Welcome to another edition of Helping Humpday, dedicated to Kossacks helping one another through personal emergencies or tough times. Humpday — because we’re smack dab in the middle of the work week and getting over that hump sure looks sweet. But for some folks in this community, the humps they need to get over are far more daunting than looking forward to the weekend. That is where Helping comes in.
If we all were to do our work and carry out our other relationships in accordance with seva, the world would change profoundly. Seva is not about taking a few hours out of our busy week to help others. It’s not something to be turned on and off, as if kindness, compassion, and gratitude are qualities to be doled out in limited amounts. Seva is about designing our lives in such a way that we consistently serve others selflessly. Every action, every interaction should be seva.
Dr. Rajiv Parti
Mid-April marks the beginning of Vaisakhi in the Sikh calendar, traditionally observed on April 13th or 14th. It serves as a New Year celebration and a spring festival as well as commemorating the birth of the Khalsa way of living (the founding of Sikhism as a collective faith tradition). Seva is particularly stressed, renewed, and observed during this month.
What is Seva? Seva is interpreted as “selfless service.” It is an act of caring for others above oneself. In Sikhism, seva refers to voluntary selfless service for the betterment of a community. It is a concept shared with many Indian spiritual traditions. However, it is more than just a simple desire to help others. As Swami Niranjan explains it, “seva” is actually composed of two Sanskrit words — “saha,” which means “with that,” and “eva,” which means “too.” Taken as a whole, the word means “together with.” So seva is rooted in a sense of shared community, and in its broadest implication, a sense of our shared humanity. To perform seva is to be mindful of those around us, to understand the needs of another, to express compassion for those suffering, and to genuinely extend help out of pure generosity and without judgment. The result is a collective uplifting of the entire community, both giver and receiver.
Seva may be performed by an individual in any number of ways, but the term is most often associated with the work done in and for the community. It may be performed in conjunction with an organized philanthropy or as an individual act. The community may be the local congregation or neighborhood or may be expanded to mean the entire global community. An act of seva may be in response to an emergency such as a natural catastrophe, may be charity towards those who are struggling for basic needs, or may be as simple as giving a smile to a harried cashier or sharing a cup of tea with a grieving friend. By offering aid with a generous spirit when we encounter need, we help lift others but we also lift ourselves.
So once again, as in so many of the traditions I have been exploring, seva offers spiritual or personal as well as communal rewards. As a religious concept, the practice of seva is designed to uplift the spirit. Charity towards others supports one’s spiritual growth, infuses our lives with meaning, and fosters humility. In my brief research on the topic, I was particularly struck by the emphasis on humility in the Sikh tradition — the subordination of one’s ego. As someone who values humility as a core value, I find that too often the original concept of true humility has been lost in western culture. Perhaps we could all do with a dose of subordinating our own egos, and performing seva seems like a wonderful way to start.
Helping Humpday is also organized around a similar principle of selfless generosity to benefit struggling members of our DKOS community. We have all known Kossacks who give generously to others even when that gift is a financial stretch. Many small donations amplify our ability at HHDay to be the community safety net. Because until such time as we get the government that we want and deserve, when there will be no need for fundraisers, some Kossacks may need the help and compassion of this caring and generous community. That’s why HHday resides at Street Prophets Coffee Hour, the intersection where politics and ethical values conveniently meet and sometime collide. Here we may highlight a particular Kossack’s story, share links to appeal diaries, share links to support services or other information, spread the word, offer a shoulder to lean on.
Virtual tea, coffee, hugs, the occasional cat or dog pic, and a musical interlude along with the Community Needs List and Links are below the fold. Please join us.
This is an open thread.
P.S. Don’t miss today’s Musical Interlude way down below, featuring the beauty of children’s voices. : )
THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTED NEED/LINK
There are three big needs on the Community Needs List below. All of them are immediate, serious, and time sensitive so there is no single highlighted link today.
RICKNELSONMN: Knee Surgery Again- First One Went Bad
HarpPlayer: I Hate To Ask Again
ZOOM314: I Have An Emergency and I Could Use Some Help. With an update.
SOCIAL MEDIA — Help Spread the Word
Help us get the word out! If helping financially isn’t the right option for you — or you want to do more — then be the link between need and fulfillment. If you are active on Social Media, go to the linked fund-raising pages on the Needs List and use the social media icons on the page to share it throughout your contacts on Facebook, Twitter, whatever platform you use. If you are active on DKOS, and it is appropriate for your members, republish this diary to your groups and tip, comment, rec so it stays on the sidebar as long as possible.
FULL COMMUNITY NEEDS LIST
Have a few dollars to spare? Financial assistance is, of course, our most critical need. Consider donating to any of the fundraisers below. Encouraging words of support and virtual hugs are always welcome, too. And are also a way of helping. When folks feel low or alone, they need to know we value them as part of our community.
Community needs list as of 4/18/18. Please kosmail any updates, corrections or additions to basket.
New & Upcoming/Urgent
RICKNELSONMN — Had a partial knee replacement last year but unexpected complications require total knee replacement urgently. Needs $4,000 3,720 to cover expenses and bills while recuperating after surgery. (GoFundMe, diaryexplaining his situation)
JTG — Needs $300 215 for spaying and vaccinations of multiple dogs and canned dog food & flea meds for dogs and cats from Amazon Wishlist for Pet Supplies. PayPal is james at jamesthomasgreen dot com (GoFundMe; kosmail for postal address or other options)
HARPPLAYER — She has a new job but will only receive her first paycheck in May, and has expenses that need to be paid before then. Needs $1,406 1,121 in total (diary: I Hate To Ask. Again.) of which the most important are electric bill ($344), dog prescriptions ($115/month) and medical bills ($544). PayPal is bluessingerrn at aol dot com
ZOOM314 — Needs some financial help to undertake various household and car repairs, plus a new gas furnace which just gave up the ghost. estimated to be about $2,900 total. Updated diary has details: I Have An Emergency and I Could Use Some Help. PayPal is zoom3141 at gmail dot com
KOS KATALOGUE
It’s open all year round! Every purchase supports a Kossack, and you get to stay out of those crowded malls. Purchasing from these vendors and artisans helps folks remain self sufficient and financially independent. Plus these folks are just plain goo
What’s the philosophy behind the Community Needs List? BfitzinAR, who for so long nurtured these Lists and womanned Helping Humpday, explains:
Kossacks taking care of our own — helping by sharing/donating money or needed items, helping by sharing both donation site links and artisan/vendor site links and purchasing gifts for self or others , helping by sharing knowledge and informational links, or helping by just sharing a hug or a cup of coffee as appropriate — is what community is all about.
We are community — clan, tribe, company, village, culture, and state. Community survives beyond the life of any single member and thrives by supporting and strengthening the life of each individual member — by helping each other, by sharing — all together.
MUSICAL INTERLUDE
Finally, the weekly musical interlude brings Sikh children from around Britain to sing about Seva. Who can resist kids’ natural voices and just being, well, kids! This will bring a smile to your face. Don’t miss the rap moves and the face painting. So sweet. : )
It really does take a Village, so thanks to the entire Community Links and Lists Team. And special thanks to the entire DKOS community — ultimately it is your generosity and help that makes HHDay successful in its mission to help fellow Kossacks.
This is an open thread, so all topics welcome. Be kind to one another, we’re all in this together.
The blog is now open.