(I apologise for the delay in the post as I had to find a way to figure out how to fit a poll inside this post, I being not the most bright person in writing html code, got confused and rage quit this blog. Obviously I have now learned how to do it so here is the post...)
In my last post I attempted to explain the nature of Pushti Bhakti. Moving along the theme of natural (and unnatural) disasters and how to deal with them, we developed the idea of Pushtimarg's version of love. When seva is done with this kind of love, it is the Pushtimargiya way in the real sense.
In my last post I attempted to explain the nature of Pushti Bhakti. Moving along the theme of natural (and unnatural) disasters and how to deal with them, we developed the idea of Pushtimarg's version of love. When seva is done with this kind of love, it is the Pushtimargiya way in the real sense.
This love is very specific. It should have the correct ingredients - sneh and mahatmya gyan to become pushti. When seva of prabhu is done with such love in mind, it is true pushti seva, otherwise even a paid servant does seva of his master, even you do seva of your sick relative sometime, in modern times the concept of random acts of kindness has gained momentum and even that is seva, the now popular process of paying for 'seva' at havelis is also technically seva but none of the above are 'pushti' in their nature.
When you make donations to a haveli for the swaroop's seva, neither love nor mahatmya gyan comes into picture. When a servant serves his master, he is doing it because he wants to earn money. Let me make it very clear, a servant doing seva of his master is still doing seva! but it is just not Pushtimargiya in nature, similarly when you help out a relative or friend in hard times, you most probably do it because you don't want to be seen in a bad light in social circles. If that is not the case, you would still expect the said relative or friend to help you out when hard times hit you. Even this is not pushti seva. Random acts of kindness are a notch above than these examples though because they are done purely to make some random person happy - they are the most closest form seva which can be fit into the 'pushti' framework.
Here's a list of things which can all be considered 'seva'
A nurse helping out a sick person and being paid for it
A person helping out a sick relative because of social pressure
A Person helping out a sick relative as a favour and expect a return
A person helping out a sick relative as a favour
A person helping out a sick relative
A person helping out another random and unknown person for fame (any other personal gain)
A person helping out another to feel good about himself and no other reason
A person helping out another for no reason whatsoever
Now replace 'helping out a sick relative' with doing seva of thakurji and you will find out all the different types of reasons and situations which come under the official concept of seva. All of them is seva but the love is of a different kind in each situation. We shall continue with the concept further in the third and the final part, meanwhile please tick the answer you think is right for the question below. The options must be at the top of the page.
