Selfless Service: Help Others, Transform Yourself
It was my parents who instilled in me the importance of giving back to the community—a value that has deeply shaped how I see the world and my place in it.
I remember my mom picking up trash from the sidewalk and putting it in a nearby bin, and my dad always offering a couple dollars to drum players on the street. On my sister’s and my birthdays, we would donate food to shelter homes or send money to feed the poor in India. My family and I have volunteered annually at Kauai’s Hindu Monastery for as long as I can remember. These small or big, consistent acts of kindness have stayed with me. As a child, I understood that helping others was a good thing, but what I didn’t realize then was how deeply it would continue to shape the way I try to live my life.
In Hinduism, performing seva—selfless service, also known as karma yoga—is considered a vital part of one’s dharma (righteous duty). Seva can take many forms: volunteering at school, a community event, the workplace, a temple or an orphanage or helping a friend in need or working toward any cause one believes in. When we give selflessly—whether through charity, time or resources—without seeking praise or recognition, life often finds meaningful ways to give back. Such acts of generosity can bring peace, a sense of connection, unexpected joy and often attract abundance and uplifting experiences.
Karma yoga or seva is more than just a noble act—it's a powerful tool that helps one learn and grow. In Guru’s Wisdom, Satguru Bodhinatha explains that seva when done consciously, selflessly and with excellence, becomes a path to building inner strength, strong values and character. Hence, it is important to act selflessly, detached from the results. Focus on serving, helping and giving! Satguru also emphasizes the importance of conscientiously choosing professions that are helpful and beneficial to all and never destructive, divisive or exploitative.
Helping others without expecting anything in return deepens our understanding of the world, of life and of its purpose. It shifts our perspective. When we take the time to recognize someone else’s needs, it naturally makes us pause and reflect on our own lives—what really matters, what we may take for granted and how we can be more considerate and helpful. Responding with genuine care softens the ego and cultivates a sense of gratitude and compassion. Over time, doing seva teaches us to live in greater harmony with those around us.
Serving others keeps us grounded, reminding us that true fulfillment often comes not from what we receive, but from what we give. As beautifully expressed in Living with Siva, “Allow yourself to be kind; allow yourself to express the qualities, the beautiful qualities, of your soul. Your happiness then will come from within yourself, along with a deep contentment and inner peace and joy. Only a moment of thinking kindly about someone, and making a plan that will enable you to help your fellow man, even just a little bit, will awaken from your soul that deep, inner satisfaction, that depth of security you are really seeking.”
Loving Ganesha also explains that younger souls who live in lower states of consciousness, such as anger, jealousy, pride, and greed, can begin to shift their inner state by practicing karma yoga. When done wholeheartedly, the act of serving and giving helps build confidence and gradually dissolves self-centeredness, arrogance, and feelings of inadequacy and helplessness. This is one of the greatest rewards of service—when practiced sincerely, it transforms not only our actions, but our character as well.
I was raised to believe that a selfless act isn’t just something you do—it’s something you embody. Over time, through my Hindu teachings and personal experiences, I’ve come to understand that the discipline of service—when practiced with pure intention and without complaint or expectation—quietly brings goodness back into our lives in the most unexpected ways. Now, at 17, volunteering my time and contributing wherever I can has become an essential part of who I am. Whether it’s helping someone at school or contributing to my community or supporting a cause close to my heart, I’ve come to realize that even small acts of service can ripple outward and create meaningful change.
‘The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.’ – Mahatma Gandhi.
