ON  SERVICE

First and foremost a person should realize that all living creatures have the same ‘ atma’ or soul, the energizing factor of the body. The basic requirement for any person devoting himself to ‘ seva’ or service is to understand this principle. Our Sasthras  point out “ atmavat sarva bhutani” and “ ekah paratma bahu deha varthi” A person should serve himself first and help the members of the family. It is only after that he should go out into society outside. A person who cannot help or serve himself cannot be of service to others. He should never leave his family in the lurch and go out to serve others. It is a rare fortune to be born as human being! God has given this human birth to be of service to our fellow creatures and partake of their troubles  and sufferings.

   

What is service? It is helping others in need of help and who cannot help themselves. The poor, the downtrodden and the dalits and the less fortunate are those who cry for help.According to sage Vyasa serving others is ‘ punya’ and making others suffer is’ Papa or sin! “ paropakara punyaya papaya para pldanam” Selfishness is the root cause of suffering in man.This negative quality is dangerous. On account of this he becomes greedy, jealous and miserly. He is arrogant and puffed up with pride. The urge to serve and help others is a quality that cannot be developed  suddenly. It has to be cultivated early in life. Bhagawan Sri Sri Sri Satya Sai Baba has said “ start early, drive slowly And reach safely” TheBible rightly advocates selfless service to humanity. “ He who finds himself loses himself; he who loses himself finds himself.” ‘ Don’t think of what the country or society can give you. Think of what you can give to society and to the country. Man must give back to society what one has acquired by the use of knowledge and skills received with the assistance of society.’ remarks Swami.

Why should we serve others? What is the benefit we derive from serving others? Seva or service leads to God realization. We are serving God who is enshrined in the other person.! We recognize the soul or atma-- the one who is the ‘ antaryami’ in  every animate and inanimate object. Service is purely for self realization and transformation of one’s own life! It is to root out all selfishness, ego and arrogance of man. Bhagawan Baba says, “ Service to man will help your divinity to blossom, for it will gladden your heart and make you feel that life has been worthwhile. Service to man is service to God for God is in every man, every human being and in every stone and stump” (S S S vol4pp178) How do we serve others? The aim and purpose of seva is not to reform or transform the world. It's purpose is to reform and reshape oneself. Seva should be done as a ‘ sadhana’--an achievement with total dedication as well as concentration. Real seva makes a person humble and happy. One loses his ego pride and position in serving the Lord in others! It is a kind of sadhana which eventually cleanses one’s body of self centeredness and bigotry.

Service should be selfless. There should be no thought of any gain or reward in return for the service rendered. Thus sacrifice is an integral part of seva or service. “ service to man is more valuable than what you call ‘ service to God’.God has no need of your services. Please man; you please God” says Bhagawan Baba! Service is not for show, advertisement or publicity. “ Do your duty as ‘ nishkama karma’. Swami's calls seva as” the essence of devotion, the very breath of a devotee, his very nature...an experience that convinces him that all beings are God’s Children, that all bodies are God’s altars where God is installed, that all places are His residences. Speaking on the speciality of seva or service Bhagawan Baba says “ You forget the body and ignore it's demands. You set aside your individuality and it's prestige and perquisites. You pluck your ego by its roots and cast it away. You give up your status, conceit, your name and form. Man has to worship God in the form of man. God appears before him as a blind beggar, an idiot, ,a leper, a child, a despot, an old man, a criminal or a mad man. You should look behind those veils for the Divine embodiment of Love, power and wisdom, the Sai and worship Him through seva! (SSSvol10 pp8) Seva Brin's out all the great qualities in man. Swami says, “ It broadens the heart and widens one’s vision. It fills one with joy. It promotes unity. It proclaims the truth of the spirit. You are born to serve, not to dominate. Every one in the world is a servant and not a master. All relationships of husband and wife,mother and child,the employer and the employee are based on mutual service. If the principle of service did not operate, the world would come to a halt. (SSS vol0 pp47)

It is love which is revealed as Seva or service! Bhagawan Baba says, “ Seek out the slum dwellers, the poor, neglected people in Hamlet's and take Love and Light to them in plenty.” Seva should be in the form of food for the hungry, comfort for the forlorn, consolation for the siick and the suffering.The essence of the teaching of Jesus was compassion and love. Swami says, “ Heroes while lecturing are zeros while putting what is said into practice. Be good. Do good and see good. Develop compassion. This is the way to God. Swami recommends  items of service like nursing the sick, visiting patients in the hospitals, reading nice stories sitting by the side of patients in the beds, writing letters for them and being kind and friendly to them in their loneliness and pain!

Lakshmana in the Ramayana and Hanuman can be considered as role models for service. Lakshmana  volunteered to serve his brother Sri Rama selflessly and never thought of the dangers of forest life.He kept a watchful eye looking after the welfare of his brother and his wife in the forest. It is said that he never slept throughout the stay in the forest! He was implicit in his obedience to Sri Rama while taking Sita to the ashram of Valmiki and in kindling fire to test the chastity of Sita! Hanuman is another epitome of service and self sacrifice.From the time he meets Sri Rama till the end, we see him as a true servant and messenger! That is why he is called, “ Rama pada seva dhurandhara”. He has the most difficult and challenging task of finding where Sita is! He successfully completed his mission andendears himself to SriRama. No wonder, Rama embraces Hanuman as he has given a new life to him! There is no situation in the Ramayana where Hanuman is seen as selfish! Let us, therefore, involve ourselves in selfless service and ennoble and realize ourselves!!!

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