To Linda: Real Purpose of Relief Activity Seva?

[Guest guest]

Dear Linda

 

All of the examples you cite are excellent. I have thought along similar lines.

My response is that they are primarily oriented toward outer-directedness.

 

The curly tail of the dog cannot be made straight. War and Ignorance have

always been here.

We could place ribbons from New York to Fairbanks Alaska and human nature will

not change by symbolic street theater alone.

 

Amma says that until humanity purifies internally disharmony continues globally.

 

This indicated that Her focus is one person at a time. One soul at a time.

One Darshan at a time. She beseeches us to go within. Meditation is like gold

is Her refrain. Has Amma ever asked us to join anti-war organizations?

 

Imagine a peace rally where everyone meditates for 2 hours and gets up quietly

and leaves. The jiva loves outer bombast. Do you ever notice that speakers at

Peace Rallies usually shout into an already over-amplified microphone?. Where

is the peace within the speaker?. Did Gandhi shout at the lectern? Does Amma

wax profane?

 

Many of us are scrambling around post Tsunami and Post Katrina with their eyes

fixed upon the external. Isn"t there a tsunami within us? What kind of

hurricanes swirl within my vasana laden jiva-Atman?

 

I can run to the homeless shelter and do seva for 42 straight hours. Will that

cleanse and purify my inner tendency toward lust greed jealousy and angst?

 

Relief work Seva is not isolated to merely easing suffering. Easing suffering

in and of itself is indeed grand. However my sense is that Karma Yoga in Relief

Operations is designed to benefit the Sevite more than the victim/refugee.

Seva is just a yoga that's all. It is not greater than Raja Yoga or Jnana Yoga.

In fact Karma Relief Yoga can backfire if one is not careful.. The ego gets

pumped up. The mind gets proud of what a good person I am. See me out there

helping? Surely the other devotees must approve of my selflessness. This is a

trap from the ever insidious mind. Beware!!

 

Amma does not need our physical help. She is sculpting us into Yogis and

Yoginis,. Seva and other humanitarian activities are merely a device toward

that end.

This is just my opinion and I pray that Amma blesses all Her Gulf Coast children

during this dark time.

 

With Love,

GeorgeSon

 

 

 

 

 

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