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How can one cultivate softness and kindness in the heart and in speech? The practice is ahiṃsā—non-violence. See yourself in others. If someone treats you poorly, how would you feel? In the same way, if you harbor negative feelings or thoughts toward others, they too will feel that pain. Several thousand years ago, there lived a great sage named Dadhīcī Ṛṣi. At that time, a powerful demon, a Rākṣasa, was terrorizing the world, killing all creatures and humans. No one could destroy him. Divine counsel revealed that the only way to kill this demon was to fashion a bow and arrows from the bones of a living human donor. Who, however, could donate their bones while still alive? The great ṛṣi Dadhīci offered his own bones for the well-being of all humans and creatures. He is the ultimate donor. This sage taught: "Do not do to others what you do not like to be done to you." If someone is cruel or harmful to you, consider how it feels. The same feeling arises in others when you act negatively toward them. This profound truth was first expressed by Dadhīcī Ṛṣi. There is a beautiful Sanskrit śloka for this principle, which was later echoed in the Bible as well. The saint Tulsīdās jī, in the holy Hindu epic Rāmāyaṇa—the life story of God Rāma—said that the foundation of Dharma (righteousness) is kindness. The roots of sin, however, lie in ego and pride. Therefore, Tulsīdās said, do not abandon the grace in your heart while you live. Feel love for all in your heart. Question: Svāmijī, when the Jīvātmā (individual soul) is born for the first time in a human body, does it already have karma and destiny, or does it start collecting and creating karma through human life? Answer: The accumulation of karma—which is a form of pollution—begins as soon as individuality manifests in this universe, whether in a human or another form of body. There are two kinds of pollution: physical and mental. Mental pollution is the most dangerous. This pollution increases daily, just as dust gathers on a cleaned table every day. Therefore, prayers, mantras, and meditation are for the purification of the antaḥkaraṇa (the inner instrument), meaning the purification of karmas. If you do not wash your body for days, how do you feel? Similarly, if you neglect prayer and meditation, how do you feel? Mahātmā Gandhījī said, "Physically I can fast, mentally I cannot fast." My mental tonic is my prayers; that is my strength. Thus, humans should pray and practice mantra every day. As one saint said, even animals and birds remember God morning and evening. Question: Dear Swamiji, my creative energy is blocked. I cannot do anything creative, which worries me. What technique can help me? Answer: Learn to give. When you feel blocked—physically, psychically, or energetically—the best way to open up is to give. Give seeds to the birds. Give water to flowers. Give flowers to friends who will not misunderstand the gesture. Act according to the situation: give birthday presents, give to children, give donations. Give, give, give. We come here for giving. It is a very good question. Now, you must open your heart. If you cannot, then at least open your purse. Or simply sign a cheque. This advice is for everyone; we have no discrimination. How to open blocks? There are many kinds: karmic, emotional, energetic, financial. The problems are blocks that stay with you. I tell you very seriously, this is no joke. A great saint said: "Pani to chalta bhala, pada gandela ho jā." Water is good when it flows; if it remains stagnant, it becomes foul. Similarly, Lakṣmī (wealth) should move; it should not be stuck. A good businessman invests money to keep it flowing. One who is not a businessman just puts it in the bank, calculating the interest. Investment means flow. A sādhu (saint) should always travel and not stay in one place, lest attachment develop. By always changing, the place remains pure. However, Mahāprabhujī said something opposite, which is more difficult. He said water should remain in one place, but it must be very deep—like an ocean. If the ocean were to move, it would cause a tsunami, a catastrophe. Similarly, a saint should stay in one place, but only if he is truly spiritual. Giving requires great energy and a great heart. Most people work for their families, building nice houses for their children. But when the children grow up and leave, the house stands empty, and the elderly may be moved to a home. Rare are those who build and help for the benefit of all—for spirituality, for the well-being of human society and all creatures, for humanitarian, veterinary, and environmental causes. We save for our house and children, but one day we will depart, and everything may fall into the wrong hands. With this understanding, people built churches, mosques, temples, and Dharamsalas—inns for free stay, similar to hostels, often offering free meals like monastery soup. In India, we have many Aṁśatras (charitable feeding centers) that have run for thousands of years. Every day, thousands eat, and no one knows where the money comes from; there is no end to it. There is a story from America. A man named Max Müller was very ill, and no medicine helped. He was advised to seek a yogī in India. He and his wife traveled by steamboat, found a great saint, and were taught meditation, mantra, and prayer. The saint said the best remedy is meditation and prayer, requiring faith and confidence. When one has no other hope, real confidence arises. Max Müller recovered, returned to America, and founded a society with a meditation hall and a hostel for students of spirituality. This center ran solely on donations. One day at 11 a.m., the hostel director told Max Müller there was no food for the noon meal. Max Müller instructed him to ring the bell at noon anyway and then went to his meditation hall to pray. At 11:40 a.m., a man arrived explaining that the town mayor had cancelled a large meeting, leaving prepared catering—nice, warm, sāttvic vegetarian food. He asked if the center would accept it. The director welcomed it. A truck delivered the food just before noon. When the bell rang, the students were surprised by a feast. The director brought a plate to Max Müller, who smiled, closed his eyes, and said, "Thank you, Gurudev." Faith, confidence. Faith can melt rocks. You need faith, without question or doubt. Doubt is like a good salad with sand inside, or a cake with grit. Faith can do everything. There are many such Aṁśatras; one never knows how the provision comes. If a hundred people each carry one stick, it is just a walking stick. But if one person must carry a hundred sticks, it is a heavy burden. This is how humanitarian work is done—for the well-being of society, with many helping hands. If you give one dollar, God will give you two. If you give five, He will give ten. God gives more than we give. As it is said: "Everything is yours, Lord; you have given it to me. I am offering myself to you. What do I lose? Nothing." That is true help. Helping hands have more value than folded hands, which say, "Sorry, I can't help you." Do not say that. Say, "I can help you." Help is not only monetary. God has given everyone a unique richness. Intellectual help is great—writing, singing, playing instruments, painting. If you have physical strength, use it to help others; God gave you strong arms not for boxing but for helping. Help can be physical, mental, emotional, material, social, political, religious, or spiritual. There are many ways. This flow of giving will remove all your blocks, open your internal doors, and pave the way not with a red carpet (symbolizing the blood of the material world) but with a golden or white carpet leading to Brahmaloka. All blockages will open.