existence. I decided to breathe away these thoughts and let things happen the way they are meant to be. 

On my way back from work, something prodded me to get off two traffic lights before my actual bus stop. I alighted the bus, mush to the irritation of the bus driver at the traffic light. As soon as I walked to the footpath I was surrounded by a bunch of 5 children. Thoughtlessly, yet mindfully I led them to the food-stall, 20 steps away and I treated them to whatever they wanted to eat. They were thrilled, and I was happy seeing their happiness. They all hugged me, as I paid the vendor. Happiness shivered its way through my body, and experience I cannot put into words, but yet feel it happen every time I do a random act of kindness.

As I was approaching the teacher’s house, I saw a fruit vendor sitting there with his last bunch of a dozen bananas, three apples, five oranges and a bunch of grapes. I bought it on a whim and carried it to class. 

As soon as I entered with all the fruits in my hand, one of the course participants hurdled towards me, thanking me profusely for the fruits and took it from my hand. She looked at me with tears in her eyes and said, I wanted to buy the fruits from the vendor outside, but I had left my wallet at home. I was feeling so bad, as all at home are fasting and they wanted to wind up the day with fruits.”

Well, that was really random, because I have never bought fruits before. 

She was happy, I was happy!

This is what random act of kindness is about, answering the prayers that rings through The Universe.

Through the years I have worked along with various organization, conducting Gift-a-Smile projects. I have always felt charity nurtures the mind, intellect and ego; whereas gifting nurtures the soul of being. 

I remember once telling someone that all the good deeds I am blessed to do shall reap good karma for all those involved and me, too. Well, promptly he replied, “You have done good karma, and therefore you are blessed with the ability to gift smiles to all.” Profound and true, further stabilizing my faith in the grace and power of random acts of kindness.

Random acts of kindness are not limted to the goodness you do for fellow human beings, but must extend to the environment in general, to every being! Sorry mosquitoes, red ants, snakes, and others in the category I have created, no random acts of kindness extended to you’ll for obvious reasons. I won’t go out of my way to harm you’ll, but I’ll definitely protect myself from the harm you’ll can cause me.

Having said this, unabashedly, I did have a heart-warming experience, in the recent past, which I feel I need to share to explain how your random act of kindness is actually a prayer answered.

This one evening I decided to go learn how to make quiche from my father’s brother. I had just completed the lesson, and the quiche was in the oven. I was relaxing with my Grandmother when the cook came running to us and told me to go with him. He was so excited, my heart was racing, and I just got up and followed him. I saw my Uncle stand in the passage outside the house and he pointed to an eagle perched in front of one of neighbour’s flats. 

I ran in to get my phone to click pictures. While taking photographs I noticed there was a stream of red liquid leading up to the eagle. I realised it was blood and the eagle was wounded. It suddenly collapsed. I called a few animal activists on my phone list, and they sent me numbers of the bird-helplines in the city.

I managed to contact a volunteer who asked me to get wounded bird to him. But how, I asked and he said, “Wrap it up in a large towel and bring the bird to me. I’ll organize the bird ambulance in the meantime.”

We hurriedly called one the society’s watchmen, who wrapped up the eagle and came along with me to hand it over to the volunteer. My heart beat was so loud as our rickshaw driver manoeuvred through by-lanes, dodging traffic. All I wanted was to save the bird.

We reached the volunteer, who inspected the wound and covered it with turmeric, to begin the healing process. He assured me the eagle will survive. I returned to my Grandmother’s home with a sense of relief. 

As we sat through dinner, we noticed a couple of butterflies fluttering around the drawing room. Mind you, not moths, but colourful butterflies! We found it strange, but decided to continue with our dinner tet-a-tet, rather than delve into the mystery of the night visit by butterflies. Post dinner we had a dragon fly flutter around my purse, and a moth sit on my shoulder. 

We laughed through this, not paying much attention.

The most mystical experience of the evening was when we headed to the car. I was followed by an army of cats and kittens, I kid you not. My Grandmother’s society is cat-infested! While they all followed me, there was one particular ginger cat who rubbed herself against me, then would step ahead of me, stop me and then get onto all fours as though bowing in front of me.  I was get up, allow to take a few steps, and repeat the same thing – step ahead, get on to all fours, as though bowing in front of me.

After it happened five to six times, my husband told me to wait there with the cats till he would get the car. As soon as he drove towards me, the cats moved aside, and allowed me to step in.

I immediately called an animal communicator to relate the entire evening incidents, beginning with saving the eagle, to the butterflies, dragonfly, moth, the cat army, and the bowing cats.

After hearing me out she simply said, “You random act of kindness is The Universe’s prayer answered.”

That was all that I needed to listen to, for kindness in all its adjectives is not about what you get in return, but actually it is all about how you have served The Universe by answering another’s prayer.

Their smiles multiply your smiles; their happiness multiplies your happiness.