Seva or Sewa, meaning selfless service, is a Sanskrit word defined as the act of performing a service without the expectation of a result or award. This act is the basis and foundation of Karma Yoga or the yoga of action. The idea is that by serving others selflessly, we are indirectly serving God or the Universal Creator. No matter your spiritual practice or background, selfless service can improve your life in many ways and teach you a variety of things.
Humility
Doing something for someone else without expecting something else in return can really improve one’s humility. It takes the focus off of ourselves and puts it on others. When engaging in Seva, you are putting all of your attention toward that action instead of worrying about the outcome of it and how it will benefit you.
Compassion
By rendering service selflessly, you are practicing acts of compassion. When you don’t expect a reward or benefit for yourself, you are simply doing the act for the benefit of another. This grows your compassion for other beings and groups of people. These selfless acts of service are sprouted from a kindling fire of kindness within your heart. You are acting not for yourself but to help others. That is an act of compassion.
Mindfulness and Presence
To retouch on something mentioned before, when you are serving others in some way, there is a sense of mindfulness and presence that is involved. You are not focusing on the action’s outcome, the reward at the end, or how it might benefit you. You are being present in the moment, engaging in the help of others, and using that to put your hard work and effort into whatever it might be. This can be used as a meditative practice, teaching you mindfulness and presence in your day-to-day life.
Seva can be done not only to serve a Higher Power but simply to serve others. By engaging in selfless acts, we learn to grow loving-kindness within ourselves and become more humble and compassionate beings. When we do these acts with pure presence and awareness, we can take this into our daily lives and enjoy the moment with more mindfulness.
