Raised by religious grandparents, Baani and Tariya grew up in a Sikh community that advocated for equality, social justice, service to humanity, and tolerance for other religions. The essential message of Sikhism is spiritual devotion and reverence of God at all times while practicing the ideals of honesty, compassion, humility and generosity in everyday life. One Sikh practice otherwise known as, Sewa, involves acting selflessly and helping others in a variety of ways, without any reward or personal gain. The goal of Sikh life is to go beyond any egocentric way of seeing the world and to realize the oneness of the world. Sikh teachings refer to this state of realization with many words, including simran (remembrance), anand (bliss), and sahaj(equipoise). Sikh teachings describe this realization as a form of deep love that is joyful, self-effacing, and all-consuming. Service, for Sikhs, becomes a way to express love. Service is prayerful action. Service is worship manifest. Serving with love is not just about eliminating fear. It is also about eliminating the sense of self. This is what Sikhs mean when they describe seva as selfless service. It ties directly to the idea of realizing divine oneness by effacing human ego. To truly serve with love is to not see a distinction between the self and the other. When one sees no difference between the self and the other, it becomes crystal-clear that our experiences are interconnected. And if my liberation is tied to your liberation, and if your suffering is tied to my suffering, then the only way forward is through loving, selfless service – or seva.

The Sikh idea of seva, then, brings together the realms of spirituality and justice. This concept is so central to the tradition that Sikhi coined its own terms to articulate this worldview.

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Baani Singh , Tariya Singh