In His mysterious way, Swami planted a small seed of Seva in me, a young 21 year old engineering graduate. When I first started being a part of breakfast Seva in 2015, I was still looking for a job. This however did not stop me from being part of breakfast Seva whenever it was held in the small hut in JP Nagar.

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I was a young boy who was plagued by a lot of anxious thoughts with respect to my job situation. The one hour spent with the children of the breakfast Seva was the highlight of my day. It remained the highlight of my day even after getting a job. Some of the best days of my adult life were centered around this small act of breakfast Seva, even though I had to travel close to 50 km in Bangalore traffic. I was taken aback when my colleague remarked that I was patient even in the face of being stuck in a traffic jam for close to an hour. I was never known for my patience back in my college days. My mornings used to start with Seva and it provided me a bubble of love which sustained me through the days. There was one particular day where I reached work and was basking in so much love that I did not want to do anything other than to sit with my eyes closed and share that love with Swami, in my heart. That was the day I realised the power of love!

 

It was in November of the same year that Swami started Annapoorna Breakfast programme; it was the middle of a working day when we received a group message asking for volunteers. Without any hesitation, I gave my name. It has been Swami’s subtle doing that has proved to be a guiding star for me even now, when I am pursuing my Master’s in the USA.

 

Even to this day, almost a year since I was part of breakfast Seva, I still recall events from serving those children. I have told all my roommates about those children, often with a huge grin on my face. Truly, Swami’s words that those who serve are also benefited is proving to be true. The simple lesson of not judging any child, but understanding why and where the child is coming from, has helped resolve multiple conflicts in both my professional and personal life. Whenever anyone asks me for advice, my reply is always ‘try and be part of Seva, it will help you more than you can help anyone else’. Only by Swami’s infinite grace was I able to get this opportunity and I hope to keep getting such opportunities. It is my humble and sincere prayer that my heart is always filled with love and that my hands are always doing Swami’s work.