ON SEVA OR SERVICE

                                                                  

What is the purpose of the body that God has given us? Is it for ‘BHOGA or living in luxury and enjoyment? Surely that is not the purpose for which God has created us.  “ Paropa karartha midam sareeram” is the advice of our ancestors and sastras. The purpose of the body is to help others in need and difficulties. The body is expected to achieve ‘Dharma’ or righteousness during its life on earth.     “Sareera  madyam khalu Dharma sadhanam.” The help that we render unto others in distress and difficulties is otherwise called as SEVA or SERVICE. Human life gets its fulfillment in rendering service without expecting any return. It should be SELFLESS not SELFISH. Why is service to man considered very important?  Most of us think that service to God is important. It is a mistaken belief. Service to man is service to God. It is more valuable than service to God!  What is it that God needs? He is ever satisfied, eternal, Ananda swarupa, and does not require the service of man. By pleasing man we please God as he manifests in the innermost recess of hearts of all human beings and other creatures.

Many do not understand the purpose and significance of SEVA. In what way does it help man if it is self less? What is the return that Seva offers to the person? Seva establishes that we are all chips of the same block, “waves of the Ocean of Divinity.” “You feel another’s pain as your own; you share another’s success as your own. To see everyone as yourself and yourself in every one that is the core of the sadhana of SEVA.” declares Bhagawan Sri Sri Satya Sai Baba in his Divine discourse.  Seva has the capacity to demolish your ego and make you humble before the sufferings of others. “When you rush to render help, you do not calculate how high or low his economic status is. The hardest heart is slowly softened into the softness of butter, by the opportunity that the Seva Dal offers. Seva is prescribed as one among the Nine Steps towards realization.” elaborates Swami (SSS Vol 10)

What else are the benefits of Seva? It brings out all the best in man. Man’s heart is widened and his vision broadened. Man is filled with joy and it increases unity. All evil qualities of man are driven out. It is a great spiritual discipline. “You are born to serve, not to dominate. Everyone 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. The world is progressing because of such mutual service. If the principle of service did not operate, the world would come to a halt.” Says Swami. Social service should not be for show or publicity. There will be an urge to pose for photos at the site of service but that has to be curbed as it is an indication of your selfishness. Seva can never reshape or reform the world. Then what is the use of Seva or service?  The real value and the visible result is that it reshapes and reforms the individual!

“He lives who lives for others”  says Swami Vivekananda. Man should not turn out to be a selfish creature always running after material comforts, his own family and children. He should have a look at the suffering of countless destitutes, orphans, dalits and the less fortunate. He should offer his helping hand to lift them up. He should be ready to sacrifice his time and energy for the upliftment of such people! It is only through sacrifice that man can achieve immortality, not through his acts or progeny or wealth.  There should be a meaningful effort on the part of man to sacrifice personal comforts for the sake of society and fellow beings. “ Na karmana na prajaya na dhanena tyagenaikena amrutatwa manasuhu” says the Upanishad!Seva or service is considered as the essence of devotion. He experiences that all beings are children of God and all bodies are altars where God is installed.  Whatever service is done for the welfare of the world is ‘ Tapas’ or penance. Work done for selfish purposes is ‘ Tamas’

Being a social animal, is it not the duty of man to pay his debt to society that has nurtured him? He has to give back to society what he has acquired by the use of skills and knowledge through society. Man has to consider himself as Divine and view all others as Divine. In other words 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, old man, a criminal or a madman You have to look behind  those veils for the Divine embodiment of Love, Power and Wisdom the Sai and worship Him through Seva”  (SSS Vol 10) Love manifests itself  as service or seva.  It can be “food for the hungry, solace for the forlorn, consolation for the sick and the sufferi8ng.” A compassionate heart is the temple of God. Swami says, “Heroes while lecturing are zeros while putting what is said into practice! Develop compassion. Live in Love. Be Good. Do Good and See Good. That is the way to God.” Can there be a better example of service than that of Hanuman who is very aptly called “ Rama pada seva durandhara? Lakshmana in the Ramayana too is an illustration of selfless service that is rare to be seen!

