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| WHY GAU SEVA |
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Strictly speaking, the question, "Why Go-seva?" is invalid, once we understand the true meaning of the word "seva". True "seva" is an action meant only for the satisfaction of the one served. True seva is always causeless, and therefore there is no answer to the question "Why?" when it comes to seva. This will become clear as we go through the concepts below. However, since the question, "Why Go-seva?" is commonly asked, we have begun this section by quoting this question.
 Human beings are a special creation of God. With their high grade of intelligence, advanced mind and sophisticated body, the human beings are supposed to work in accordance with the desire of the Lord and protect and nurture everybody and everything. If this behaviour is adopted by a large number of people in the society, it is obvious that people start taking care of each other as well as the environment. This makes the entire human society happy and peaceful. This attitude of taking care of and working for the welfare of one’s own self as well as others is called Dharma. People, however, are more interested in taking care of just themselves, sometimes even at the cost of others’ welfare! This leads to different kinds of misery in the human society. On the other hand, if Dharma were to be taken up on a large scale, i.e. if people were to take care of each other, society would be peaceful. The Supreme Lord wants us to take up Dharma and thus take care of the well being of the entire creation. This is possible if we have within us, two qualities primarily; being niraparadhi (not causing distress to others) and being upakari (working for the welfare of others).
But human beings are, by virtue of their in-born nature, selfish. How would they become niraparadhi and upakari? How would human beings inculcate the values of Dharma in life? For this purpose, the Lord has manifested the scriptures (shastras) in the world from where we can get understanding of Dharma. And for practically inculcating the values of Dharma, the Lord has created a special creature that acts as an ideal of niraparadhi and upakari behaviour; an ideal that demonstrates to us how we can serve others. That ideal creature is “Go”. Go is the Sanskrit word that refers to those varieties of cows, calves and bulls that are native to the land of India. Maharaj ji says that Go is completely niraparadhi and upakari. These are the two qualities that are primarily required in a person to be able to work for the welfare of others.
God has created Go in such a fashion that everything they give are for the welfare of others. The extent to which they are upakari can be understood from the fact that even their dung and urine are meant for serving others. They contain medicinal qualities. On the other hand, such wastes of even great saints and incarnations of God Himself are discarded.
By creating Go, the Lord presents to us an ideal creature from whom we can get the inspiration to inculcate within us the values of being niraparadhi and upakari, and eventually work for the welfare of all.
Apart from serving as an ideal and inspiring us to be niraparadhi and upakari, Go is a practical means for inculcating elevating qualities in us.
Those who serve Go and make them pleased, actually please the Lord Himself. In the hearts of such persons does the supreme Lord manifest all virtues and remove all vices. Therefore Maharajji says that all good qualities that make a person proceed on the path of Dharma appear in the heart of one who serves Go selflessly. Service to Go means working only for the well-being of Go with no desire of getting anything in return. This is the meaning of the word Seva, which is normally translated as “service”. In Hari Om Gau Seva & Charitable Trust this ideal creature is maintained and served in the true spirit of Seva. Nothing is expected or taken from them in return. Even milk, dung or urine is not commercialised. |
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