To participate in the joy and honor of being in service are crucial to my well being. This activity brings me closer to people and to their divinity. It accesses the divine in me. I address being of service in my morning meditation by including a prelude which asks that all obstacles be removed in order that I be able to be of maximum service to others. I then contemplate the fact that if, indeed, I am of service – I am not the doer. I am a channel, I am a conduit but I am not the beginning of the service action and I am not the end. This helps me to remember that I am not the outcome either. I am not the result and I am not responsible for the result.
In service in the 12 step program or on the mat, whatever I do needs to be approached with the right attitude, perhaps employing the quality of saucha, purity. Whatever I do needs to be with the right motive (selfless service), do it honestly within my capacity at this moment in my life, do it to the best of my ability, and learn from the activity all it has to offer. This is a tall order!
The possibility of being of service occurs almost every moment in life, smiling at a stranger you pass on the street, picking up a fallen object for someone, preparing a delicious and colorful meal for your family or housemates – there are opportunities to be of service. Embrace them all!
So when I step into a classroom or studio, when I step into a meeting or cup of tea with a sponsee I must remember all these practices. Don’t overstep, be where I am and be honest, and do not attach my ego self to the results. Good class? Good meeting? I want to contribute, as a teacher I must lead, but in no case am I the message – I am really just the messenger.
Karma Yoga and 12 Step work invite us into the very best be have to offer – to ourselves and each other.
