“Sewa karne mein jitna anand hai, utna karwane mein nahin… “

Swamiji says …

” ‘Sewa’ – The mere sound of the syllables and intonation of this word, not only convey the emotions of selfless service and loving care that it holds within it and beautifies it further ; but also, evokes within us, the most supreme and humane emotion – ‘seva bhava’. Right from our childhood we witness innumerable beautiful acts of ‘tyaag aur ‘paropkaar’ take a concrete shape in our homes, and the environment around us appears to be soaked in the essence of the age old saying – ‘Seva parmo dharma!’ and we learn the greatest lesson of ‘sewa’ as we watch and observe our parents and elders practice the core values of ‘seva’ in an inspiring and thought-provoking manner !’

” So greatly influenced were we by the virtues and good qualities of our parents that, as children, we too, had tried to do everything that we were capable of doing for our loved ones; serving them, taking care of them and would burst into tears if we failed in our attempt to do so. Our parents were aware of their duty to instill in us a spirit of sacrifice and cooperation ; to stand firmly along with those who needed support and help; to the extent of giving priority to the comfort and welfare of others before ours!”

“Kisi ki bhi ‘sewa’ karna, chahe woh insaan ho, samaj ho, ya janwar…’ is our first, foremost and sacred duty. We need to remember that every act of devoted and selfless service takes us an inch closer to our Real self and towards God. Acts of service, done with humility and with a feeling of oneness, by placing ourselves in the suffering person’s shoes; relating with his pain and suffering in equal measure, go a long way in helping us evolve into better human beings !”

“Consideration and concern for others; serving those in need, lovingly and selflessly; feeding the birds and beasts; being helpful and generous; and to serve with devotion and dedication; values which were not only preached but also practised by our elders, and imbibed by us eagerly.”

” ‘Sewa’ karne mein joh khushi, anand aur sukh praapt hota hai … woh kisi ki seva karke hi mehsoos kiya ja sakta hai!’ The sense of satisfaction and contentment that was experienced by our parents in taking care of our grandparents as they entered the twilight years of their life ; the joy and happiness that our parents found in sacrificing every wish and desire of theirs, to fulfill every dream dreamt by us, gave them some strange, inexplicable joy; their commitment and involvement in helping others, who could be just about anyone – relatives, friends or society at large, is a lesson of great learning and should never be forgotten by us. The pure joy and divine bliss that surely must have been realised by them, during the different stages of their lives, as they served others, is what alone makes life truly worthy and meaningful.”

“The seeds of ‘seva bhava’ lie dormant within each one of us, and it is completely up to us whether we allow them to grow, by valuing and respecting the presence of such a noble emotion within us or look at it as a cumbersome, waste of time and unnecessary distraction from our otherwise hectic schedule. Do we, today, with changing times, needs and mindset really attach the importance needed to keep alive that spark of ‘seva bhava’ and look for every opportunity to serve others in every possible way; or are we happier at receiving ‘seva’ from others? Have lethargy, selfishness and changing priorities changed us? Do we not find enough time to, maybe, buy the much-needed medicines for an old and suffering parent; sit and talk with them which is all that they need from us! Do the tears of one in urgent and desperate need not affect us in any way now? Are we running out of steam so fast and quick now that has the thought of serving God and Guru taken a back seat ! We should consider ourselves fortunate and blessed to have a purpose in life … to have elders to take care of; to make them feel wanted and loved by serving them with a smile !”

“Our aim should be to utilise every opportunity that can serve as a medium…’kisi ki bhi sewa karne ke liye!’ – and at the same time try to wriggle out of a situation ‘jab humey apni sewa karani padey ! ‘ Why should we take upon ourselves additional ‘karma’, irrespective of how well-intentioned it could be, and keep our karmic account ticking unnecessarily?”