Nishkama karma, or selfless service, is the fragrant flower of altruistic love. It is not to be performed for the satisfaction of the person rendering the service or the person at whose bidding it is done. Every person should regard nishkama karma as the purpose for which he/she is given life. This feeling should flow through his very nerves and bloodstream and permeate every cell of his body. Whatever be the work we do, we should do it as an offering to God and for His pleasure. Members and office-bearers of the Sathya Sai Organization should not feel obliged to do service on the ground that the rules and regulations require them to do so. They should not look upon the regulations as compelling them to do service. Without being regimented by rules and regulations, we should take up service activities for the purification of our own hearts.
Service activities in the Sai organization are done as an offering to God and are therefore to be done with utmost humility. The purpose of doing service in Sai organization, Sai Baba says, is to remove one’s ego. It is not so much as how big or small the activity is nor is it about the number of activities. The following quotes, in Swami’s own words, highlight the role and importance of service in the Sai organization.
“Love All, Serve All. Do not consider anybody as other person. Develop the feeling that the other person and you are one. The entire mankind is one. What you see in this world is only the reaction, reflection and resound of the reality that is one. Once you understand this truth, you will be peaceful. Only then will your mind be steady and one-pointed in the pursuit of your study and profession. Therefore, first and foremost, engage yourselves in the service of society…Work is worship. Duty is God. Do your duty.” – November 23rd, 2006
“Embodiments of Divine Love: You must all take a pledge to develop a feeling of love and set an example to the world. It is not right to call yourselves Sai volunteers without engaging yourselves in service and rest content with your own selfish concerns. Wherever you may be, render service with all your heart. Consider that in rendering service, you are serving yourselves and not others. That will confer on you Atma-trupti (self satisfaction). You must examine whether in doing service, you are deriving self-satisfaction or whether you are trying to show off. As long as there is ostentation in service, no real joy can be experienced from it. The ego will not go. And without the elimination of the ego, you cannot experience spiritual bliss.” – November 19th, 1990
Uniqueness of Sai Seva Organizations
“Creation was the result of the Will of the Divine. Hence everything in creation should manifest its Divine nature. If you keep this fact in mind, you will be filled only with sacred thoughts and feelings and there will be no room for any wrong ideas. Always remembering that you are a fragment of the Divine you have to engage yourselves in service. No Government or other service organization has this attitude. Only Sathya Sai Organizations can render service successfully in this spirit. Very soon you will experience the bliss and peace to be got from such service.” – November 19th, 1990
Various Service Activities are undertaken in Region 3 on several occasions as need arises. Few among them are:
- Soup Kitchen
- Adopt-a-Road
- Tree Planting and Mulching
- Online Tutoring
- Flood & Hurricane Relief
- Distribution of food and supplies to the Homeless
- Food Bank
- Beach Clean Up
- Animal Service
- Sing along at Senior Home
- School Supplies
- Afghan Refugee Clothing Drive