The desire to make a difference in society and the enthusiasm to work for it are not enough to begin working in the field of seva. The first requirement is a wholehearted effort to improve one’s attitude, beliefs, and perspectives. The number of years and the total energy of one’s lifetime are limited, and it is up to every individual to decide how he wants to utilize them. An ordinary person is always working to fulfil his selfish desires, but the goal of a loksevi is different. He wishes to use his energy and resources for the welfare of others. It is important that he takes a different view on his resources and energy than common man.
When seva appears difficult to a person, it is often because he has not changed his attitude. Personal needs for example, there are people who consider the acquisition of luxuries and comforts to be life’s ultimate purpose, and their entire lives are spent in pursuit of this goal, even though not everyone is able to attain these. Most people feel that those who attain it are blessed. A loksevi’s outlook should be different. He should value personality and character over material wealth, or, as others, he will become mired in the problems of the material world. The loksevi cannot succumb to this pressure and should have a different purpose for his life.
A loksevi must minimize his basic needs. It is a common perception that a luxurious style of living enhances one’s reputation, but in reality this is not true. A person’s reputation is bolstered by his character, dignity, and good deeds – not by material possessions or wealth. Every seer, thinker, and great soul of the past has earned his or her name by following this path. Simplicity is nowhere more apparent than in the lifestyles of the seers. Chanakya, who advised Chandragupt on transforming India into one nation, could have accumulated great wealth and lived a luxurious life. Instead, he followed the path of living with the bare minimum in a small hut and in so doing strengthened the ideals of seva.
Even in recent times we have seen great individuals follow this example earn great respect from society; noble souls including dignitaries of the 19th and 20th centuries such as Gopalkrishan Gokhle, Maharishi Arvind, Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar, and Mahatma Gandhi. Despite belonging to wealthy families, they all chose to live simply. Gopalkrishan Gokhle came from a financially strong background, yet for his entire life he chose not to spend more than 30 rupees a month for his family’s needs. Maharishi Arvind, after finishing his studies, held a post in Vadodara at a salary of 500 rupees per month, but made adjustments in his lifestyle to live on only 75 rupees per month. Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar’s monthly salary was also 500 rupees, but he decided not to spend more than 50 on his living. Mahatma Gandhi always wore only one simple dhoti, and he always ate simple food, but he was content and close to the masses, who considered him their own. People were able to immediately connect with him, and this brought him unprecedented respect. These are only a few examples. Every great soul in the world has followed the principle of minimal needs. When buying something, Socrates would ask himself, “Do I really need this; am I unable to manage without it?” Only if he could answer yes would he buy it. Keeping one’s needs to a minimum is a matter of dignity and self-confidence; when this attitude is developed there is no fear of scarcity and no occasion for complaint about unmet needs.
Managing with minimal resources is a lifestyle which many people may look down upon and label as low, unfortunate, or miserly. However, people’s perceptions are constantly changing. Simplicity has never been disrespected or looked upon with disgust. On the contrary, people living simply and with minimum needs and have always earned extraordinary respect from society. Mahatma Gandhi, as noted earlier, managed on very little and often used things that were rejected or considered inferior by others, but people still respected him. In fact, people even began to take pride in living like him.
In general, unclean and ludicrous living is despised, but simplicity is always respected. People in underprivileged communities are not looked down upon because they do not have sufficient resources; they are looked down upon because of their untidy and chaotic living style. Having fewer resources does not make anyone superior or inferior to others. The dignity is lost because of untidiness and chaotic living. A loksevi should maintain this perspective and live a simple, clean and organized lifestyle. He should take pride in living such a life.
A loksevi should always understand the need for a pristine character and immaculate personality. One way to demonstrate these traits is to lead by example rather than words. In short, one should understand the dignity of this field and act to maintain it. Seers and Brahmins of ancient times involved in societal service considered simplicity of attire to be part of their heritage, and took pride in it. However, the so-called Brahmins of today engage in questionable practices that make them no different from ordinary people. In fact, their actions today have only hurt their reputation.
There was a time when even the attire of a seer symbolized selfless service and inspired faith. There is a famous story of an entertainer in a king’s court who was asked by the king to put on a big show. He came to the court disguised as a seer. The king offered him a lot of money, gold, etc., but he did not even look at any of it. In the end when he revealed himself, the king asked him why he did not run away with the money that was offered, as he could never earn that much in his entire lifetime. The entertainer replied that if he had, the faith and dignity of the seers would have been lost, so he could not do it even for the sake of a performance. Here the point is that in ancient times just the attire of a seer was enough to awaken the faith and respect of others.
Today’s loksevi should also aspire to earn this level of trust and love through his lifestyle and behaviour. This requires a development of the self. Introspecting, finding one’s defects, working on them, and motivating oneself to grow in a positive direction are things that must be practiced in daily life. A loksevi should develop his personality so that he becomes a living model for inspiring others, which needs no words.
After personal development, the next consideration is the perspective towards the family. A loksevi could argue that he is ready to go through any type of penance himself, but does not want his family to go through any hardships. He may resolve to minimize his own needs, but not want to reduce his children’s comforts. It is only natural that people will come into contact with the loksevi’s family, and a visibly extravagant lifestyle on their part will make his practice of simplicity seem hypocritical. This will result in loss of faith in the loksevi, and the very purpose of his adopting a simple lifestyle will be defeated. People will feel that his own simple lifestyle is only a drama and will question his preaching of simplicity.
It is never advisable to amass excessive wealth for family members, as it may push them on the wrong path. For example, if children in a family have access to every mode of transportation, they may grow up never willing to walk one block. They would become lazy, and would not be able to live through any tough situation which might arise in their lives where they could not afford these comforts.
It is a much better to instil positive qualities and build character based on high ideals than to accumulate wealth for family members. Children will be much better off becoming brave, hardworking, enthusiastic, and kind-hearted rather than lethargic and futile. Inherited wealth will be pointless in either situation, whether the child deserves it or not. If he does, he will be able to acquire as much as he needs himself. If he does not, he will waste all the wealth on himself anyway.
An ideal personality also inspires other members of a family. Parents often cut down on their own needs in order to provide comforts for their children, but if efforts are made to inspire the children on their parents’ path, then they are more likely to be successful in the future. A child’s future is made not by amassing wealth for him, but by implanting good character in him. It will take the patience of an artist, but a loksevi must consistently provide the right environment for inspiring the members of his family to live by high ideals. Eventually, they will understand and follow the path of his ideals.
Source: Guidelines for the Aspiring Loksevi