Swami Narayan Temple, LONDON

ON SUFFERING

                                                                      

Why is man born on earth? Is it to suffer untold miseries? In a way it is correct.  According to our sastras man takes his birth to enjoy and suffer the results of his past good and bad deeds. Past actions engender the results that he has to face during his present birth. We know that every action has an equivalent and opposite reaction whether we like it or not! Karma or action must have a result as it becomes the cause for the effect it produces. None can ever dream of escaping the effects of the Karma he has accumulated during his previous innumerable births. The joys and sufferings, failures and victories, renown  and humiliations and all other vicissitudes in life are due to the good or bad karma that man has in his account. We blame God for our sufferings and boast ourselves on our success. God is in no way responsible for our success or failure. It is our past Karma, unknown to all of us, that has the last laugh! When we meet people we enquire if they are happy. It is because man by nature is expected to be happy. His ‘atma is ananda swarupa’ but that is polluted by the indiscriminate actions that bring sufferings to him.

“Sweet are the uses of adversity” said Shakespeare the famous dramatist of the sixteenth century.  It is absolutely true. Every trouble is a step in elevating man. Troubles and difficulties are lessons for the progress of man,  Like the gold that is heated in a crucible to purify it, man has to undergo suffering to come out purified. Pleasure and pain are twins.  Pleasure cannot be fully relished without pain. Pleasure, after all, is the fruit of pain! “Look upon joy and sorrow as teachers of hardihood and balance. Grief is a friendly reminder, a good taskmaster, even a better teacher than joy. Do not flinch in the face of grief. Welcome the test because thereafter you are awarded the certificate. It is to measure your progress that tests are imposed.” counsels Bhagawan Sri Sri Sri Satya sai Baba in his divine discourses. (SSS Vol 2) Every rose has a thorn. It is said that snakes are found near the sandalwood tree. There is no pleasure without pain. Every  act of ours is tainted with egoism. Detachment and being pure shall save man from grief!

Like heat and cold that are both useful to man in certain situations, joy and sorrow, loss and gain are also helpful. How can man appreciate happiness without sorrow?  Darkness is required to realize the  greatness of light. How can man desire happiness alone? He hates misery and sorrow and treats them as enemies. This is a gross mistake. Happiness leads to great risks, over confidence, arrogance egoism that can lead to his downfall. On the other hand misery makes one enquire into his failings, examine himself,  and find the reason for his failure or sorrow. Our scriptures have described worldly life as a great ocean full of turbulent waves, whales, sharks and other creatures. Adi Sankara in his “ Karavalamba stotra” complains, “ Samsara sagara visala karala kala nakra graha grasana nigraha vigrahasya” Family life is like an ocean full of alligators and other creatures that are deadly.  Man has forgotten the divinity in him and hence is subjected to the sorrows and troubles of the world.

What is the way to surmount the troubles and turmoil of earthly existence? Definitely it is not through hatred and jealousy or injustice. It is like adding fuel to fire. Pure and nobler thoughts and experiences play a larger part in lessening sorrows and misery. Man is a mixture of the divine and diabolic qualities.  The latter qualities predominate while the former is latent and overshadowed by the latter.  Blows of loss, grief and distress  makes the heart of man tough and hard. This is how God shapes man into the divine mould. But man offers stiff resistance to the attempt of God. Man’s attachment and devotion to material pleasures and family life will drown him in the inescapable cycle of birth and death! Suffering and misery are the corrective punishment by nature that induces man to take the right path. “ All this is part of the grand synthesis in which the negatives serve to glorify the positives. Thus, death glorifies immortality, ignorance glorifies wisdom, misery glorifies bliss night glorifies dawn.”

