The giver is greater than the gift.

Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan

Besides having one's (own) wish granted, the joy of giving another (person) happiness, that itself is greater than a wish granted, if one has risen to that plane of human evolution when one can enjoy pleasure with the pleasure of another, when one can feel satisfaction in the satisfaction of another, when one can be happy in bringing happiness to another.

No one will give another happiness and will not have the same come to him a thousandfold.

There comes a stage of evolution in the life of man when he feels more satisfied by seeing another person satisfied with food than by his having eaten it himself, when he feels comfortable in seeing another person comfortable, when he feels richly adorned by seeing another person clothed nicely; for this stage is a stepping-stone to the realization of God.

Human beings living in their shells are mostly unaware of the privilege of life and so are unthankful to the Giver of it.

In order to see the grace of God man must open his eyes and raise his head from his little world.

Then he will see -- above and below, to the right and the left, before and behind -- the grace of God reaching him from everywhere in abundance.

A person who is loved by everybody in the world, and yet if he has not loved anybody, he has done nothing.

A person who has possessed the wealth of the whole world, but if he has given nothing, he has not earned.

A person honored by everyone in the world, but if he has not respected, he has not lived.

What does it mean?

It only means that what we gain is nothing, it is what we give that counts.

It is nothing -- what has been done to us -- if only we did all we wished to do, that is what counts.

Either learning or wisdom, position or power or wealth, all these things gained are very small compared with what one can give to the others.