In this episode of “5 Minutes,” Dr. Robert Svoboda explores Seva and its role as a practice of service, humility, and dharma.

Seva is a word that means service. It comes from the Sanskrit root sev, which means to serve, and it has been highly respected in the classical Indian tradition for a very long time.

Seva has traditionally been understood as an upaya, a remedy for afflictions. Many of the difficulties people experience are ultimately connected with Shani, Saturn. Saturn is naturally associated with service, and therefore when you place yourself in a similar position of serving others, Saturn appreciates that and it can help you move in a beneficial direction in life.

This works astrologically, but it also works psychologically and emotionally. Especially today, people are often focused on themselves, their image, their achievements, and their abilities. We spend a great deal of time comparing ourselves with others. Instead of using so much energy focused on ourselves, we could use that energy to practically assist other people without expecting anything in return.

This is the essence of Seva.

Neem Karoli Baba used to say, “Love everyone, serve others, remember God.” I may be paraphrasing, but that is certainly the meaning. Service means assisting those who need help, feeding those who are hungry, providing clothing for those who do not have enough, offering shelter to those who are homeless, and helping those who experience hardship in any form.

It means focusing less on whether you are completely satisfied and fulfilled, and focusing more on how you can improve the life of someone who is less fortunate than yourself.

Seva should not only be understood as a remedy for difficulties. It should also be understood as a positive part of your dharma. It is part of the responsibility of all human beings to assist one another. This is how humanity has survived as a species. Through cooperation, we have been able to accomplish great things, although we have also used that same ability to create harm.

When we begin to see ourselves only as isolated individuals and forget our responsibilities toward one another, that itself becomes a kind of imbalance.

If you wish to support your astrological circumstances, especially in relation to Saturn or Shani, then performing Seva on Saturdays is especially appropriate. It is particularly beneficial to serve those who exist outside ordinary society: people in prisons, hospices, monasteries, hospitals, sanatoriums, and other places where people may be separated from normal social life.

These are the people who often need assistance the most, and they are the ones who can greatly benefit from Seva.

It is important to recognize within yourself the humility that you are not the sole creator of your success. Whether you recognize it or not, many people have helped you become who you are today. It is both karmically and dharmically appropriate to acknowledge this and to repay and pass forward what has been given to you through the practice of Seva.