Dr. Vijai S Shankar MD.PhD.
Published on www.academy-advaita.com
The Netherlands
23 December 2017
Seva
“Grace of God”
Seva in the Sanskrit language means service. Religion and scriptures indicate that “offering one act for genuine Seva attracts the Grace of God.” The wisdom in this sentence is profound and needs to be understood by every individual.
Firstly, the word ‘seva’ is written with a capital ‘S’. Secondly, the word genuine is before the word Seva. Thirdly, it mentions that genuine seva attracts the grace of God.
It is important to understand the meaning of genuine seva, because it attracts the grace of God. Genuine seva implies unconditional not only in action, but also in speech and intention.
An action, speech or intention may be either genuine or not genuine. An action, speech or intention is genuine if it is done with unconditional love. That is why the word seva is written with a capital ‘S’ and the word genuine implies unconditional love.
Normally, every individual has unconditional love in every action in a spiritual place or circumstance. Unconditional love in every action is, however, absent towards family members at home or to others, because only conditional love in action is present.
Normally, every individual has unconditional love in speech in a spiritual place or circumstance. Unconditional love in speech is, however, absent towards family members at home or to others, because only conditional love in speech is present.
If you argue with any member of the family or with others it means unconditional love is not only absent, but also genuine seva in speech is absent, because "speech towards man is service to God." This is because every member of the family or any one is manifested by God.
Normally, every individual has unconditional love in intention in a spiritual place or circumstance. Unconditional love in intention is, however, absent towards family members at home or to anyone outside the house, because only conditional love in intention is present.
If your intention towards any member of the family or to any other is not honest, it means unconditional love is not only absent, but also genuine intention is absent. This signifies that when genuine seva, which is intention with unconditional love to any member of the family or to anyone, is absent, the seva, meaning service, will not attract the grace of god.
Author: Dr. Vijai S. Shankar
© Copyright V. S. Shankar 2017
Editor’s Note:
By the grace of God is an expression that is known to men and women generally and especially in a religious context. It may also indicate a need or problem that occurs in a person’s life that encourages the spirit of supplication. Deep understanding itself is seva. The words of the enlightened, as gifted in this article, endow the transforming power of service to mankind. Such service has no beginning and no end.
Julian Capper, UK.
German Translator’s Note:
To serve and to help others unconditionally means to serve God, if the help happens unconditionally. It brings us near to God, because what divides us from God is the conditional love of the ego. The “love” of the ego is not true love, but just a wheeling and dealing: You give in order to get something for it. When the ego is absent in the action, meaning realised to be illusory, we are close to God. As long as attachment to the help is present, meaning the feeling that “I am the doer of good deeds”, the ego is present and the love being shared will be conditional and, at least partly, egoistically motivated. Only if Seva is practised without the belief to be the doer, it happens unconditionally. Such a man or woman does Seva with the understanding that their actions are manifested by God alone and not done by the ego. This means doing Seva without being attached to the action through the belief to be the doer. This kind of Seva is, as Dr. Shankar puts it in this wonderful article, the “Grace of God”.
Marcus Stegmaier, Germany.