When a thing needs to be done but there is no one to do it, if I do it without expecting any recognition, reward, acceptance or award, then that is called seva. Other actions are only some kind of transaction done with some expectation behind them.
A yet more important point in doing seva is that if my seva is in fact doing damage to the person I intend to serve, then however humbly I claim to be doing seva, it won’t be appreciated with the same spirit and attitude by the receiver. And the tragedy is that in real life most so-called seva is done for publicity or personal satisfaction and never serves a true purpose. And those who are in need continue to suffer, in fact more than before such selfish seva was done to them. One example will suffice to prove this. People living in huts are moved to temporary shelters to construct permanent houses for them. But after the inauguration and publicity, no one pays any attention to the project. So, losing their huts and living in temporary shelter camps, their life becomes even more miserable than it had been living in huts. Instead of serving their needs, they are exploited by selfish people.
As also mentioned in discussing dana and charity, we should never do any seva to satisfy our ego or just to feel good. In such seva, we are more exploiting others who are in need, with a goal to satisfy our need. And exploitation done in any name or form is sin against God and humanity.
Dayanand Bharati, Gurukulam. August 31, 2009.
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