RELIGIOUS AND SPIRITUAL PRACTICES

What is Service (Karma Yoga)?

True service is to serve the Divine and work to help the Divine Will unfold in the world. This requires devotion and surrender. Service is not mere charity and it is certainly not promoting one religious creed against another or fostering conversion to a belief.

Such service is only possible when our actions are not based upon personal or collective motivation, when we are not seeking special results for ourselves in what we do. Service may involve all manner of help whether charity, medical aid, teaching, establishing schools or hospitals, and so on. It may involve not only helping people but helping animals and the Earth itself.

It may sometimes involve political action but this has to be approached with great care, sensitivity and selflessness. Yet whether these outer forms are helpful depends upon on if we are working in harmony with Divine Grace. This we can know by the peace of mind our service brings us and its ability to open us up to higher states of consciousness wherein we see the Divine in all beings.

Whatever we do in life should be a service to God. If it is not then our action is deficient and will not bring us all that we truly seek. Our spiritual practice itself, meditation done properly, is the highest service wherein we bring the Divine Power directly not only into our own minds but that of all the world with which we are connected.

[ Back ] [ David Frawley ] [ Up ] [ Next ]