Service

[SeySorciere]

Dear all,

I am concerned that the service to others aspect of my spiritual journey seems to be missing. I can't seem to find the right thing - my thing. Now I could still just jump in and join some community group or I could wait for the natural flow of progression and hopefully come to know what it is I am supposed to do to serve others.

So what would you advice? Jump in and do? Or wait to know the right thing for me? Or is just sitting in meditation and spreading Love enough?

Sey

[CarsonZi]

Hi Sey...

I remember having this same dilema.  What I realized (much later) was that I was looking at "service" through a lens that was best stripped away.  I realized that being of service to others doesn't have to be something formal.  That serving others in any and every moment is not just possible, but also the most effective form of service.  That means that simply being present with someone, listening to them, giving them a hug, smiling at someone, sharing something with someone, all of this is "service."  We don't have to go out of our way to help build orphanages or schools (although that is great too!!) in order to be of service to others.  Sometimes a simple smile in passing is enough.  This is what has come to feel true for me anyway.

Hope that helps.

Lots of love,
Carson

[Namath]

quote:Originally posted by SeySorciere

 Jump in and do? Or wait to know the right thing for me? Or is just sitting in meditation and spreading Love enough?

Sey

Sounds good...all of them at the same time !

[woosa]

When the time comes to help someone out then you will be ready. At least you want to help out which is a far cry from most of the people I know.

I totally agree with Carson. I wanted to help out too but I don't have the means to make a significant difference. So I'm always around to help out no matter how small those things are. Sometimes they are the most important.

[kami]

Hi Sey,

Karma yoga is not just about serving with a group or community. Nishkama karma has everything to do with the attitude of ordinary, daily, mundane work - simply an adjustment in "how" we go about our daily lives rather than "what" we do. Taking the doership out of the equation is the goal and practice of karma yoga, and both bhakti and/or self-inquiry can be used for this while going about our daily duties. When there is diminishing doership, the desire for specific outcomes diminishes, and finally, the enjoyership of the outcome also fades.

Simply joining an organization or community project but maintaining doership is not what karma yoga really is. Neither is forced practice of kindness - if "I" am the one "practicing" kindness with "not I", there is very much a doer in place. Being spontaneous in action, and becoming aware of aversion or attachment to the "type" of work or interaction (with others) is the real practice. Becoming aware gives way to letting go of both.

My two cents.

[Bodhi Tree]

You could ask the question: How can I be of natural service in my activities?...and release that into stillness. Let the method of samyama (pick up and release) help provide the answer.

That way, the results will not be rigid, arbitrary, or superficial. It will be more spontaneous, creative, contemplative, and in tune with your natural talent to serve.

Practice and live. Love and serve.

[SeySorciere]

Thank you so much. I feel better. In my desire to do more, I was starting to feel guilty - esp. after the recent flooding of the islands causing a lot of damage to homes.

CarsonZi /Kami /Woosa - well explained. I got it. Compassion and kindness in my daily activities have greatly improved with AYP.

Bodhitree - been doing that a while and was getting impatient at not getting a answer.

Namath -

Much Love to you all


Sey

[Goodway]

Service is great.  God knows I've spent a lot of time in service, but one must beware of lending themselves to situations in which one is simply used.  Yes, one must get over being used, but one must also be aware of the line between love and power.

[harsharan000]

Service is good, as long there is no ego in it. Of course their are many types of services, just as physical, mental and spiritual.

Being helpful and kind to all is indeed a good service. But we should not engage  so much in service to others, that we forget about doing service to our very own self.

We must also give time to ourselves through meditation and yoga, for our spiritual growth and maturity, and that is the best service we can give to our "Self".  

Because, the more prepared one is, the better we can serve others.

So as said before, it is very good to serve others with the different possible services, but keeping in mind, that we also need to serve ourselves, with the techniques of Yoga and meditation, so to become spiritually matured.

As someone has beautifully said: we are spiritual beings, going through different range of energetic experiences or vibrations with material mixture.

[Goodway]

quote:Originally posted by harsharan000

Service is good, as long there is no ego in it. Of course their are many types of services, just as physical, mental and spiritual.

Being helpful and kind to all is indeed a good service. But we should not engage  so much in service to others, that we forget about doing service to our very own self.

We must also give time to ourselves through meditation and yoga, for our spiritual growth and maturity, and that is the best service we can give to our "Self".  

Because, the more prepared one is, the better we can serve others.

So as said before, it is very good to serve others with the different possible services, but keeping in mind, that we also need to serve ourselves, with the techniques of Yoga and meditation, so to become spiritually matured.

As someone has beautifully said: we are spiritual beings, going through different range of energetic experiences or vibrations with material mixture.

There are some things to which only one can attend, and if we, ourselves, do not attend to it, we become a liability to others.

[vijikr]

As Carson said it service can be anywhere at anytime..it can be from helping someone out monetarily,or just being with them during their bad times or just hearing their story.It need not always be like you find a big orphange or something like that.

I take Yoga classes and the money that I get I use for charity purpose but how I use it if I go to a restuarent I see s server who is paid less and I give them some amount.In my building there are lot of cleaners,security who are paid very less so I give them also some money may not be a big amount but a little.

Love N Light

[emc]

I notice my whole mindset is changing towards service. It's a very mild and soothing sensation. I notice how I have been extremely self-occupied the whole journey. I've been so caught in my well-being instead of my being. Thanks to mostly the 12-step program, I've slowly understood how I don't have to wait to be "well enough" in order to turn to service. I have of course done service all along - I have a healing gift which is often in use etc, but what I notice now is a calmness inside. It doesn't matter so much how I feel, how my bodily status is etc. I'm not looking for "my purpose in life", as if I have to find out my optimal place in life... work or relationship or whatever...  I'm asking "where can I be of most use right now?" And I let myself be taken over and guided. I never see the whole picture anyway. Never know where I'm creating miracles without knowing it... It's a very nice change. Letting go of lots of competition, comparison, striving to become "right" in this world...  My well-being is not unimportant. But it's no longer given 5 star attention!

[SeySorciere]

quote:Originally posted by emc

...I'm not looking for "my purpose in life", as if I have to find out my optimal place in life... work or relationship or whatever...  I'm asking "where can I be of most use right now?" And I let myself be taken over and guided. I never see the whole picture anyway...

I like that. Thank you. Reminds me of the St. Francis Prayer.



Sey