Instances galore are there in the annals of our spiritual field, of people tested with misery and sorrow and how they graduated into saints and staunch devotees of God!  The lives of Azhwars and Nayanmars are classical examples of how the raw material was molded into pure gold! Their sufferings were many but their tenacity and devotion to God saw them through! Sant Kabir Das and Tulsidas are just a few examples. Gopanna or Ramadas suffered torment from the Nawab for not paying the revenue but utilizing it to adorn his chosen deity Sri Rama! He was imprisoned and even flogged for his default.  But all the time Gopanna prayed to his Rama with extreme bhakthi. At the last moment , Sri Rama & Lakshmana, in the guise of the servants of Gopanna, appeared in the dream of the Nawab and paid all  his dues and ordered to release Gopanna!  The Nawab was stunned with shock and released  Gopanna and fell at his feet begging pardon! Thus suffering purifies the heart and it is the pleasure of Providence to testman in the crucible of adversity and suffering!!

AHANKARA OR EGO

                                                                

Is there anyone in the world devoid of Ahankara or Ego? The answer is in the negative. Every individual  has his own quota of this detrimental quality! What is Ahankara? It is the sense of  ”I” and “ Mine”  that works havoc in the lives of people. Ego is considered as the worst enemy of man. There may be persons that have conquered the  six inner adversaries but it is impossible to see an individual who has conquered his ego! It is very surprising to see  scholars, teachers , sages and saints and even spiritual aspirants fall a victim to this harmful quality. Ego is the mother of extreme pride or arrogance. It is because of ego that man thinks he is God and the most enlightened! Ego and envy are brothers! When ego arrives envy follows .Ego is the cause of all desires. Sorrow follows ego like a shadow! “Ego is a thorny bush, which when planted and fostered, makes us suffer. It makes enemies even of close friends and does not allow men to work together. Grief follows ego like a shadow” warns Bhagawan Sri Sri Satya Sai Baba in one of his divine discourses.

While ego, pride and arrogance injures many others, maximum damage is caused to the person himself. How can man call himself a man while ruining others and riding over them? According to the Bhagavadgita man should be “ Nir mamo, nirahankara”  The evil forces of “ I and “ mine” have to be eschewed if man should call himself Divine! These two qualities are so deeply embedded in human nature that it is absolutely impossible to overcome them! Man should not be proud or arrogant of his age, youth, strength, wealth and status. They change according to time and situation! Old age obscures the senses. Senility robs man of all his strength. Adi Sankara warns in his Bhajagovinda stotra, “ Ma kuru  dhana jana yauvana garvam harati nimeshath kalam sarvam” The stories of Nahusha and Ravana, King of Lanka remind us of the fatal effects of Ahankara or ego. The former was undone when he prodded with his foot, one of the sages carrying him and directed him to move quickly!  Ravana imagined that he was invincible and he was the master of all the world and even Gods! It is said that he kept all Gods like Indra and others under his control. His arrogance and lust saw his downfall

Ahankara or ego exhibits itself as vanity of clan, wealth,  youth and knowledge! In other words, man thinks that his clan is the greatest, that he is the richest, that he is the strongest, that he is the most scholarly in the world! These are dangerous and divisive qualities. It is because of egoism that we criticize others. When we point a finger to others our three fingers point to us! In short, for every fault we find in others, we have three faults in ourselves!  We should never judge others as inferior to us. Swami asks, “On what basis can he erect his pride? The sun is but a star among the billions in space. The earth is but a speck, rotating around the sun. The country to which he belongs is but a fraction of that speck; his place of residence is a microscopic dot in that fraction and he is but one among lakhs of people living therein. He struts about for a few winks of time and prides himself most stupidly, as if he is the Lord and Master”

Is there no way to control or lessen the overpowering ahankara or ego in man? While ego cannot be annihilated in toto, efforts can be take to lessen its impact on the individual. One such means is Seva or Service. It is a kind of Sadhana or discipline. Service should be done with love and all work is offered to God when it becomes sacred as puja or worship. Service to others has the capacity to purge you of your Ego or ahankara! Other means of reducing ego are curtailing one’s desires and overcoming jealousy or envy. Egoism will be destroyed   if we constantly feel that “ IT is HE not I; He is the force, I am but the instrument”  This is what exactly the Lord tells Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. “ Nimitta matram bhava Savyasachin”  Arjuna, you are only an instrument in my hands!

