Disinterested service will ennoble man and raise his stature. It endows man with the intelligence and the skills required to refine human nature. Doing one's duty diligentlt is not enough. Men have to cultivate other qualities like love, sympathy, fairness, compassion and forgiveness. Only when one has these qualities will he be able to render dedicated service.
It is the sense of dualism - of "mine" and "thine" - which accounts for all the joys and sorrows, likes and dislikes, experienced by man. This dualism is rooted in selfishness, which makes one think that as long as he is all right, it does not matter what happens to the world. Such a self-centered person, who regards his body, his wealth and his family as all that matter for him, looks upon truth as untruth and the false as true. To get rid of this deep-seated malaise, men have to engage themselves in service. They have to realise that the body has been given not to serve one's own interests but to serve others.
Service should not be done in a spirit of
condescension or to achieve some ulterior selfish objective. Not recognising
the sacredness and purifying power of service, people hesitate to embark
on social service. It should not be imagined that one is promoting the
well-being of the nation by one's service. One should realise that he is
ettering himself by rendering service.
What is required for service are not money and
materials. A loving heart is the first requisite. All service done without
a love-filled heart is as dry as dust. Fill your hearts with love.
When you are filled with conceit, everyything looks misshapen. When you
are immersed in the Spirit , evertything looks good and beautiful.
Forgetting this higher destiny of man, people are ceasing to be human.
The spirit of sacrifice(thyaga) is essential for rendering dedicated service. Pride is the first evil trait that has to be renounced. Getting rid of bad qualities is real sacrifice; it is also a spiritual discipline (yoga). As this is not being properly conveyed to the people, they tend to go astray and take to wrong paths. They do not realise that to whomsoever they may be doing service, they are indeed serving the Divine in various human forms. Those who serve have to cherish this sublime and sacred feeling. They must strive to see God in everyone.
You must realise that your service activities
are done for the sake of your own spiritual purification and uplift and
have nothing to do with Swami. All actions should be performed with a view
to purifying the mind and removing all the dross from it. It is wrong to
think that through actions alone you can attain liberation or redeem your
lives. Actions have to be done only for the purification of the Chitta
(Will). Without purity of Will, life cannot be spiritualised. Human birth
is the result of Karma (action). Right action leads to Dharma
(Righteousness). Through Dharma, The Divine has to be realised.
Birth - Action - Righteousness - Brahman are inter-related in this
manner.
To plead that one has no time for service
activities because of official duties or other preoccupations is an utterly
lame excuse. Even in your official work you can render service. There is
no need to go to bazaars for street cleaning. That is not the only
means of serving the public. Whatever your official duties, whatever
your profession or occupation, if you discharge your duties properly and
efficiently, that is also social service. The right attitude for officials
in authority towards service should be to ask themselves whether the services
they render are commensurate with the salaries they receive.
Seldom do we see persons in employment, whether they are workers or officers,
doing the amount of work that would justify the salaries they get. They
all want more renumeration, but are not prepared to work more. They
should realise that this kind of attitude is a betrayal of the nation.
Whose money are they receiving as wages? It is the public's money.
To fail in the discharge of one's duties to the public is a grievous
disservice. If a teacher imparts education on right lines, he is rendering
real national service. Likewise, if a merchant conducts his business on
the basis of earning not more than what is needed to meet his reasonable
needs, he will be rendering public service. When this attitude
prevails, there is no need to claim that one is engaged in service. He
should be content to abide by the dictates of his conscience.
What will please Baba is the proper performance
of one's duties. This constitutes Seva (dedicated service). Avail yourself
of every possible occasion to render service to society. It need not be
limited to individuals. It is important to do national service. You need
not seek to know what kinds of service should be done. Whenever you find
that you can render help to anyone in need, offer it. Do not make distinctions
between rich and poor or the deserving and the undeserving. Offer service
according to the needs of the situation.
The Sai Seva Organisations have to set an example to service organisations all over the world. There is no place in them for differences of caste, creed or community. Character is greater than caste. All your activities should be based on love and sacrifice.