Seva is service. There are so many stories of people in history who have done incredible acts of service. But how do we incorporate service into our lives? There seems to be no room with work, cooking, house cleaning, and the countless activities of a modern day householder.  I have pondered this question often and  felt frustrated with a lack of service in our day to day lives. Over the past couple of years, my husband and I have effectively integrated Seva into our lives and I would like to share a few concepts that have helped us along the way.

One effective step that we took was through a sacred Sikh concept called Dasvandh.  Dasvandh is similar to Tithing in the Christian tradition, where 10% of your earnings are given to support your community.  My husband and I looked at our finances and this concept of Dasvandh helped us to give more – perhaps more than we thought possible. A key component to this type of giving is that the Universe gives back to you. I certainly have felt this on a deep level. Aside from our finances we also found ways to give of our time and energy. It is in these moments of service, I feel the most fulfilled and alive.

Another life changing step was adding the act of spoken prayer.  For so many years my husband and I have prayed to be in service. We vocalized our prayers in the spoken form of prayer called Ardaas. Day by day I have felt our lives shifting towards service as the Creator most certainly heard us.  Granted, it took a while for things to shift to where they are now and I feel that we have a ways to go still. But I can feel it. Our prayers are being answered and the focus of our life’s work is shifting towards service. Prayer is powerful, no doubt.

Let all walks of life, all religions, all sacred beliefs be honored. Let us have the environment of love and respect that we can grow and learn from each other and most importantly, serve each other. May Peace Prevail on Earth. Sat Nam. ~ Snatam Kaur Khalsa

For more information about Snatam Kaur and her teaching and event schedule visit: www.snatamkaur.com

To learn more about the sacred art of Dasvandh click here.