"Godliness in Action"

Seva

“One night it rained, and at the shoe deposit area where men collect your shoes, put them into a cubby, and return a token, a line of women sat on the ground in the back of the cubby area. In the midst of those dirty, muddy shoes, these women scrubbed shoes of complete strangers clean with hand brushes. They did this for some time, and then just as nonchalantly as they had entered, they anonymously left: godliness in action.”

Neil Patel (Golden Temple; Parabola, 2015)

Neil Patel's article in the Parabola magazine tells of the personal service done by Sikh men and women at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India. Every day, every square inch of the temple is cleaned, and 75,000 people are served a hardy meal by volunteers. All dishes are hand washed by a changing line of those who come to seva (selfless service) as part of their religious practice.

“Millionaires stand side by side with villagers to do the dishes...” No job is too small or humble for it to be of value, and the temple itself exudes universal love because of all the small, anonymous acts of service done there.

I had a conversation with a friend over lunch this week. She told me of her plans, together with her husband, to spend two months at a condo in Florida. I asked, “What will you do there?” and she seemed perplexed by the question. Then she informed me that they went for a month last year, and wanted to try for two. So, I rephrased my question, “So, how will you spend your time? What will you do?” Finally, sounding somewhat exasperated, she told me, “Well, nothing! It's a whole new lifestyle!”

As usual, that got me pondering how incredibly difficult it would be for me to spend two months doing “nothing.” Two days, maybe, but two months would be an eternity. I felt uncomfortable even thinking about it. I had to dig a little, since by Jungian standards that discomfort is an indication of shadow material trying to scratch its way into consciousness. What I came up with is that some of my reaction is simply the nature of the beast, a doer as opposed to an observer. As one who is deeply embedded in the work ethic of my forebears, I am genetically programmed to “do.” But the other thought is that I want my life, such as it is, to count for something. I do not want to get to the end of my days and realize I wasted the gift of a long, human lifetime on idleness or self-indulgence.

While I could use a little more “nothingness” in my days, I admire the selfless service of the Sikhs who care for the Golden Temple. They serve out of love, not out of duty, and that love is what visitors who come there feel. To humbly offer what you have to offer, without expectation of accolades or rewards, doesn't have to be a lifestyle, but it is a very important part of healthy spirituality.

                                                           In the Spirit,

                                                                Jane