It was a Sunday and I was returning back home after offering my prayers at the Jain temple in my locality. As I was walking through the bye lanes, I saw that on a side of the road, a dog was sitting outside a small hotel and was wailing in a low tone. He was wagging his tail continuously. A waiter came out from the hotel with a stick in his hand and ran after him to shoo him away. The dog ran away from there and then sat down in a snuggled manner in a corner of a closed shop just some blocks away from the hotel. I was watching all this from a distance. I sensed that the dog was actually hungry and was hence roaming in front of the hotel, but the waiter was shooing him away to prevent him from entering inside. I purchased a pack of biscuits and went near the dog. On seeing me come close to him, he started looking at me. He saw that I was holding a pack of biscuits. The hope and expectancy in his eyes was just inexplicable. He immediately got up and started roaming around me while wagging his tail. I just put the biscuits in front of him and he immediately gorged on it. Within a few minutes, he finished off all the biscuits and then again occupied the quiet corner. He was feeling much better now and by his expressions, it seemed that he felt satiated. I moved on after giving him a final look. I was feeling so glad from inside on feeding that dog that it can not be described in words. I felt like my day had already been blessed and then I thought about the suffering of this dumb animal and many more like him. Who would be giving food to them every day? Who would be looking after them when they are hungry? Numerous thoughts started coming in my mind and then I thought that I will feed some of these dumb creatures everyday.
Right from that day till now it has become a daily ritual for me and my wife to feed such animals every day. First thing in the morning, we go with a five litre can of water on the terrace of our building along with a bowl of chana, roti and ganthiya.We have kept two separate bowls for filling water, one for the crows who come to savour the ganthiya and the roti and another for the pigeons who come for eating the chana being offered by us. Now these birds have recognized both of us very well and they even know our time of arrival on the terrace which is fixed. When we arrive they are already there to greet us. As soon as we enter the terrace, the crows start cawing vociferously and the pigeons that are considered to be the most frightened birds come near our feet for eating the chana.It’s the trust that they have reposed in us after seeing us feeding them everyday. After finishing this ritual I proceed to the Hanuman temple which is a five minute walk from my home. Over there I feed grass to the cows and take her blessings along with the blessings of Hanuman ji. On the way back finally I go to a bungalow near my house where some 4 to 5 stray dogs reside. The owner of the bungalow is my friend who is a compassionate person himself and hence he has let these dogs reside inside the compound of his bungalow for years. I offer the Strays, roti and biscuits. They too have recognized me as I visit them everyday. As soon as I enter the compound they come running towards me joyfully and start jumping around me. It almost takes a bit more than half an hour of my daily routine to complete these tasks, but the immense satisfaction and joy that I get by doing it is just indefinable. I consider it as my privilege and I thank God that he chose me for doing these worthy tasks.
Friends, really the plight of these dumb animals and birds is more pitiable than the people who beg. At least humans can voice their concern by demanding anything which these dumb creatures can’t do and hence I personally consider it as my moral duty to feed these creatures in whatever way I can and by doing these I feel that I am not favouring them but only myself. Friends, just try and do these things in your best possible way and I guarantee you that apart from the immense self satisfaction that you will experience by doing these, the blessings that you will get of these dumb creatures will definitely change your life for the good.
Peace, tranquillity and equality to all.
