Seva (selfless service) reminds us to be humble and that the basis of all of our experiences in Sadhana (spiritual practice) is the Guru’s grace. And even the fact that we’re able to do any Sadhana at all is the Guru’s grace.
So Seva is the Guru giving us a chance, saying, “Okay, this soul can keep their mind engaged in some devotional activity if I allow them to get involved in this way and do this Seva.” So let me offer this opportunity. “Hey, you can do this Seva, you can do that Seva.” Does a Divine saint, part of a Divine plan, need the cooperation and participation of ordinary material souls to move their plan forward? No, absolutely not.
Krishna has unlimited saints in His Divine abode. He could descend any number of them if He wanted to. You know, whatever He needs done, whatever He needs managed, He can just send a saint on earth to do it. And yet He’s giving us the opportunity to get involved and take on certain roles in His mission.
Just as a way to grace us. So Seva and Sadhana together make a perfect combination. Seva brings us closer to our Divine Master by allowing us to express our feelings of dedication by offering that Seva, whether it be physical Seva, financial Seva, or the mental Seva of doing Sadhana.
In fact, Sadhana itself becomes a form of Seva if it’s done with humbleness. “Oh, my Guru has told me to do this.”
सोइ सेवक प्रियतम मम सोई। मम अनुसासन मानै जोई॥ …
Soi sevak priyatam mam soee | Mam anusasān mānai joee…
- Ramayan Uttar Kand, Chaupai 43 (partial)
Shree Ram says, “My favorite Sevak, my favorite servant is the one who follows my instructions.”
So thinking that Shree Maharaj Ji has said to do Sadhana like this, so I want to please Him, so I’m going to do the roopdhyan (meditation on the Divine form) and Kirtan (devotional singing). Then doing Sadhana also becomes Seva. So Sadhana and Seva go together.
Doing physical Seva or financial Seva brings us closer to our Guru by helping us develop humbleness and giving us the opportunity to offer that part of ourselves, that energy or that effort that we put into that physical or financial Seva. It allows us to express our humbleness and dedication and develop it further.
And practicing Sadhana, where we sit and make our mind do roopdhyan, that helps us to control our mind. It teaches the mind that control and practices the mind to become attached to Radha, Krishna, and Guru over and over and over again.
So we need to do both Sadhana and Seva.
Gita says:
तद्विद्धि प्रणिपातेन परिप्रश्नेन सेवया ।
उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं ज्ञानिनस्तत्त्वदर्शिनः ॥Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā.
Upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ.- Gita 4.34
“The Guru has all the Divine knowledge and all the Divine bliss and can give that to anybody, but you have to be ready to receive it.”
So how do you become ready to receive it? You’re not ready to receive everything the Guru is able to give you. So what do you have to do? Sevaya. You have to serve the Guru. By serving the Guru, you purify your heart and you become more and more open to receive the Guru’s teachings and grace.
