Seva (Continued)

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

6th May, 1999

Chapter 2 - The Path To The Goal That Is You

Day 72 - Seva (Continued)

All the talents you have are for others. If you have a good voice, it is for others. If you are a good cook, it is for others. If you write a good book, it is for others, you don’t sit and read your own book. If you are a good carpenter, it is for others. If you are a good surgeon, it is for others, you cannot do your own surgery. If you are a schoolteacher, it is for others. 

All your work and talents are useful for others. Make use of your talents, or they will not be given to you again. When you do seva, do not think you are doing a favour for somebody. Your seva has rewarded you immediately. Your reward is for sure and is always more than your doing. Your expectation of reward turns seva into labour. If you think you have done a lot, you will do very little. 

Just see that you have done little, then you will do more. Seva means that even when you don’t see an immediate reward, there is no complaint, labour means that even after an immediate reward, there are complaints. Be grateful for any opportunity to do seva. The first sign of intelligence is not to begin anything, not to be born at all. 

Failing this, the second sign of intelligence is, once you have started something, to see it through to the end. Short-sighted people look for short-term benefits. Far-sighted people look for long-term benefits. Whether you consider yourself intelligent or not, there is no escape from seva. Seva gives you immediate satisfaction as well as long-term merits. 

The more you give, the more strength will be given. The way to expand from individual to universal consciousness is to share the sorrow and joy of others. As you grow, your consciousness should also grow. As you expand in knowledge over time, depression is not possible. Your innermost source is joy. 

The way to overcome personal misery is to share universal misery. The way to expand personal joy is to share universal joy. Instead of thinking, “What about me?” “What can I gain from this world?” Think “What can I do for the Knowledge When everyone comes from the point of contributing to society, you will have a divine society. 

We have to educate ourselves and culture our individual consciousness to expand with time in the Knowledge from “What about me?” to “What can I contribute?” If you are not having good experiences in meditation, then do more seva, you will gain merit and your meditation will go deeper. 

When you bring some relief or freedom to someone through seva, good vibrations and blessings come to you. Seva brings merit, merit allows you to go deep in meditation and meditation brings back your smile.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji 

Celebrating Silence