Selfless Service

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Selfless Service is a commonly used term to denote a service which is performed without any expectation of result or award for the person performing it. It is also sometimes used to denote a service performed with no apparent 'earthly' result, but which may accrue results in a spiritual or heavenly realm after death, although in the pure sense of the term that would not qualify as a strictly 'selfless' action.

[edit] Religious significance

The idea of selfless service provides the morale backbone of the majority of world religions such as Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism. In the eastern Dharmic Religions specific attention to service, or seva is given within Sikhism and bhakti yoga. The concept is similar to the Christian ideal of Charity as a form of love or devotion for one's fellow man. Because God is perceived as residing in the heart of others, serving other people (and in particular helping them to find God by way of a spiritual teacher) is considered an essential devotional practice.