It's when we stop worrying about ourselves and a natural feeling of wanting to serve emerges, and there's no need to talk about doctrines, training, habits, etiquette, relationships, or anything else.
This isn't about serving everything and anything; it's a basic concept.
In this complicated world, if we serve anyone indiscriminately and give something, we might become a target and have everything taken away, so there needs to be a balance and selection. The basic principle is that the feeling of wanting to serve should come naturally, and it's not something that should be said like, "Let's serve."
Therefore, if someone proposes a service activity, you can refuse if it seems overwhelming. In this world, there's no end to giving aid, and if we neglect our own livelihood, it's a disaster.
This isn't about denying service activities, nor is it about denying habits or collaborative work. Even if someone doesn't feel the need, it's necessary for society for someone to propose a collaborative effort, and that sometimes happens.
What I'm talking about here isn't about collaborative activities like those in a village, but about service activities like human rights advocacy and food aid. The point is that there's a difference between service activities that are done with consent and the feeling of wanting to serve that arises naturally.
Even if we don't agree, there will be times when we are asked to participate in service activities. When we look only at the act itself, without the feelings or prayers, it might be said that the act itself doesn't have such a transcendent and profound meaning, but of course, it must be helping someone, and it's a necessary activity. However, it's an extension of daily life, and it's quite ordinary.
There's no need to seek meaning or transcendent depth; it's simply about acting because it's necessary. In addition, people who have faith will have feelings of prayer and service, whether they act or not. And whether they act with the feeling of service or not, the feeling of service and prayer are the same.
Some people might think that helping others is a normal thing, but in most cases, it doesn't actually solve the problem, and it just becomes a never-ending, daily task. Such a never-ending, seemingly endless act of service, and feelings of prayer or a desire to serve, are quite separate and should be considered separately.
Aiming for a society where volunteer activities are fundamentally unnecessary.
Naturally, a feeling of wanting to serve arises, and if the opportunity arises, I might serve, or I might not.There is a tendency in society that it is better to take action, and while that is true to a certain extent, focusing only on actions can lead to missing the essence. This is because, for some people, they are motivated by other factors, such as wanting to be praised, or wanting to gain authority by being on the side of those who are served.
In traditional kingdoms and tribal societies of farmers, collecting property from the people and redistributing it from the king or chief had the effect of concentrating authority in the hands of the king or chief. In today's world, while there is actually enough food, money and distribution are used to intentionally create a situation of "shortage," which is then collected and "redistributed" by organizations like the United Nations and countries, in order to concentrate authority in the center. In this way, the desire to be part of the central authority is a significant factor in the number of people in modern society who "want to serve," and a certain number of people are driven to take actions of service by the desire to gain authority and become great.
On the other hand, there are people who genuinely feel that they are providing food aid, but in reality, they are supporting the existing system and are one of the cogs in the intentionally created "shortage" situation, which is a sad situation.
The feeling of wanting to serve is actually linked to the desire for authority and power, or the desire for praise. However, there is also a feeling of wanting to serve out of love, and this feeling of love is essentially unrelated to "action."
Therefore, the feeling of wanting to serve cannot be measured by whether or not someone is taking action.
Originally, everything in this world is sufficient, and there is no shortage. It is being controlled to create a state of shortage, and how much meaning is there in entering that framework and being on the side of the "giver," which is the side of the authority figure?
Rather than that, the ideal is to create a society where the "giver" is unnecessary by simply making "sharing" possible. By doing so, the position of "giver" may almost disappear, and authority and power may disappear as well, but if you are truly seeking "service," the goal should not be "the action of serving," but rather "a society where there is no need to serve" through "sharing."
If that were the case, even if a feeling of wanting to serve arises, it would be a society that is already complete and does not necessarily require service, so there is no need for specific "actions." This is an ideal, but it is the direction we should ultimately aim for.
Even with that understanding, there is an option to serve and help to address current problems. However, such ad-hoc measures should be left to those who are motivated by "a desire for power or authority, or a desire for praise" and want to help others. Even such people can contribute to society, and if they want to, we should let them do what they want.
Sometimes, the desire for power or the desire for praise can be useful, so if it can be useful, it should be utilized. I believe that there are likely enough people in this society to fulfill that role. This society is quite perfectly and completely balanced. This will be a good experience for them and a source of spiritual growth.
On the other hand, those who realize the nature of this system should refrain from ad-hoc measures and focus on addressing the root causes.