The other day we asked a teenager, “Are you a human being?” She laughed and said, “Don’t I look like a human being? Don’t I have a human body?” If we ask you the same question, you are also likely to laugh at this question. You may wonder whether such a question should be put to someone who has a human body.

Perhaps you will like to call a living human body a human being. But a human being is more than this. He is a totality of human qualities which are expressed through his thoughts, speech and actions. There are many similarities between a flower and a human being. His body is like petals and his qualities are like the fragrance of a flower. A flower without fragrance is the least wanted flower. A human being without qualities is also of the least value to others. The fragrance of a flower is more attractive than the mere beauty of its petals. The qualities of a human being are also more important than the beauty of his body.

So let us talk about human qualities which determine more than the human body whether one is a human being or not.

Someone has rightly said about our most revered Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj, “He was a marvellous personality with his head in heaven and his feet on the ground.”

This tribute sums up qualities of a human being.

One with his head in heaven always leads a life linked with God. This linkage implies constant remembrance of God. This also means an unbroken awareness of the fact that God is his sole refuge and the be-all and end-all in his life.

And how can one have his feet on the ground? By being aware that he is not he alone. He is he plus all others—known and unknown. This means that he should always be looking for the opportunities to increase the joy of others and alleviate their sufferings. This idea can be elucidated by saying that a human being is one who:

—lovingly and selflessly serves others at the cost of his own convenience and even at the risk to his life.

—thinks that his life is not his life. His life is others’ property which can be freely made use of by the needy and the afflicted.

—thinks that he is not living for himself. He lives only to make his life useful to others.

—thinks that others’ joys and sufferings outweigh his own.

—shares his own joys and comforts with others and refrains from enjoying them all by himself.

—serves others as though worshipping God because he thinks others are none but His various forms.

—ignores his own interests to do others good.

—forgets his own rights to perform his duties.

—shows love even to those who sow seeds of hatred.

Dear children, this list of human qualities is not exhaustive but it gives you a good idea of who a human being is. Persevere to possess them. One who is devoid of human qualities, can hardly be called a human being.