Now Serving: Community

A dear friend of mine, who I met in 2006 in a MySpace chat room discussing spirituality, of all places, gifted me with one of my favorite definitions of heaven. She said, “I imagine heaven as no separation. Whatever I am doing, I am one with God. Whether it is driving my car, reading a book, having a conversation with someone, going to work; there would be no separation from God.” That has always stuck with me. How lovely to attempt to create heaven here on Earth through your everyday activity. By being of service to one another, we are honoring the divine in each of us, creating union; no separation.

My favorite prayer right now is The Lord’s Prayer by St. Francis de Assisi:

Lord,

Make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

Where there is injury, pardon.

Where there is doubt, faith.

Where there is despair, hope.

Where there is darkness, light.

Where there is sadness, joy.

Oh, Divine Master,

Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console.

To be understood as to understand.

To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive.

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.

It is in dying that we are born into eternal life.

This prayer guides my daily perspective and it aids me in my response to others. It helps me stay mindful of my values and priorities.  To serve myself is to serve the God in others. It is not as self-sacrificing as it may sound. Rather, it is enriching because this life abides by a code of love and peace. This prayer is especially helpful when communicating with someone with whom I may not fully share ideals. Instead of prioritizing being understood myself, or being right, the call is to understand or to be empathetic to their point of view, possibly opening up a space for a common experience. This may not result in an agreement on facts or beliefs, but it helps foster an atmosphere of mutual respect and above all, kindness.

I am no saint. Not yet anyway. For instance, my teenage son sometimes has to tell me, “Mom, you need to get to your Zen place or something.” Nonetheless, I am continually calibrating my life to this prayer; to this life dedicated to nurturing community as my act of service.  From this moment to my exiting breath, I desire to become even more compassionate, peaceful and loving.  My vessel belongs to the Greater Good, imperfections and all.

The Universe provides abundantly. To honor this richness, the response is to focus on giving of myself.  In the yoga and spiritual communities there is a word that is used to describe this intention: Seva.

Seva is a Sanskrit word that comes from two words ‘seha’ and ‘eva’. The former meaning ‘with that’ and the latter meaning ‘too’ which translates the word Seva to mean ‘together with’.  Seva is blessed actions of selfless service that seek collective upliftment through an expression of compassion and desire to elevate others without any thought of reward or personal benefit. This is a spiritual practice working towards the common good for all or betterment of a community; where “the act itself is a gift to everyone involved” (Daniel Scott) as well as the moral enrichment of the person performing the seva.

Daniel Scott writes in an article he contributed to Mind Body Green, Seva: The Art of Selfless Service:

“Ram Dass explains this beautifully: “Helping out is not some special skill. It is not the domain of rare individuals. It is not confined to a single part of our lives. We simply heed the call of that natural impulse within and follow it where it leads us.”

Despite our seemingly unlimited capacity to connect, it's very easy to feel limited in a world of dynamic change. Asking questions like "Can I really make a difference?" or "How am I supposed to help?" only serve to delay or avoid action. With Seva, the only answer you need is YES.

Yes, I can help. Yes, I will do this. Yes, this is possible.”

A natural reply to living life with a keen sense of gratitude is generosity and sharing. Living in awareness of the many miracles and blessings all around propels me to share the wealth of knowledge and experience I receive with others.  Every person has the right to happiness. We are all agents of change for one another. Living cooperatively and in support of (not responsible for) one another’s success creates tribe culture. Tribe culture creates the framework where many take care of one and one takes care of many and all share in the abundance of the collective.

Operating within the collective, creates heaven on Earth. Because everything we do, large or small is in step with the Divine purpose.  A community that is dedicated to service makes those ‘yeses’ easier, more willing and more rewarding and fun. To see the success in another mirrors the success in us all. With this perspective the possibilities for what can be accomplished together, all with hearts of servants, is infinite! It makes the hairs on my arm stand on end thinking of it.

With a great honor and love of the Oneness that binds us all, whatever name or nameless quality we assign to it; and with love for oneself and for others, mountains move. True leaders are true servants.  Through seva we enact loving change in our local communities that have an immense energetic impact to the world around us.

Waheguru!

All I can say now is, "I am at your service."

Namaste and Sat Nam!

(Note: In my opinion, everyone must hear Servant of Peace sung by the angelic Snatam Kaur)