The Art of Sewa –Upgrading from Taker to Giver
The rat race of survival keeps us busy all our lives. We generally spend our energy and time with the sole aim of being good providers for our families during our working days. In the end, we all dream of retiring to a peaceful life where we are free to do what we choose. But this dream turns sour, and suddenly we find that we have so much time at our disposal and do not know how to use the same. When we were working there was a routine and lots of work, but after retirement, we feel lost and disoriented. Now is the time for introspection.
You will find that we over a period of time have forgotten the Art of ‘giving’ and are busy only ‘Taking’. Actually, nature has designed a cyclic food chain that rests on interdependence, mutuality, and co-existence. Humans sit top of this food chain. Our culture recognized this and establish rituals and values wherein humans consciously participated in the cycle of performing SEWA, thus converting them to Givers from the earlier position of taking only. Most Eastern religions raised this to the highest levels of Dharma and made it mandatory to perform SEWA. The Sikhs are living examples of this, who regularly perform SEWA in Gurudwaras and during natural calamities.
SEWAS performed by Our Ancestors
Just look back and see what our ancestors did. Each morning they offered water to the Sun, provided water and feed to the birds, and then ensured that a portion of their meal was kept aside for feeding the common animals of nearby area. A sense of responsibility towards the living beings surrounding our elders took priority. Today we live in urban areas-separated physically and mentally- from the magnificent nature that nurtures us. This separation further heightens the loneliness. Here are some tips to overcome this deficiency:
- Start with meeting the rising Sun, and offer water from the place from where you can view Sun rising. This act will ensure that your daily routine synchronises with the solar cycle. The benefits of early Sunrays are only too well known.
- Next, find an area where birds come, play and sing. Place a water dish and spread some bird feed there. If you are able to fix a routine or regularly do this, you will be surprised to see birds anxiously waiting for you.
- The next activity is feeding the animals in your area. In all localities, some pockets always will be there where you may find different animals, like stray dogs and cattle. Feed them the portion which you have kept for them from your daily food plate. You could also regularly clean up your fridge by passing the unused leftovers to these animals. Their warm look will give you a sense of satisfaction that arises from sharing and giving.
These simple acts of SEWA performed daily will help you climb the ladder whose steps take you from being TAKER to a GIVER, increasing your sense of worth. You can find many more ways of giving SEWA, depending on your surroundings, so that you become a GIVER aligning yourself with NATURE. These activities will repurpose your life and add meaning to it.
Waiting for your views on this blog.
Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
13th July 2023