Sai Anandam Group Students At Seva In The Netherlands
Swami has always emphasised on the key purpose of education, which is both acquisition of worldly knowledge and spiritual growth. Among the nine forms of devotion, the greatest is service to mankind. Eradicating hunger is the first step to any form of development. According to Swami’s instructions given during Darshan in Italy, in May 2019, the youth of Netherlands have been striving for new opportunities of Seva. In His words, "Feeding the homeless" became the basis for the group's motivation. Within just a few days of His guidance, by His Will and Grace, some of the members were able to find such an opportunity. The initiative of providing food for refugees in Netherlands by members of Sai Anandam youth group has been a perfect platform for the students from various universities to find a new path to understanding the values of life. Compassion, humility and being able to serve without any expectations are the biggest takeaways of the activity.
As students, the youth are completely lost in the journey towards obtaining their degrees. They forget to exercise the most basic skills that shape them into human beings. This Seva activity has brought a lot of change in perspective and has widened their horizons to spread love. The refugees that the youth met have shared their life stories of dark times, struggles and life’s lessons. But at the same time, they also talk about hope and finding the ray of light during such times. One such touching story the youth got to hear was about a man whose mother brought them to Europe from a war-torn region in Africa to escape misery; how they had to hide all the way to protect themselves from explosions and shootings. This made the youth realise the value of a blessed life filled with love, compassion and comfort that Swami has blessed them with. They are able to understand how they can share the same blessings in a small way, through food. The activity takes place once a month in Eindhoven, Netherlands where the refugees are given vegetarian meal, nutritious Indian food with fresh vegetables and fruits. Nearly 30 people attend these sessions. The youth also include the refugees in making fruit bowls, salad and small dishes so that everyone has an opportunity to interact and learn from the other!
This not only throws light on the basic human qualities one needs to have, in order to have a satisfying life, but also makes young students understand that there is much more to life than entirely working 40 hours a week and enjoying weekends. There is some social responsibility that everyone shares. Through this programme, Swami has taught everyone how to serve without expectations. It is observed among the group that this elevates their emotional quotient. Being able to see God in every person they serve is a learning that is helping them become more compassionate. It is a blissful experience to be His instruments and see His love reaching out to people across the globe!