SELFLESS SERVICE

SELFLESS SERVICE

Serving God in human form is the service at its best. It glorifies the human as a divine and dignified being and is the most rational and effective way for spiritual growth. As we cultivate an attitude of service, we learn how to make all of our life's work service to God. All aspects of our life lead to spiritual growth and ultimately, we come to understand that serving humanity and serving God are one and the same. In other words selfless service is meditation in action. By the selfless service, one finds spirituality.

Meditation in action means that we take the sense of inner peace that we've developed while sitting on the cushion and let it out into the world, into everyday activity and serving the humanity (Step 11 & 12).

Do not try to change the world? You will fail. Try to love the world. And the world is changed, changed forever.

Meditation in action is about morality, generosity, gaining insight of self with cultivation of love, compassion, and wisdom by translating it in to action. Have you ever watched a sunset, sat by the ocean, or taken a walk in the forest and felt complete inner peace and well being in the company of attributes of God? That is the same feeling that is experienced during service of people as it leads to contentment, which is one of the most important virtues to be developed. It needs the Grace of God to do selfless service of the humanity, which in itself is the service to the Lord. He alone serves the Lord, upon whom the Lord casts His Glance of Grace. Without selfless service, no one ever receives the fruits of their rewards. Serving the Lord by serving fellows is the most excellent action.

The Grace of the Lord thus received makes us to become selfless in spite of our selfishness at biological level and brings up the hidden spiritual dimension to our personality. It brings out necessary refinement in intellect to sharpen the reason and leads us to intuitive realization of virtue of selfless behavior and attitude. But this process is very slow and calls for conscious and deliberate efforts on the part of the individual as well. 12 step philosophy of service is closely linked with moral and ethical social code. It is a two-way exchange; to become selfless one has to engage in service, and more a person becomes selfless the more he/she enjoys serving others. When we meditate in silence with utmost devotion, which is one form of contemplative meditation leading to personal mental tranquility but when we try to dedicate our work to God or humanity, which is another form of meditation, which we may call manifestation. At that time we are serving the divinity in humanity. Those fellows who are clean inside, their service is accepted and shall find serenity in doing selfless service.

In order to serve the divinity in humanity effectively, we have to consciously feel God's presence in those we are serving. While we are speaking to someone, we have to feel that we are speaking to the divinity within that person. Otherwise, if we are just helping someone in our own way without any conscious feeling of dedication to the Supreme, that work cannot be considered as a form of manifestation or as meditation in action but a reward to that service. The righteous waste their righteousness, by asking for the reward in return of their service.

If we pray and meditate, we will feel that God is inside everybody, that it is a living reality. God is everywhere and in everything, true and then this mental belief becomes real, living in Truth Itself. At that time we will consciously serve each person precisely because we know and feel that God is inside him. Center your awareness on selfless service-and focus your consciousness on the serenity prayer and step 12.

If we do not see God, truth, or light in our action, then our physical mind may not be convinced of the value of the things that we are doing. Today we will serve someone and tomorrow we will say, "Oh, he is such a fool! He has no aspiration, no good qualities! Why should I serve him? One who serves in egotism is not accepted or approved.

If we look at an individual without prayer and meditation, we will separate the person from the consciousness. But if we pray and meditate, then we will see the divinity inside each person, and we will try to bring his or her divinity to the fore.

If we pray and meditate, then our work will be dedicated service to Divinity, and this dedicated service will help us to make spiritual progress. When selfishness and conceit are erased, peace comes, and the mind and body are healed. There are many people who work fifteen, sixteen hours a day. But their action is not dedicated service. They are only working mechanically to make money and take care of their outer responsibilities. The person, who earns through hard work, and then gives away some in charity, has realized the true path of spiritual life and growth.

The most important characteristic of selfless service is the right motivation. One should not act for gain or reward but should perform actions for the sake of helping other people, as acts of selfless giving. The more you give, the more you receive. The unselfish and compassionate acts will not only help others, but will also help to broaden our minds as well with spiritual wisdom.

Conclusion:

1. Abandon your self to God as you understand Him.
2. Admit your faults to God and your fellows.
3. Clear away the wreckage of the past.
4. Give freely what you find and join us.
5. Do selfless services, follow 12 steps, abandon pride, falsehood and arrogance.

So Be It.