Service to Humanity

In synch with the prevalent mindset of our present-day society, we tend to think of life in terms of sensual gratification and spend a good deal of our time going about acquiring the objects we believe will give us that gratification. When we fail to get lasting satisfaction from those material objects and the sensual pleasures they give us, we automatically believe it's because we didn't get enough of them, or that we need to try something new.

That's the illusion. The reality is something quite different. We need to go the other way; to give instead of take; to think about the well-being of others as much as of our own. It should not mean that we deprive ourselves (or allow ourselves to be deprived) of our basic necessities. But for our mental and spiritual wellbeing we need to move away from the tendency of getting more for ourselves, and move towards giving more to others, without expecting anything in return. That's why service is a big part of spirituality. The more we realize the Supreme Truth – the more our sense of existence and awareness coincides with the feeling of Cosmic Oneness; of connectedness with all – the more we feel our own fate is intertwined and interdependent with the fate of all people in the world; of all creatures in the universe; and the more inspired we get to serve others as expressions of the whole – of the infinite Cosmic Consciousness.

"It is action that makes a person great.
Be great by your sadhana [spiritual practice],
by your service, and by your sacrifice."

Shrii Shrii Anandamurti


Ananda Marga runs service projects around the world. Visit our social service pages to learn more:

Schools
Children's homes
Medical centers
Disaster relief
Community development

Have you got what it takes?
Email service at anandamarga.org to volunteer.