Service
~ A Point of Clarification ~
Service to humanity is the hallmark of life when the soul is sensed deep within. Experienced as an inner call or prompting, availing oneself in service is an inescapable necessity when walking the spiritual path. This is particularly true as the personality (ego) becomes increasingly infused with the soul’s uplifting urge. However, it is important that we understand the meaning of service (as conveyed in the Esoteric Philosophy), for there is a misconception about it that is worthy of our consideration.
Often we think that service is an activity, or an outward action of sorts. Though this is an understandable perspective, it nonetheless puts the cart before the horse, so to speak. Too often we believe that the basis of service involves an act of doing, yet it is actually rooted in the Principle of Being. To BE the soul is to attitudinally imbue a sense of service and upliftment into every dimension of day-to-day life. In the truest sense, soulful service is not a function of doing, but rather of being. It is to hold an inner alignment with the soul then allow the personality to spontaneously respond to its wise perspective. When it comes to the question of service, doing is therefore best understood as an effect that arises out of being. Spiritually considered, it is crucial that a sense of soulful being precede doing.
Why this distinction is important has to do with motivation. When seeing suffering in the world, it will invoke measures of emotional tension and discomfort within us, thus motivating us to give remedy to that particular need. When the alignment with the beingness of the soul is present, then such interventions will surely be wholesome and uplifting. Yet when the personality is operating on its own, the hidden motive behind service is to alleviate the emotional discomfort we feel. As such, the hidden motive is unwholesome, in that its purpose is to assuage us from the emotional pain or angst that we feel. When rendering service, assessing our true motives is therefore well advised.
William Meader
Emergentlight.com
