Our legacy for the world.

Children learn more from “who you are” than “what you teach.”

His Holiness Radhanath Swami shares a story and message that should be heard by every parent and teacher! (Transcribed from a video – https://fb.watch/g-ja73ypgl/ )

“There was a man, he lived in 1920’s 1930’s. His name was Easy Eddie. Easy Eddie was a super empowered attorney. (And) he was so good that he was hired by Chicago mafia. Which was led in those days by someone named Al Capone.

He (Easy Eddie) was such a good lawyer, he knew the law so good, and he had so many connections and he could manipulate things in such ways that no matter what charges they had on AL Capone or his people, they couldn’t put any of them in jail, they couldn’t convict him of anything. And because he was such a good lawyer, he was so valuable that the mafia gave him enormous amounts of money. He had private airplanes. He had practically an entire city block of property with a beautiful mansion. The best of cars, the best of everything.

And his son, he could do anything he wanted. But Easy Eddie was thinking, “I have given my son everything. Everything money could buy. But there’s one thing I haven’t given my son. I haven’t given him an example of a father that he could be proud of.” And he thought about this for some time, and Easy Eddie came to the conclusion — “the only way I could give my son a father with a legacy of a good name is, I have to help the government put the mafia in prison.” — Because the mafia was killing people and he was getting them off. Getting people addicted to drugs and alcohol and he was getting them off. Extorting innocent little store owners who are struggling for their life. Pay us so much a month or we’re gonna bomb your store, and they bomb him, and he was helping them.

He (Easy Eddie) helped the FBI. He testified. And many of the biggest people in the mafia were put in prison. He knew full well that he will be killed for doing this. And one day he was riding in his car and another car came by….dhuff dhuff dhuff dhuff…and several people with machine guns filled his body with bullets and he layed on the street dead. He paid a very high price to give his son a father who he could be proud of. That’s a high price but for him, it was worth it.

Now I am gonna tell you another story.

There was a man, he was in the United States Air Force during World War II. (And) he was on a battleship called the USS Lexington. And he took off from his ship with a squadron of other airplanes may be six or seven to go fight against the Japanese. As they were flying in the sky, this person realized that someone on the ship forgot to put fuel in his tank. So, he radioed to the leader of his formation and said, “I have to go back”. He (the leader) said, “We can’t. You go back we have to keep going.”

On his way back he saw about nine Japanese bombers coming towards the USS Lexington to sink the boat. And there were thousands of people on the boat. He was alone and there were nine of them and he decided –“I have to stop them” — because there was no – the ship – they didn’t know what was happening. So, he single-handedly charged at these nine airplanes. And they were shooting…Dhuff…dhuff…dhuff… and shooting and shooting, and he actually had two of them fall into the ocean.

And then he ran out of bullets. And they were shooting at him and attacking him, and he was so enthusiastic and so fearless that he was flying at these different planes that were shooting at him and he was knocking off their wings. And finally, after five of the nine sank, the other four thought this man is completely crazy let’s get out of here and they all flew away.

(and) He came back, his plane was totally beaten up and the people of the USS Lexington actually saw what was happening, but they weren’t prepared. He was the first person in the US Air Force in World War II to get the US Congressional Medal of Honour, the highest award there is. His name was “Butch” O’Hare, and the airport in Chicago O’Hare Airport is named after him.

He is considered one of the greatest heroes of American history because he was willing to scarifies his own life for the higher cause of others. What makes this story so interesting is, Butch O’Hare was the son of Easy Eddie. That’s a strong foundation.

What are we giving our children? I have seen in my life traveling around, I have been wondering around this planet for 63 years now. I have seen people work so hard for money, give it to their children and then their children fight as enemies to see who gets it. Is that the legacy? Is that fulfilling life? Is that what we want to leave to the world?

Our values, our character. The grace and the compassion of the love that flows through us is the greatest contribution we could make to our own life, to God, to our families and to the world. And when we have those values and we work and we build that foundation through good company and good practices and good decisions, then we could have a wonderful meaningful fulfilling life, beyond birth beyond death. And we could leave that as a legacy for the world.

मैं कतरा हो कर भी तुफ़ान से जंग लेता हूं
मुझे बचाना समंदर की जिम्मेदारी है।
दुआ करो के सलामत रहे मेरी हिम्मत
ये इक चराग़ कईं आंधिओ पे भारी है। ……………वसीम बरेलवी

mein katara ho kar bhi tufano se jung leta hun
mujhe bachana samandar ki jimmedari hai;
dua karo ke salamat rahe meri himmat
ye ek charag kai aandhio pe bhari hai……………….Wasim Barelvi

Even being an insignificant droplet, I have fought with the storm
It’s the responsibility of the ocean to save me.
pray that my courage remains intact
this one lamp is tougher than many hurricanes.

“duje ke hothon par dekar apane geet, koi nishani chhod phir duniyan se bol....” Listen to this meaningful song from the film “Dharam Karam” beautifully penned by Majrooh Sultanpuri, composed by R.D.Burman and sung by Mukesh.

(209) Dharam Karam – Ek Din Bik Jaayega Mati Ke Mol – Mukesh – YouTube