“Living things feed on food, and food feeds on rain, rain is likewise the water of life, which comes from worship and selfless service.” – Bhagavad Gita
In Sanskrit language there is a word that means serving others in a selfless way: it’s called Seva. Service to others is a very important concept in Hindu philosophy. It is an act of love, compassion and caring for others and oneself. The sacred text Bhagavad Gita encourages the service of others as a way of developing spiritually, since in Hinduism, when you are serving others, you are actually serving God.
“O son of Prtha, there is no work prescribed for Me within all the three planetary systems. Nor am I in want of anything, nor have I need to obtain anything—and yet I am engaged in work.
For, if I did not engage in work, O Partha, certainly all men would follow My path.
If I should cease to work, then all these worlds would be put to ruination. I would also be the cause of creating unwanted population, and I would thereby destroy the peace of all sentient beings.
As the ignorant perform their duties with attachment to results, similarly the learned may also act, but without attachment, for the sake of leading people on the right path.”
Performing Seva is a task that poses a lot of challenges. Certain aspects of service to others can bring up difficulties or brakes and, in working them, become a powerful tool for people to learn more about themselves and, from here, interconnect with the community, creating a constantly evolving network, based on the culture of kindness and cooperation.
That is why the Community Service is one of the four pillars of the Sa Llavor Foundation. In this way, children learn the value of service to others and understand education as a way for social transformation.
