As October brings us our theme of CHARITY, I wanted to write something about the concept of seva which is fundamental to the practice of kundalini yoga and a meaningful way to help others.
“Seva or service is infinite giving. Service is not finite giving. If you do some service and say, ‘I served,’ then you have totally missed the point. Service is when you feel honored by doing something. You don’t feel honor in the company of many. You feel it within your own self. That is service.
Seva is when your inside is honored, when you honor yourself. When I am honored in my consciousness for doing something, it is seva. When I stand before my consciousness, I feel good, and I say, ‘Well, I am so blessed that I could do it.’ That’s seva.”
When we practice kundalini yoga we connect to our inner power. It’s always there, just hidden within us. As we become aware of this amazing human potential inside of us, it can cause shifts in consciousness.
What can/should I do with this creative energy? The very fact that you may be asking the questions means you are already on a beautiful journey. The way to reach your highest consciousness is to serve others. To practice seva.
Give without being asked. Serve without expecting a reward. As Yogi Bhajan would say, be a forklift. This is a meaningful way to serve others.
So if you want to deepen your spiritual practice, add some seva in. Volunteer at a local charity. Support a neighbour in need. Help a stranger if they look like they need it.
“No man can give a man anything other than love. No man can give a man anything other than hope. No man can give a man anything but service. The only thing you can do is act like a forklift—go into the dirt and lift the other person and put him on track, so he can proceed. You will ask me the question, “If I start doing that all the time, what will happen to me?” Then the big forklift will come and lift you up. Is there a better deal than that?”
Be a forklift.
