Selfless service is love in action

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It is a selfish world that we inhabit. It is nothing unusual because the whole world is pretty much that way. Service of any kind, often in return for no gratitude or appreciation, to anyone other than those who matter to us seems superfluous.

But the benefits of doing seva are many indeed. When we go from thinking about our kith and kin and ourselves to thinking of others, our hearts expand and the focus on the self dissolves. Service also helps in building up a community spirit. We have all been blessed, rather generously. There are many things that we enjoy on account of divine grace, nature’s bounty and unselfish hearts — the air we breathe, the water we drink, the shade of the trees that people who went before us planted, the subsidised education that we have received. It’s good to give it back, as a sign of gratitude.
Fortunately, in today’s world there are innumerable opportunities to serve. One doesn’t need a fat wallet or huge infrastructure. From volunteering at places of worship, in ashrams (washing dishes, cleaning floors, cooking and serving food), visiting old-age homes and orphanages, educating the illiterate, helping NGOs with pro bono work (it is not always about money) — the list is endless.
That said, the attitude with which we serve is paramount. Adopting a patronising attitude is the first big no- no. “Do not stand on a high pedestal and take five cents in your hand and say here my poor man, but be grateful that the poor man is there so that by making a gift to him you are able to help yourself,” reminded Swami Vivekananda.
The intention with which we do service makes a huge difference. If we serve in expectation of reward, we only accumulate bad karma. Service for the sake of service is the only path to salvation.
How can we serve just about anyone — including people we don’t like or we don’t know?
Mother Teresa tells it beautifully, “I see Jesus in every human being. I say to myself — this is hungry Jesus I must feed him. This is sick Jesus. This one has leprosy or gangrene. I must wash him and tend to him. I serve because I love Jesus.”
We also naturally gravitate towards service opportunities that we like and avoid menial tasks that are part of seva. Once, few followers came to Mahatma Gandhi’s ashram seeking spiritual upliftment. He asked them to wash the toilets instead! Gandhi, who led by example, demonstrated that doing such tasks with love, enthusiasm and perfection is the first step towards dissolving the ego, expanding one’s heart and developing tolerance, humility and compassion.