Seva as different from service - Part 2

It was left to Guru Nanaka and others to work out the philosophy of Vedanta on a practical level, but their work did not get universal acceptance. Instead they became sectarian and hence the broadness of the ideal did not get the necessary visibility.

We’re fortunate to get a few selfless souls in the seventeenth and eighteenth century like Rani Bhavani in Bengal, Ahalya Bai Holkar in Maharastra and other exceptional people who took up service of living gods. But they were too few. Masses in general were submerged in great degree of ignorance and the advent of the new age found reaction in the form of social reform movements. Such reform movements wanted to cut the very roots, rather than cleansing the shrubs and growths around them. Uprooting the gigantic social tree was a Herculean tasks and hence these movements could not gain much traction, although they did help in paving the way for what was to come. Opening the gates of free and rational thinking was necessary before people could really understand the true import of the work done for others. 

A lot of work for others was being done egoistically, which did not truly help others. The world is too large to bring in a visible transformation if one is to work egoistically thinking all the why that he is going to change the world, bring much goodness and happiness. In the end he would realize that however best efforts he put, the world still remains the same. At best he has plugged a gap or two here and there and in the process opened up new gaps elsewhere. So “will improve the world” attitude will not help, because as Sri Ramakrishna put it succinctly in front of Krishnadas Pal who cherished the same desire, “ How big is the world and what a puny being you are! How are you going to improve the world?” It is unlikely that Krishnadas understood the true import of these words. Even scholars of today misunderstand them and think that Sri Ramakrishna was against philanthropy. But they conveniently forget that the same person had almost forced Mathurbabu to donate a large amount of money for feeding and improving the conditions of poor on more than one occasion. He would also try to help people in need in whichever way he could. He praised the sattvik work of Iswarachandra Vidyasagar saying that the latter had a heart of gold and whatever he was doing was great. However he was opposed to work driven by ego and passion, the rajasik work. He therefore stressed on first gaining ascendancy over ego and base passions through advanced spiritual practice and realization of God and then indulge in activities that would benefit the world. He said that only then the activities would be fruitful and would bring lasting changes over a larger mass of people. His disciple Swami Vivekananda was the only one to understand him when, coming out of a samadhi, he said, “Showing compassion? Puny being that you are, you’ll be showing compassion to whom? Not compassion, but seva to Shiva in all beings is the need.” “To serve all beings as Shiva”, became the core philosophy that Swamiji had formed as the basis for Ramakrishna Mission and he framed the principle, “Atmano mokshartham jagad hitaya cha” (for one’s own emancipation as well as for the improvement of many”. Why Seva being selected as the dharma was explained by his brother disciple Akhandananda who embraced the seva work wholeheartedly and is immortal though his establishment of Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama in Sargachi which started as an orphanage and a relief centre. Swami Akhandananda explained in a letter to Pramadadas Mitra, a brilliant scholar who was one of the first to realize the potential of Swami Vivekananda. Akhandananda said that in ancient India householders considered it as their duty to take care of the society, to provide food, to construct roads and water tanks, to plant trees, to provide relief to affected and poor. Therefore sannyasins could roam around freely contemplating on God. However in the present age householders have neglected their duty and hence it is left unto the rag tag sannyasins to raise funds through alms seeking for the improvement of society and for helping people.