The End of the Service Culture

Most cultures have a system of service hierarchies. For example, children should serve parents, students should serve teachers, citizens should serve the king, the protected should serve the protector, less educated should serve the more educated, employees should serve the supervisor, maids should serve the house owner, team mates should serve the captain, and of course, the general public should serve the priests, and everyone should serve God. The idea is quite ubiquitous.

In this system of service, everyone found themselves playing all three roles for a large part of their lives, if not always – of a junior, an equal, a superior. For example, at home, a typical family man was a son, a brother, and a father. At the workplace, you might report to someone, have equals, and supervise someone else. Even the head of state used to report to saintly priests, had other heads of states as friends, and ruled over his citizens. The beauty of this system was that everyone was aware of and very particular about their duties in all three roles. It was a system of duties, and not of rights.

However, as the modern civilization becomes more and more self-centered, lazy, and liberal, with the focus on just doing only whatever you wish to do, this system of service is crumbling. This system is founded on the exemplary behavior of the superiors. Those who were traditionally considered superior, no longer set high standards of behavior and sincerity. Influenced by the times, they have become too lazy, physically and mentally, to do the required hard work. “Why should I take the trouble just because I am senior? I should be allowed to do what I like to do.” In other words, “Why should I take my duty seriously? What about my rights?” Thus they are failing in their duties as seniors. As soon as this happens, the system crashes. If those we are supposed to look up to are corrupt, in the broadest sense of the word, then why should we take the trouble to execute our duties seriously?

As soon as the duty element goes away, the ego takes complete control. Then the only reason we do anything is because “it makes me feel good”. And that’s the end of the service culture which is defined by “whatever makes you feel good, because since you are superior, your pleasure is more important than mine.” 

The Identity and the Goal

A genuine spiritualist is never impressed by material accomplishments of anyone. Of course, the spiritualist does not despise or envy material accomplishments, just that they are irrelevant for him. They are just ordinary, no matter how extraordinary they are in the eyes of the general public.

Instead a spiritualist is impressed by genuine spiritual advancement of others. He considers such persons extraordinary irrespective of their material aspects like wealth, education, beauty, fame, power, skills, and so on.

Spiritual advancement means recognizing that the body is temporary and the soul is eternal. Due to the influence of ignorance, the soul identifies with the body and things related with it. Then the soul thinks in terms of I and Mine, even though nothing around him, including his body, is under his control. It thinks that to live the way he wants is the best way of life. Due to the influence of ego, it does not think that there can be higher truths than he can currently perceive by his limited senses. And he is proud of this attitude.

The spiritualist tries to reduce his identification with things related to the body. Of course he continues to do his duties responsibly and maintain affectionate relationships with people of this world, but he cultivates the conviction that he is not of this world of temporariness.

The soul belongs to a realm of eternal bliss and knowledge and to attain that realm is the goal of the genuine spiritualist.

https://www.vedabase.com/en/bg/2/69

yā niśā sarva-bhūtānāṁ
tasyāṁ jāgarti saṁyamī
yasyāṁ jāgrati bhūtāni
sā niśā paśyato muneḥ

Translation: 

What is night for all beings is the time of awakening for the self-controlled; and the time of awakening for all beings is night for the introspective sage.

Fall In Love, Become the One in a Million

Very few souls take to the path of pure unmotivated loving devotional service to God. This is because the gross or subtle egoistic disposition of the typical soul of this world prevents him/her from whole heartedly serving someone whom he/she considers "someone else". The typical soul wants to serve himself or those closely related to him materially.

This false ego is the fundamental reason for souls being averse to God. Once one understands that God is actually his most intimate relation, the path of pure devotional service to Him opens up. This understanding is the defining characteristic of the true ego, or in other words, the soul's true identify and relationship.

Thus, it is not surprising that most people serve something other than God. They see things as related to themselves, rather than seeing themselves as related to God. So much so, that even other spiritual paths focus on one's own liberation from matter, than on reviving one's relationship with God. This is the extent to which the egoistic disposition denies the soul it's true glory of being a loving servant of God.

The heart yearns for love, and true love is not found in this world of limits. To escape this fact, other spiritualists seek to reach a state of oneness or nothingness wherein the yearning for love stops. This is akin to the desperate suicide attempt of a heart-broken lover, and is born out of ignorance of the complete nature of spiritual nature.

God is our eternal friend and the worthy object of the heart's yearning for eternal love. Break your internal ego barriers - grossest to the subtlest, and fall in love. Are you the one in a million?

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http://www.vedabase.com/en/bg/7/3

Bg 7.3

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu
kaścid yatati siddhaye
yatatām api siddhānāṁ
kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ

Synonyms: 

manuṣyāṇām — of men; sahasreṣu — out of many thousands; kaścit — someone; yatati — endeavors; siddhaye — for perfection; yatatām — of those so endeavoring; api — indeed; siddhānām — of those who have achieved perfection; kaścit — someone; mām — Me; vetti — does know; tattvataḥ — in fact.

Translation: 

Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.

Insignificance - A Significant Mlestone

To realize one's utter insignificance is a critical milestone in life. It opens up significant opportunities for us to connect to something truly grand and important. This realization can come at any stage of our life, and come multiple times, each time helping us realize the majesty of something else that is truely magnificent.

The typical society encourages one to believe and imagine that we are very special and significant. That's what the self centred small mind wants to believe. Break free from the shackles of the petty mind. Connect with the Supreme.

Proud of being Wrong

Many times we do what we do, not because it's the best option, but only because our mind craves for it. What's more, choosing the sub-optimal option makes us feel independent - why should I follow someone else's opinion? I am free to choose my way of life. I will decide for myself - always. Thus, it's just egotism that controls our decisions, not timeless wisdom. And we are proud of it.

This false sense of ego and bloated sense of importance about one's own opinion makes us deaf to any principles that are higher than the ones we currently follow. Tragically, we even deride higher principles because they don't comply to our own sense of right and wrong.

It takes a humble disposition to open our minds to sincerely try to understand potentially higher principles even if they go against our current sensibilities.

Do you have the courage to change, no matter what age you are?