The great Vedanta teacher, Swami Vivekananda, once advised Rockefeller to donate for a public cause. Rockefeller reluctantly handed over his first cheque and expected the young swami to be thankful to him, but Vivekananda replied, “ It is for you to thank me.”

It is to the credit of John D. Rockefeller that he took this advice to heart. We are the better off when we live with concern for others. It is arrogant to think that we are so superior and should be grateful for being in a position where we can serve others.

Anyone who has done so knows that the greatest gift is to ourselves.