Sai Ashraya Youth Service
Northern California Youth
Service is divine - It makes life worthwhile.
When intentions are humble and from the heart, Bhagawan shows us that love is present everywhere. youth in the Bay Area had a beautiful experience doing the monthly Seva in November. The service started out on a beautiful day. As the winter sets in, it gets chilly and it starts raining, the youth decided to distribute blankets, socks, beanies and hot soup, they set out early in the morning at sunrise to help the homeless. As they reached their designated spot, the people who spent the cold night in just tents and tarp covers were pleasantly happy to wake up to hot soup. As the youth distributed the goodies, the friendly people also struck a heart warming conversation with the group. One lady, a 63 year old, who had been homeless for many years shared her story on how she has now joined a community that is fighting for the cause of a homeless. The youth also had the opportunity to meet and talk about this cause to the founders (also homeless) of the community. The youth were pleasantly surprised and happy to know that the community is making use of social media to spread the word. The community has its own facebook page and they are putting in every bit of effort to create an awareness amongst the public and getting help towards ending homelessness. It was really inspiring for the youth to speak to them and listen to some of their challenges. When asked what they needed and if the youth could be of help in anyway, they replied, “As far as things we need we are mostly good, but we appreciate if people could hang around and chat with us!".
This reiterates the lesson that Bhagawan has been emphasizing on how to do Seva.
“Give in reverence. Give in plenty. Give with modesty. Give as a friend. Give without any thought of reward. Do not give ostentatiously. The service in the hospital, the service during the Bhajan (devotional singing), all have to be done with humility and reverence. Then only can they yield chitta-shuddhi (purity of consciousness), which is the main benefit derivable from Seva ”, He says (Sathya Sai Speaks 7.48: December 21, 1967). It is not sufficient if one just serves food or distribute goodies, but one must talk to them with love, understand them and spread the word of love.
On that particular day, it seemed more people were willing to talk. It was definitely Bhagwan’s miracle. One of them even gave a short discourse on Bhagavad Gita. He showed the picture of Lord Ganesha he carried with him all the time and explained about what Krishna had told Arjuna in Bhagwad Gita. The youth were left speechless at his knowledge and experience. Another person thanked the youth for the blankets and said, "Thank you for doing this, I was, in fact, praying to god for this!”
Swami has his way of doing things and wouldn’t all you readers agree that God indeed heard him? Initially, the youth had never planned to distribute socks, but since they had a few pairs to space, they took them along anyway. To their surprise, there was a lady who came up to them and asked for socks instead of the blankets in their hand. Indeed, Words or no words, Bhagawan shows us every single time that ‘Love is present everywhere- In their smiles, eyes, speech and in each and every action’.