“Jealousy and anger are the twins born of egoism” warns Swamii. Anger is the worst of the ‘arishadvargas or the six inner enemies in man. Under its influence man loses his equanimity, balance of mind and becomes almost a beast!  Disappointment in desires is the root cause of anger. The way to control anger is to place a ceiling on desires. As man’s desires are not satiated at any time and lead to many more desires adding fuel to fire, the only way is to curtail worldly wants to the maximum and  develop a  strong desire for God! That will lead man to devotion and spirituality and service to mankind! Service to man is service to God !When service is done without expecting any reward it is called ‘Nishkama Karma” which is the ideal for all action! Ahankara or ego shall gradually vanish when service is done selflessly!!

PEACE OF MIND OR SHANTHI

   Man has attained every possible thing on earth except the most important thing!  Modern technology and scientific advancement has made his life easy and comfortable.  He can roam over the globe in a trice,enter space,  through satellites! It is now possible to settle in Mars and many have opted for it! What is it that most important thing that man has lost?  It is Peace of Mind or Shanti! For the sake of momentary pleasures and comforts he has sacrificed the most  essential  component of happiness. Man’s desires have multiplied and while he fulfills a few, he is disappointed in many.  Anger, defeat, humiliation,  ambition , ego torment him and he loses peace of mind! It vacillates and does not know what way it should take! He is thus agitated but does not try to seek the permanent remedy! “ Man is perpetually in search of Peace, which is to be established with one self, then it is extended to the family, society and the country.  Shanthi  comes from within; contentment is a mental condition” declares Bhagawan Sri Satya Sai Baba.

What is the reason for the lack of peace or Shanthi in Man? It is because of his excessive attachment to worldly comforts.  His attachment is more than absolutely necessary. These desires and attachments  bring  anxiety and fear rather than  satisfaction. His inner craving is unquenched! Science can never  bring  in peace or Shanthi! It eggs on the person to explore more and more!  The primary reason for the absence of Shanthi  is Man’s conduct and thoughts that have gone astray! As a first step towards peace or Shanthi, one must keep his thoughts pure. In the Upanishads, before the teacher and the student sit for study, the Shanti Mantra is repeated thrice significantly! Gods Mithra, Varuna, Aryama, Indra, Brihaspathi, and Vishnu who represent the spirit and the organs of the body are propitiated. “ OM Shanthi”  is repeated thrice  in order to protect the student and the teacher from "Adhyatmika, Adi bhoutika and Adi daivika” types of troubles!  It is in the absence of these troubles that Shanthi can be established and concentration maintained! “ It is to encourage Peace in the human, godly and natural milieu in which you have to live, also to develop peace, to the body, mind and intellect.” remarks Swami in one of his Divine discourses. (SSS Vol 2)

" Mana eva  manushyanam karanam bandha mokshayoh”—it is the mind that is the cause for either attachment or detachment or liberation! It can lead man from the personal to the impersonal, the tangible to the intangible. It is the quality of the mind to be restless and hence the stress and strain!  This restless mind has to be calmed. One such method to calm the mind is yoga. What is yoga? It is defined as a tool to control the vacillating and restless mind or ‘Chitta’ Patanjali defines it “ Yogah chitta vrutti nirodhaha”. So control of breathing through Pranayama  or controlled inhaling and exhaling becomes necessary. The next step for Shanthi is to serve mankind through social work—helping the diseased, sick and the distressed. “ Service to man is service to God” as God manifests in every creature in the universe. Care should be taken to serve the needy  sincerely and selflessly! There should be no expectation for any reward.

The third step to Shanthi or peace of mind is to undertake  spiritual exercise or Sadhana. What is Sadhana? It is to undertake something earnestly with regularity. It can be the chanting of the sacred name of the Lord,in any form, or recitation of  mantras like the Gayatri mantra, hymns or other stotras. Shanthi  offers the capacity to brave all the storms, vicissitudes in our worldly life. The gift offered by Shanti to man is equanimity in sunshine and storm! To lead a happy life man requires peace of mind. Swami says: “ The mind of man is like a turbulent Ganga. It has to be restrained by applying brakes such as dhyana ( meditation).Dhyana means one pointed concentration. Agitations in the mind are the cause of all the misery of mankind. To lead a calm healthy life man has to cultivate mental peace”.

