Seva ("service") Actions arising from a loving
devotional mindset, exhibited as worship and service to a god, religious
teacher (guru), or other higher person.
In the connection between a religious instructor and a
student, the concept of seva is very essential.
The teacher's job is to help the disciple grow spiritually,
which may include severe criticism to correct some of the disciple's flaws.
As a gesture of submission and service, the ideal disciple
would accept such guidance with humility and follow out the teacher's
instructions sincerely and without dispute.
Such arrangements are often required for spiritual
development, and a teacher can often provide a far more objective evaluation of
the disciple's genuine spiritual status and what has to be done to progress.
Even still, when one of the parties isn't being honest, this
model provides a lot of room for abuse.
In such cases, a teacher's desire for obedience and
service—in which any "resistance" to the teacher's demands might be
interpreted as a symptom of spiritual immaturity—can be used to exploit a
devotee (bhakta).
