Service
“I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy.”
Rabindranath Tagore
A
culture with a heritage of slavery or indentured servitude, such as
those in the Americas, Europe, Africa, and many parts of Asia,
could easily drift to the wrong attitude about service. If I am
enslaved, my inclination is to resist servitude. If I am the slaver, I
expect to be served. I will be entitled. If not served, I will feel
resentful. Such a culture might miss the correct understanding
that service is a gift to the recipient of the service and to the
server as well. Service given freely is an act of generosity and
compassion. It opens the server’s heart and it creates a
benevolent bond between the people involved. It enables the giver to
experience joy and puts them in the position to feel loved.
If
my objective is to control others, I will receive back resentment. If
my need is to get more wealth by taking from others and not sharing,
what I reap will be an inclination in others to take my things. If I
share freely, I open to the possibility of abundant reward.
In
hard times, say in an economic depression or in a natural disaster,
those who thrive will be those who figure out how to be of
service. If people are hungry and your plan is to feed people, do
you think you would unwillingly go hungry? Not likely.
Service
creates meaning. If your life feels meaningless, you must ask yourself
how you serve. Service connects us with others. It naturally generates
good feelings. It makes us part of the community.
Sitting
comfortably, take a few moments to contemplate the questions below.
Feel yourself growing calmer and more in touch with the place of
compassion in your heart. Let go of unnecessary muscle tension and
remember to breathe in and out slowly and gently. Be kind to yourself.
Do not be judgmental of yourself, but be open to possibilities. There
is so much to be done for the world, for the country, for the
community, for family, for friends, for the environment, for the poor,
for the abused, for the unfree.
How do I serve now?
What do I have to give?
What am I called upon to give?
How do I prevent myself from responding to need?
What would I have to give up to make my contribution?
What can I do today to be of greater service?
Why not begin?
“I serve humanity and the universe unconditionally.
You serve humanity and the universe unconditionally.
Together, we serve humanity and all souls in the universe unconditionally.”
Empowerments of Dr. Zhi Gang Sha in Soul Communication: Opening Your Spiritual Channels for Success and Fulfillment
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