Service rendered with full devotion and without selfish motives is the prerequisite to tread the holy path to realise the Divine within. Guru Amardas, the third Nanak, proclaims that the service rendered according to the instructions of the guru is the supreme meditation and is acceptable at the Divine Portal. Renunciation of the worldly life; […]

Service rendered with full devotion and without selfish motives is the prerequisite to tread the holy path to realise the Divine within. Guru Amardas, the third Nanak, proclaims that the service rendered according to the instructions of the guru is the supreme meditation and is acceptable at the Divine Portal. Renunciation of the worldly life; meditating and living in austerity in forests, caves and cellars; and torturing the body to accumulate occult powers cannot be compared with the virtues of selfless service. By rendering selfless service, the seeker’s ego is eliminated and the Divine Light becomes resplendent in his mind: Gur sewatapaansirritappusaaru. Hari jeeoumannivass-eiSabhdookhvisaarnh-haar.(423) The divine service is much higher than undergoing all sorts of penances and ascetic disciplines. Due to this, the Divine manifests in the heart of that person, who renders the holy service and thereby gets rid of all the sufferings and miseries of the world.

By rendering selfless service, one becomes humble and mind gets purified and unites with the Divine.

Guru Ramdas, the fourth Master, proclaims that only the service rendered with devotion is accepted at the Divine Portal: Satgurkeesewasafalu h-ei J-aikokar-aichittulaa-e. Mannichind-e-aa phalupaavnhaa Haum-eivich-hujaa-e.(644) Service to the guru is fruitful and rewarding if one performs it with full love and devotion with the mind focused on it. The fruits of the mind’s desires are obtained and egoism departs from within.

A man who does this kind of selfless service attains divine wisdom and salvation by eradicating his ego completely. A householder while leading a normal life, should develop his mental state in such a way that he considers all his relations, including parents, siblings, children and others as God-gifted companions. He should realise that it is his divine duty to serve them. He prays to God to seek His blessings to transform the children into enlightened Sikhs. He considers everything — his business and job — as God’s blessings to render service to Him truthfully, with honest toil. He develops this attitude of service that everything is bestowed upon him by the Divine and it is his duty to fulfil His command. In this way, one is rendering divine service by leading the life of a householder. One renders holy service and gets His blessings to fulfil the desires of his life.

According to the Sikh way of life, three kinds of service are considered important for attaining the divine wisdom: selfless service rendered with wealth, body, and mind. The basic self-service is contributing wealth for the divine cause. By doing so, man imbibes a feeling of detachment from wealth. In other words, he does not accumulate it for worldly pleasures but spends the same for the noble cause of humanity, as destined by the Divine. After his mind gets detached from wealth and material possessions, he gets closer to God. In order to get the divine wisdom, the next service is using the body to render noble service to humanity to create a spiritual atmosphere. Due to these services, the mind becomes strong and always remains in service of the Divine within by reciting His name and motivating others to follow His path. By rendering physical service selflessly, one’s mind rises above bodily comforts, attachments and develops the mental strength to withstand hardships while rendering strenuous service. As a result, his consciousness spontaneously develops devotion, love and an urge to realise the Divine within by getting rid of the five vices — lust, anger, greed, pride and attachment. In this way, one treads the divine path, eradicating the ego completely and is united with the Supreme Being.

Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth Master of Sikhs, affirms that only that person realises God, who renders selfless-service. Sewa karat-ho-e nehkaamee.Tisskaouhoatpraapatisuaamee. (286) While rendering service, one should develop the feeling that it is being done with the blessings of the Divine. In this way, he fully submits to the Divine to render selfless service which leads him to realise the Divine within.

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