Comfort is mistaken for Peace or Shanthi in the present world! Peace is totally absent among the super rich, the rich and the prosperous and the powerful! Bank pass books, bungalows with innumerable rooms, iron safe and godown are all devoid of peace! It is meaningless like putting the cart before the horse!  Swami says, “The physical is subordinate to the spiritual. The mind is the horse and that is neglected. not groomed for the journey.” All agitations, noise and confusions are on the surface. When we reach the depth there is calmness. Similarly in the innermost recess of our heart there is peace. It is there one must take shelter! That is real peace or Shanthi.  One who is at peace with himself will see peace all around him! As Swami says, “Shanthi is a Divine attribute. It can be attained only by those who, with patience, perseverance, and forbearance, follow the sound path of spirituality.” (SSS Vol 7a)

SOME DEFINITIONS OF DEMOCRACY

It is very interesting to note what eminent scholars and statesmen say about Democracy. Lincoln says "The ballot is stronger than the bullet” But now bullet has become stronger! Voters are intimidated at the point of gun and prevented from voting in many places.The result is that very few vote and that cannot be taken as the voice and choice of the people. According to Winston Churchill “Democracy is the worst form of government except all other forms that have been tried from time to time.” Yes , our ancients kings ruled the country very well!  In democracy you can never please all!  There are innumerable problems for the government.

“ Democracy works  when people claim it as their own” says Bill Moyers. Here people never claim it as their own! It is the prerogative of the selfish politicians to call democracy as their own! Their pet policies and plans are called people’s plan and implemented! The common man suffers without the basic needs! Oscar wilde, the famous poet says that Democracy is simply bludgeoning of the people by the people for the people. In a way, it is correct. People are forced and intimidated to vote for a particular party with inducements like money and material. They are not allowed to exercise their freewill taking into account the credentials of the candidate! No candidate is bothered about maximum number of votes polled, they are worried about the number of votes they garner!  “It is not the voting that is Democracy, it’s counting” decries another writer!

“In every well governed state wealth is a sacred thing. In Democracies it is the only sacred thing” comments Anatole France. This is absolutely true for otherwise who will join politics? The aim of  almost every politician is to earn wealth whether he is a lakhier or a crorepathi.! The Rich become richer but the poor become poorer! Politics has become a big business open only to the rich! The common man can never aspire for a role in politics! It has become a vicious circle!In our assemblies and Parliament, we have good number of super rich members as well as the rich. Their desire for money is unquenchable and their service to the nation is minimum of less than that! This type of Mammon worship is detrimental to the nation but none is bothered about it! They are all worldly wise and we cannot expect much from them!

Johnny Carson says, “Democracy means that anyone can grow up to be president, and anyone who does not grow up can be vice president.” There is a truth in the statement. A hard working, service oriented individual can definitely come up in politics. His worth will be recognized; he will surely climb the ladder of politics. We have many examples in our Democracy. A shining illustration is our own Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi  who from very humble beginnings has ascended to the foremost position in the government! People reward the individual for nationalism, selfless service and hard work. But there are instances where members are elected to high posts on political exigencies even without merit!  It is not every time that merit is recognized.

“Our Democracy is but a name. We vote. What does that mean?It means that we choose between two bodies of real, though not avowed autocrats” says Helen Keller!How true is the statement!  The ruling party and the opposition are at loggerheads. Both want their policies and plans to be implemented! They find fault in everything that the government does! People’s priorities are forgotten and placed om the backburner! They have the  appearance of democrat but essentially they are autocratic! In other words autocracy has put on the garb of democracy! Aristotle, the great Greek philosopher dismisses all definitions and says, “Democracy is when the indiginent, and not the man of property are the rulers.”As per this ruling our government is no Democracy at all! Our Parliament and Assemblies in states are over crowed with the rich and super rich who own lakhs and crores of rupies!  How can they think of the innocent and ignorant multitudes of the country? “Democracy, like liberty, justice, and other social and political rights, is not “given” it is earned through courage, resolution, and sacrifice.”  Hence if we want real Democracy the poor, the honest and the hard working should come forward, enter politics and serve the country!