Young Ravi performing aarti in the puja room at Manjula

As children, we used to create makeshift homes with matchboxes to take care of butterflies, caterpillars, frogs and worms. But the nosy being that I was, I would keep peeping in to check if they were still there, and in the process let them free! After a typical day of explorations, expeditions and games, we would still not rest and wait for Pitaji and his stories. He encouraged us to make our own stories. I once narrated the story of a beautiful queen who washed vessels. My brother made fun of me, 'How can a queen wash vessels?' We argued over this, and he won, of course, but I enjoyed losing to him. Later, Gurudev would make my story come true. Everyone who comes to the ashram participates in seva during advanced programmes irrespective of their positions. For our joy to increase, we must share it with others. Giving is essential for spiritual growth. The willingness to share what we have and help others is called seva. Gurudev says that the best seva is helping someone understand the eternal nature of life.