General - Swami Vivekananda and Dhrama

Swami Vivekananda and his disciples were going to some place. The previous day there was heavy rain and the road was full of potholes which could not be seen due to the water logging. On their way they saw a bullock cart man standing near his cart and shouting for help from the passersby to lift the wheel of his cart from the pothole where it has stuck. Swamy Vivekananda did not pay attention to the cart or the man and just walked on. The cart man abused and scolded them for not helping him. The disciples were puzzled as to why the swamiji did not even pause at the place. After some distance they came across another cart stuck in the pot hole and the cart man was trying to lift the wheel without saying anything. The swamiji stopped there and helped the cart man to loft the wheel. The cart man was very happy for the help and thanked them. 

The disciples asked the swamiji as to why he did not help the first cart man though he was shouting for help and why he helped the second one though he did not ask for any help? The swamiji said that the first man was asking for help without doing anything by himself to lift the wheel. He wanted to lift the wheel by others which is just like the persons living on charity or alms. If he was also trying to lift the wheel while asking for help he would have been helped. In the case of the 2^nd cart man he was doing his best to put the cart on the road. He was putting in his effort. Though he did not ask for help he needed help as he was not able to lift the wheel alone by himself but was trying to do his work.

The first one was not doing his dharma (duty expected of him) but wanted others to do it for him. The 2^nd was doing his dharma and he was in need of help though he did not ask. By helping the 2^nd one he was happy and he was sincerely grateful for the help. Those who do their dharma sincerely and when in need of help there will be some force reaching the help to them. That is what happened in these incidents.