Service
It was a Valentine’s Day party and the participants were supposed to name a fruit or vegetable to complete the sentences of a romance story that was being read. One line went, “If we cantaloupe then I will go to the bridge endive off. Lettuce go now, my love.”
It was a funny story and everyone had a good time. Throughout the evening, those of us from our local meditation group worked by setting up, carrying tables, serving food, cleaning up, etc.
At the end of the evening the master of ceremonies publicly thanked the volunteers whose efforts had made this senior citizen dinner party possible. The name of our school of meditation is Ananda Marga (the “path of bliss”). He stepped to the microphone and announced, “We would like to thank these fine young people from Amanda Mango who came here to help us tonight.”
Amanda Mango?
There was no opportunity to correct this gentleman and, in the big picture, it really didn’t matter. For service refers to actions done for the benefit of others without receiving anything in return. (If you receive something in return it is called “business.”)
Performing service is a part and parcel of the path of yoga. Everyone can do something; teach a skill, donate money, give food, pick up trash... something.
While performing service, one should feel that the service is being done to the supreme consciousness in the form of the served. One should further feel that it is the supreme consciousness itself that is performing the service and that one is simply the medium. In this way the service remains a pure expression of welfare while ego and petty self-interest stay out of the picture.