SpecialthankstothefollowingfortheirhelpincreatingthisguideespeciallyforONE:

CharityandServiceintheHinduTradition:
ReflectionsandIdeasforAction
Presentedinpartnershipwith
ONESeva
Prof.JefferyD.Long,Ph.D.AssociateProfessor
ofReligionandAsianStudiesChair,Department
ofReligiousStudiesElizabethtownCollege
Elizabethtown,PA
HinduAmericanFoundation
www.HAFsite.org
5268GNicholsonLane#164
Kensington,MD20895
(301)7707385
Dana,Seva,andKarmaYoga
CharityandServiceintheHinduTradition
"Give.Givewithfaith.Donotgivewithoutfaith.Givewithsensitivity.Givewithafeelingof
abundance.Givewithrightunderstanding."TaittiriyaUpanishad
Thealleviationoftangibleformsofsuffering,suchashunger,disease,andpoverty,isanessential
componentoftheHindutradition.Hinduscripturesarerichwithhymnsextollingtheupliftmentof
allhumanitythroughdna(charitablegiving)andsev(selflessservice),notonlyforthebetterment
ofthelivesofthosesuffering,butalsoforthegiver'sownspiritualgrowth.TheHinduworldview
holdsthatallbeingsareinterconnectedasGoddwellswithinallbeings.Toseethesufferingof
anotherassomethingseparatefromoneself,oras"someoneelse'sproblem,"then,isaformof
delusion.Therefore,tohelpandserveothersisawayofservingandworshipingGod.
AgreatsageofmodernHinduism,SwamiVivekananda,coinedafamousexpressiontocapturethis
idea,"Work[intheserviceofothers]isworship!"AccordingtoSwamiVivekananda,serviceto
relievethesufferingofothers,withoutanyregardforone'sowndiscomfort,andwithnoselfish
motiveoffameorgain,isoneofthepathstoGod:thekarmayoga,orpathofgoodworks,described
intheBhagavadGitaas"detachmentfromthefruitsofaction."Onedoesgoodforotherspurelyout
oftheloveforGodwithinthem,ratherthanwiththeexpectationofarewardorrecognition.When
onegivesofoneselfinaspiritofdna,oneisnotonlyrelievingthesufferingofanother,but
engaginginanactofrenunciationofselfishattachmenttowhatweregardasourownwhetherit
beourtime,ourmoney,oroureffort.Nothinginthisworldisreallyourown,theegobeingaveil
thatkeepsusfromperceivingthetruenatureofexistenceasOne.
Inaworldofsufferingbeings,oneofthemostimportantactsofworshipaHinducanperformis
selflessservicetorelievethatsuffering.Whenoneencounterssomeonewhoissuffering,onehas
beengivenanopportunitytoperformsevanopportunitythatoneshouldgratefullyandeagerly
seize.Serviceisworship,nolessthanperformingapujaorpracticingmeditationorstudying
scripture.
Howcanyoujointheover2millionONEmemberstoraisepublicawarenessabouttheissuesof
globalpoverty,hunger,diseaseandeffortstofightsuchproblemsintheworld'spoorestcountries?
Considerrecruitingyourfriends,families,localtemple,yogaclass,satsangorstudygroup,balavihar
(youthstudyschools),studentorganizationandculturalandsocialorganizationtotakeaction:
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1.ContactyourmembersofCongresstosupportcriticallegislationtosavelivesfrompreventable
disease,putchildreninschool,createneededeconomicandtradeopportunitiesandfightextreme
globalpoverty.LearnaboutcurrentlegislationonONE.organdmobilizeyourcommunitytocallor
writeletterstoCongressatimportantlegislativemoments.

3.WorldSevaDay

2.HoldaFoodorCharityDriveSharetheHinduconceptofdnaduringthefestivalseason,suchas
Navaratri,Diwali,MakarSankrantiorHolibyholdingafooddriveinanefforttoalleviatehunger
locallythroughorganizationssuchasSecondHarvest(secondharvest.org).Orholdacharitydrive
withcollectedproceedsbenefitingcharitiessuchastheUnitedNation'sWorldFoodProgramme
(www.wft.org)thatareinvolvedinfoodreliefinhardhitareasaroundtheglobesuchasAfricaand
SoutheastAsia.

SharetheHinduconceptofsevawithyourfellowAmericansandrallycommunitymemberstohold
alocaldayofservice.Helpalocalsoupkitchen,participateinlocalcleanupcampaigns(parks,
highways,etc.),holdacharitywalkathonorcharityyogathon,volunteeratyourlocalBoysorGirls
clubordonatetoafoodbank.

SharetheHinduconceptofahimsa(nonviolence)forsixdaysofDiwali,commemoratingvictoryof
goodoverevil,bygoingvegetarian.Whyvegetarian?Considerthefactthatthereismorethan
enoughfoodintheworldtofeedtheentirehumanpopulation,yetmorethan840millionpeople
stillgohungry.Studieshaveshownthatameatbaseddietispartlytoblame,asland,water,and
otherresourcesthatcouldbeusedtogrowfoodforpeoplearebeingusedtogrowcropsforfarmed
animalsinstead.Infact,areportbyCompassioninWorldFramingfoundthatitcantakeupto16
poundsofgraintoproducejust1poundofedibleanimalflesh.Ameatbaseddietalsohas
detrimentaleffectsontheenvironment.A2006UnitedNationsreportsummarizedthedevastation
causedbythemeatindustrybycallingit,"oneofthetoptwoorthreemostsignificantcontributors
tothemostseriousenvironmentalproblems,ateveryscalefromlocaltoglobal."So,leavethemeat,
ifonlyforafewdays,toraiseawarenessaboutworldhungerandenvironmentalissuessuchas
cleanwaterthatimpactthelivesofmillionslessfortunate.
4.WorldVegetarianDays:
"Earthprovidesenoughtosatisfyeveryman'sneed,butnoteveryman'sgreed."Gandhi
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