We left Ahmedabad at nine in the morning, just two hours after Amma finished darshan. When we were on the road for a few hours one of the seven Ashram busses broke down, so the whole karavan parked along the side of the new four laned highway that leads to Jaipur. The sun was at it’s highest and the heat in the bus was building up. I stepped outside and saw that many brahmacharinis had done the same. Just next to us there was a family harvesting wheat. All morning they had cut the grain by hand, and bundeled it up. And now, at the hottest moment of the day bundels of wheatgrass lay scattered over the field, just waiting to be picked up.

Then one of the brahmacharinis had a great idea: Let’s help the farmerfamily collect the bundels to the side of the field, so they only have to stack it up to the cart! The farmland was the size of a soccerfield, and there were hundreds of bundels. Rightaway the girls got in action. First picking one bundle and bringing it back, but soon they formed a line, passing this ‘bread-to-be’ to each other. It was hot but they were all smiling. As I joined I heard them sing ‘Om Namah Shivaya’, giving every bundle a prayer as they passed it on. The farmerfamily could hardly get over their surprise. Where did all these people in white come from? In half an hour the work was done, that would have taken the family at least a whole day.
Smiles were on all faces, of those who were helped and those who had been helping.
The busses horned, the problem with the engine had been fixed. Joyfully and fully energised we went back to the bus. As we drove off the family waved and laughed. Sometimes helping someone and doing seva is so easy, it’s just on the side of the road pass by.

Devadath