Two Sanskrit terms, seva and daya, very nicely complete the picture of behavior for human beings to follow. Seva means “service” and daya means “compassion” or “kindness”. But more important than knowing what the terms mean is understanding the position of the target beneficiaries. Service is meant to be offered to a superior entity, one who can show us the way and reveal the Truth in a manner that we can understand. Daya is applied to those who are suffering, the downtrodden that are in need of help. Thus compassion and kindness apply especially to inferior entities. But when seva is absent, or when the superior entity is not properly identified, the purity of daya suffers. On the other hand, when seva is directed towards the right person, that one entity who is always superior and forever worthy and capable of accepting service, the effectiveness of the compassion and kindness offered to the suffering only increases.
While daya is witnessed frequently, seva is not. Ironically enough, the penchant for service is built into the properties of the soul. The outer covering that we wear, which has accompanying characteristics, is not the basis for identity. We may take birth in a certain land and be labeled a certain type of citizen, but these circumstances could very easily have been altered. Higher forces, superior figures that we are dependent on, determined where we took birth and what type of parents we received. But we existed prior to birth, though in a different dwelling, or home. Just because the homes shift doesn’t mean that our identities get altered.
“Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.12)
To get more detailed knowledge about the properties of the soul and where it comes from, we must accept information from authority. This shouldn’t be that difficult to do, as we put faith and trust into the words of others all the time. The nightly newscasts describe events happening around the world, but these stories easily could be fabricated. We go on the authority of the anchorperson that the events they are describing are indeed occurring. In a similar manner, we can accept information about the soul given to us by higher authority figures as valid. More important than just accepting the information is acting on it. When knowledge of the soul is put to good use, to attain a tangible benefit, the authenticity and glory of the authority source is validated.
Though we may be forgetful of our love for God, the service propensity remains there just the same. If we are given a brand new laptop computer but don’t know how to type or how to even open it, we will obviously not put the device to good use. If we are given a brand new car to drive but don’t have a license or know of any places to go, we might use the vehicle for storage, a place to put our extra stuff. When we are in ignorance we cannot properly utilize the objects that we have. Similarly, when we remain in the dark about our relationship to God, we misuse the service ability by giving worldly objects highest priority. Instead of serving God, we surrender to cats, dogs, spouses, life partners, employers, friends, citizens, etc. Man will basically offer its love to anything and anyone except God.
Is there a detriment to this aside from the failure to properly make use of the fully potent force of spiritual love found within the soul? There are actually many detriments to the misdirection of service. For starters, the soul continues to remain far away from its constitutional position. If there is no consciousness of the Supreme Lord and His blissful nature, another temporary dwelling will be granted the soul upon exit from its current body. This process is more commonly known as reincarnation, or the transmigration of the soul.
“The living being is eternal by nature, but due to his bondage in material existence he has to change his body over and over. This process is called the transmigration of the soul, and this transmigration is due to karma-bandhana, or bondage by one's work.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shri Ishopanishad, 2 Purport)
Another side effect is that the daya, or compassion, offered also becomes second class. Let’s say that we see someone who is downtrodden and in need of help. If we give them a few dollars to buy clothes and food, we have temporarily alleviated their distressful condition. A compassionate person always feels bad for those who are suffering. But once the temporary pains of hunger have subsided, has the aided person’s consciousness advanced?
To use another example, we have compassion on our children for sure, as they are helpless and in need of constant guidance and attention. But if under the daya mentality tied to matter we provided everything for our children without giving them a proper education, have we really done anything worthwhile for them? The aim is to teach the children the proper knowledge that will allow them to grow up to be self-sufficient adults with a good moral standing. Hence the compassion we offer to the children, who are identified as inferior in stature, is meant to further a purpose, to reach an ultimate goal. All daya should follow this model; but unless there is real seva, the true benefits of compassion will never be seen.
Since the spiritual master carries the message coming from the spiritual world, he is considered to be empowered, a figure who is to be treated as good as God. The bona fide spiritual master will never claim to be God. If he does, he lacks complete knowledge of the gradations of spirit. The spiritual master is Brahman realized, but that doesn’t mean that he has become Parabrahman. Rather, the guru is the greatest servitor of the Supreme Lord; his dedication to real seva is unmatched. Because of his benevolence, He instructs his disciples and others who kindly approach him how to perform the same service.
Chanting is the cornerstone of the discipline known as bhakti-yoga, or devotional service. This regulative system is only categorized as a form of yoga because it stands out from other engagements. In the constitutional position, the soul is fully immersed in bhakti, so it actually only has one engagement it is inclined to take up. When awareness of the soul’s direct link to God is forgotten, other systems of maintenance, or dharma, come into play. Below these systems are those concocted by man through his mental speculation. Since these “religious” practices are not authorized nor have they passed all the quality control tests already run by the exalted spiritual masters, they fail to deliver on their promises.
When there is real seva, daya automatically becomes fully potent. In fact, the instruction offered by the spiritual master is the most beneficial form of daya. The guru knows God and how to serve Him; he is self-realized. Armed with such powerful information, he could just sit idly by and not let anyone else in on the fun. But due to his compassion on the fallen souls, he kindly teaches others the same information he learned from his guru. Distributing transcendental knowledge on how to serve God represents true compassion, the offering of gifts to others that will really benefit them. When there is seva to Bhagavan, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is fully featured with the opulences of beauty, wealth, strength, fame, renunciation and wisdom, the compassion and kindness we offer our fellow man will be spiritually infused and thus lead them to the ultimate destination, that transcendental realm that is the natural home for the spirit soul. When in the Lord’s company, the distresses of the mundane world fly away.
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