Sewa, the ethos of selfless service

Chhabeels serving cool, sweetened water to passersby is a welcome sight in summer. A few weeks back was the martyrdom day of Guru Arjan. The fifth Guru was tortured to death in Lahore on May 30, 1606. Like on other events of importance to the community, this time, too, chhabeels sprang up all over, serving a delicious blend of milk, rose syrup and water, with a dash of kewra or some other variation.

What is impressive is the commitment to service among those who prepare and serve the drink, standing under the sun, beseeching strangers to partake of the drink. Sewa extends beyond the action itself. It is a spiritual practice that transcends boundaries and fosters a sense of unity with fellow beings — those who perform sewa seek nothing for their service other than the grace of God.

Sewa is central to the Sikh ethos, and we often see it in the form of langar. The profoundly spiritual experience is rooted in the teachings of the Gurus. As Guru Arjan, who compiled the Adi Granth, says in Sukhmani Sahib: “Sewa karat hoye nehkami tis ko prapat hot swami. (One who serves selflessly, without thought of reward, obtains the Lord)”: (Guru Granth Sahib, p 286).

The Gurus were conscious of the inherent capacity for connection that human beings have and the compassion that’s there in all of us. They wove it into the Sikh ethos, showing us the path of sewa, which is much more than the notion of charity. Sewa is a spiritual discipline inculcated on the path to the Divine.

Sewa can be of three types: Tan, Mann, and Dhan. We have often seen people using the expression together — thereby stating that they will serve physically, mentally, and by utilising the resources and wealth they have. It is not that a Sikh can choose to focus on one or the other; all have to be performed for those in need. Of course, some are better equipped for particular tasks, and thus, it is only prudent that they perform sewa that suits their talents and helps those who need it. Indeed, the expanding services in gurdwaras, which now include counselling, medical and educational facilities, among others, show the evolving forms of sewa.

Spiritual masters have long recognised the importance of performing charity. All religions lay stress on it. Hinduism emphasises serving the poor and acts of charity towards the needy. In Christianity, we see the imperative “Love thy neighbour as thyself”, and the practice of giving tithe to charity. In Islam, the welfare of the community and the needy is undertaken according to the directives of zakat and sadaqah, both acts of charity: the former is obligatory, and the latter voluntary. Buddhist monks lead their followers in community service, guided by karuna and metta, which translate into compassion and kindness, respectively.

A powerful memory I carry in my mind is from decades ago, of kar sewa at Harmandir Sahib, where people had gathered to desilt the Amrit Sarovar. Rich and poor alike were lined up, often in fine clothes, picking up taslas or shallow troughs of mud and passing them on to the next person, all chanting Gurbani shabds. You could feel the ego shedding as they performed the sewa. By offering one’s physical, mental and material resources for the welfare of others, we learn to get beyond our self-centred nature. By performing sewa, we serve Him.

— The writer is a senior journalist

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