Sewa is an integral part of Jainism as it ties in key principles. Lord Mahavir expresses how living beings should not be tormented, abused nor driven away, therefore expressing how compassion through charity and volunteering is central to Jainism.
The benefits of volunteering our time for others are endless and knowing that you have used your time to help others leaves you feeling rewarded each time. The best thing is that sewa is entirely easy to do and Young Jains provides the perfect platform to do this, giving you the opportunity to volunteer with likeminded people in a fun and enjoyable manner.
Young Jains offer the opportunity to help to ‘Feed the Homeless’ monthly in Central London, with pure vegetarian Indian food. The experience is extremely gratifying and also allows you to learn to appreciate the things we have and use every day which we usually take for granted, allowing us to be more mindful, compassionate and empathetic.
One YJ Volunteer said: “I really enjoyed volunteering for the Feeding the Homeless this Monday. It’s so close to my work and I didn’t realise how easily I can do my part to contribute to the community. There was something about knowing that I had helped others selflessly which was extremely rewarding and I cannot recommend the experience enough. I am definitely going to volunteer more now in my spare time!”
This year, we have also had a Tree Planting Day where numerous people came together to help protect our environment. The morning was spent planting trees in the soil, alongside learning about Jain dharma as everyone was taught to be mindful of the living beings in the soil. Jain stories were shared and the highly successful morning was ended with a Jain Vegan picnic with everyone sharing their stories and experiences of the day!
Each sewa event we have had has proven to be successful with all age groups, from the very young to the elderly enjoying themselves thoroughly, with many continuing to pursue sewa activities in their own spare time as well and we have many more planned events in our calendar!