Service (Seva) in all its forms is primarily a spiritual discipline to cleanse your own mind. Without the inspiration from this attitude, the urge is bound to ebb and grow dry; or may meander into pride and pomp. Just think for a moment: Are you serving God? Or is God serving you? When a pilgrim stands waist deep in the Ganges, takes the sacred water in his palms, recites a mantra, pours the water as offering to the Deity, or arpan he calls it, what he has done is only poured Ganga into Ganga! When you offer milk to a hungry child, or a blanket to a shivering brother on the pavement, you are but placing God’s gift into the hands of another gift of God! You are reposing the gift of God in a repository of the Divine Principle! God serves and allows you to claim that you served! Remember, without His Will, not a single blade of grass swings!

- Divine Discourse, May 19, 1969.