AUDIO
What is selfless service? What is pure work? Swami Radha offers her understanding of Karma Yoga as the opportunity to be a handmaiden of Divine Mother. You can listen to it here:
TEACHING IDEAS
At the Ashram we will be exploring Selfless Service through our daily work and reflections, as well as through special Karma Yoga classes and community-based projects.
- What are your associations with the word “service?” What about “selfless?” What is “selfless service” and how can you put it into action? What do you have to give?
- What brings joy to your work – whether it is your career or a daily task or favorite project? How does your attitude influence the environment around you?
- Can you do something you love and offer it in service? Can you do something challenging and offer it in service? What do you learn in each situation?
- Gurudev Sivananda said to Swami Radha, “Selfless service will make you Divine.” What would that mean? What effect has selfless service had in your life?
- We celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving this month. What is the relationship between gratitude and Karma Yoga?
- Take a line from the Divine Mother prayer and repeat it while you are working. For example, “May all actions of my hands be mudra,” or “May everything I do be taken as Thy worship,” or “May all my speech and idle talk be mantra.” Write your observations.
- If something is important to you, how do you pass it along to someone else? What is the effect of invisible giving – such as doing the Light for someone, chanting mantra, praying for those on your prayer list, offering your classes as Karma Yoga?
- Take a day to give without expectation of return – that means without eliciting gratitude or praise or desiring attention. Attempt to be neutral about any criticism you may receive. How is this liberating?
- Is there a cause you feel strongly about? Can you make activism into selfless service by offering the best from your heart and renouncing results?
- Gather a group and find work needed in your community; then do it together. You could stage it as a “flash mob” – showing up with the needed tools and taking action. Bring smart phones and send the video to us for posting – you could inspire others!