The concept of Sewa
Sewa is a prominent part of Sikh religion. Illustrative models of voluntary service are organized for imparting training in the Gurdwaras. Its simple forms are : sweeping and plastering the floors of the Gurdwara, serving water or fanning the congregation, offering provisions to and rendering any kind of service in the common kitchen-cum-eating house, dusting the shoes of the people visiting the Gurdwara and so on.
The
Gurus have enumerated various benefits from doing selfless service. One may
obtain inner happiness and real honor. As one learns to be humble and associates
with holy person, and progresses on the spiritual path, so one may come to
worldly success. Sikhism, requires a Sadhana - an effort towards the
spiritualizing of the self.
All the Gurus performed various kinds of voluntary service, both inside and outside Sikh institutions. The Sikhs then followed in their foot-steps; we have examples of the services of Bhai Manjh, Bhai Hindal, Bhai Bidhi Chand and Bhai Kanhaiya, to name but a few. Even today, we find various kinds of service organisations run by the Sikhs in India, like orphanages, widows' homes, institutes for the destitute and the handicapped, like the Blind school.
The Gurus mentioned the performance of selfless service on the part of a disciple as the first step in Sikhism. By doing service of various kinds without payment or any expectation of reward, one acts as a Sewak, or Sewadar. From this may spring humility and the consequent elimination of one's ego in this way, God's "Name" can best enter an humbled mind.
The Sikh spirit of Seva
By Ramesh Seth
In India, seva or selfless service to others is a long-standing tradition. In
Sikhism particularly, it continues to be widely practiced with great devotion. I
was a witness to the Sikhs’ spirit of seva in action. On one wintry night, my
wife and I were traveling by train from Delhi to Amritsar. Once or twice when I
woke up I found it was raining heavily outside. At dawn, I found the train had
stopped just before Ludhiana station. The track ahead was submerged under water.
I stood near the door of the bogey to watch with worry the pounding rain and
rising water.
Then I saw three well-built Sikhs approaching my bogey. They held umbrellas and
a bucket each in their hands. One of them addressed me, “Do you need some tea?”
It was most welcome. “Yes, please,” I replied. “Then bring your glass and take
it. And if others in your bogey also need tea, tell them too to please come and
get it.”
After getting two teas, I asked, “How much do I pay?” They looked at me, amused,
“Bauji, we are from the gurdwara,” one of them said pointing to the gurdwara
building not far from the railway track. “It is a seva we are doing. When we saw
your stranded train, we thought you people would need tea. Now, if you’d excuse
us, we have to cover the rest of the train.”
I gave one glass of tea to my wife and told her the story. She looked at the
foul weather outside. She was impressed by the dedication of the gurdwara staff.
How steeped one must be in the seva philosophy to brave rain and chilly weather
to serve free hot tea to stranded passengers! “Some seva,” she remarked.
Then a thought occurred to me. Those Sikhs had done their duty, but had I done
mine? When they came back after covering the entire train, I gave them a little
contribution for the gurdwara fund. They were reluctant to accept it, but I
said, “It is my seva for your gurdwara.” Ramesh Seth has made a documentary on
the Golden Temple.
