ADVENTURES IN ADVAITA VEDANTA...

Adventures in Advaita Vedanta, the philosophy and science of spirit. We are one you and I; are you curious why?..


In Service

Hari Om
'Freedays' are the 'gather our thoughts' days; Q&As; a general review of the week so far…

A part of saadhana is seva - service of others. This is often spoken of in all levels of society, all the way up to government levels in most countries. It is an accepted - and expected - part of being in community. Yet how many truly have the spirit of seva in their hearts?

First there must be an understanding of what is seva. It clearly is served by the likes of volunteers in charities, by members of spiritual congregations when they visit or feed other members and so on. However, there is a large chunk of 'community' which does not have connections with such as these. Is it possible still to commit to seva?

Yes! Seva is an attitude of mind. Ultimately, seva is not about who it is we are serving - though this is the side benefit - but about our attitude. It is possible to be engaging in seva without anybody else being aware of it. At home, providing a cup of tea to an elder or other relatives, for example. It could just be without any feeling, or even might be done with a grudge for some reason. If we turn our minds to saadhana, though, and how every action can be seva to the Higher, that cuppa can be prepared and delivered with poise and Love in the heart, even a small prayer of offering in the mind's eye. Food can be prepared this way also. Do we not all know the difference in meals which have been prepared with focus and Love compared to those done as a matter of course or when the cook was angry… granny's vegetable broth can be so much more nourishing than the five-star egotistical chef's best attempts at dal! Seva to the community is possible even if we are not deeply involved on a physical level. How? Through prayer. To sit and reach out with our hearts and minds has a much more powerful effect than we can know. Instead of despairing for the wrongs and evils of the world, place in the mind's eye an image of a better world. Pray for it and live by example. This is all any of us can do as individuals. It can seem like that single drop falling into the ocean. To us, it seems nothing, but to the ocean each drop matters.