SEWA
 

Sewa means service with affection. It is a complete action and it not only serves others but benefits those also who are serving. It provides the server with a sense of well - being, love, prestige and a healthy self - esteem. It connects us to others. It imparts to us a sense of fulfillment, meaning and purpose in life. Sewa helps us to cope with loneliness, sufferings and fear.

Sewa is an act of inner purification. In the beginning Sewa may be effortful, intentional and may at times inconvenient as well. But as the effort progresses, it becomes natural, filling both heart and mind with spontaneous love and compassion. For a Hindu Sewa is opening out to others. It is really the visible from of unity of all mankind as children of God.

In doing Sewa the server worships God in the form of man. Sewa performed with feeling of worship has three steps :

�  He worships God and does Sewa as well.

�  He treats Sewa as worship.

�  For him Sewa becomes the only form of worship.

Sewa in an act of sharing material, mental and spiritual resources with the society, country, earth and nature to help fulfill basic needs and provide stability. Water to the thirsty, food to the hungry, shelter to the homeless, education to the ignorant, love and compassion to those experiencing fear and sorrow are some expressions of Sewa. Sewa also means to help maintain the rules of the Laws which protect society and country from chaos and violence and to increase the economic well being of the society. Sewa also means not hoarding more than we need for the present, while allowing some savings for the future. To protect nature from destruction is Sewa.

Sewa can be for oneself as well. The body needs appropriate food, clothing, shelter and exercise for its optimal functioning. To give less or to provide these needs in excess is not Sewa of the body because the imbalance nay lead to illnesses. The real Sewa for the body is to become aware of its wisdom. The body has a natural wisdom embedded in each of its cell which tells how much food,work, rest, sleep and exercise are needed. If the neds arefulfilled appropriately the body will give immense joy and peace because these are inherent to its nature. The second Sewa for self is to express feelings and emotions like love, anger, pride, resentment etc. in a becoming manner and at appropriate time. If these are suppressed and accumulate, they can get out of controll and create conflict, chaos and violence in the family and the society. When emotions flow naturally, they give colour to life and encourage creativity. The last Sewa to oneself is to serve the soul. Inappropriate indulgence in the external world is a hindrance in the path of spiritualism of oneness with God. Unless we are vigilant there is a danger of regressing into the lower state of living.

The Sewa for others should be done without ulterior motives. It shpuld be free from religious, political, cultural, ideological or economic gains. Sometimes Sewa may alienate the person or community from their culture and natural environment. Instead of benefiting the receiver it may do irreparable harm to him. Secondly, Sewa given should be according to the needs of the person or community we are serving. It should not be based on what we know or possess and should not be dominated by our narrow vision.

Sewa is not a random distribution of goods and services in which one party gives and the other receives passively. True Sewa consists in the full participation of both, those who serve and those who are served.

In such a Sewa the priniple of Contact (Sampark) and Co-operative partnership (Sahayog) comes into play with its full force.