Author: sudi

Below are comments from Guests at the Seva Cafe from Weeks 1 through Week 3

Week 1
“What a great concept. Being here today I feel as though I have witnessed heaven on earth where people give without truly taking! Wonderful job and interesting experiment. Best of Luck!
— Monique (1sr customer!)

“Thank you for the opportunity to share in this experiment. May it flourish!”
— Denise

“This is a great idea! I wish you many years of happiness and prosperity!
— Julie M.

“Thank you for sharing the love.”
— Jagdish

“Peace & Happiness fills my heart and soul.”
— Criselda

“Your expression of love overfills my heart, so I must pass it to others. Thank you
— Sean

“Sat Sri Akal, ji

“We felt so comfortable and loved the Seva Chai!”
— America Solis & Jack Bowman

“All my love to…Marybeth Jose and Vincent Jose and Mommy.”
Love,
Glen Jose

Week 2
“Hello,
I am proud that people are doing this. We live in a world full of materialistic ideals, and this place is a reminder to give. No matter what race, religion, background we are. We all bleed the same color.”
— Chris and Linda

Week 3
“ Thank you for the wonderful experience.”
— Tabatha Schillaci

“ You guys rock!….as always.
— Dustin

“ Peace,”
— Birju Pandya

“ Thank you!”
— Rupa Vora, #22

“Great concept and keep up the hard work!”
— Saumil

“Rebels to the grain. Great project!!”
— Vishal Karingada

Comment Cards Week 1 through Week 3 (Comment cards get left behind at the dining tables… sometimes the comments are for future guests, sometimes the comments are for volunteers)

“Dear Sir and Madam,
Give thanks for this peaceful environment in which to give and receive. Your presence today is welcomed. The service and food are wonderful. I have been fed and am full in more ways than one. The Seva Café exemplifies the business of life and living. I have learned from their example and I hope you will.”
— MsT

“Wow! What a great concept¬¬=paying ot forward! Wnjoy your time here and soak it all in.”

“This is a great project and an amazing cause!! Continue the great work!
— One Love

“The Path to a Life Filles with Peace is one that is Cleared of Bramble and Easy to see.
i.e. don’t hide from the blessings of life.”

“ What a blessing to have been part of this circle!”

“ Cam oi quiy khank chou toi woi mau an nai ngai hom uay. Chna sao bau ngoi lai.” (Vietnamese)
Translation – Thanks for the special dinner today and god blessed you!

“It’s common for people to forget the words you spoke. However, they’ll never forget the way you made them feel!”
— Paul Eggenschwyler III

What a beautiful experience.
Big love,
Ann

Made with love
ENJOY
— Sophia

“Your presence and revolutionary spirit warms my heart!
Thank you for coming out and for your positivity.”
— Thuha

“This was great, a new experience, waiters/servers were friendly. Music was awesome. 10 stares. Well decorated, so much to look at, very culturally diverse.”

Dear _________________,
This was a fantastically unexpected way to spend a Saturday night. Thank you, Seva Café for having us and Fui. The Portabella sandwich was a little piece of heaven.
Love,
Darcie and Sasmo

The whole concept of this event was great. Food and service, the people, and location made me feel very relaxed. I enjoyed today, I look forward to coming again with more friends.
Ebert, friend of Manuri

To the guest who comes after us ¬¬–
It gives us great pleasure to think that our small part in this circle of giving (as guests, like you) will have enabled you also to experience this unique dining/giving opportunity.
Love,
Mark and Yoo-Mi

You guys never cease to amaze me
With much love as I am capable of,
Dustin

On behalf of Stand Up For Kids:
Thank you, We love you guys and oh yeah…..Raj Rocks!

Thank you for this unique experience! May your messafes spread all over the world! The you and love we give is what life is all about!!!
Thank you,
Blessings

Dear Royal Cup,
Thank you so much for hosting Seva Café at your fine establishment. This is the third time this week we have stumbled upon 994 Redondo and been very pleasantly surprised. It was the iced coffee made with love that kept us coming back.
Love,
Sas and Darcie

To Royal Cup:
Thank you for having the vision and the love to help Seva Café touch our lives in your community.
Mark and Yoo-Mi

Thank you for the wonderful different experience. It is so different than my hard-core thug life that me and my family live day to day. Can’t wait to see you again.
— Tabatha

Thank you from: Christine
To: Seva Café

Everything was great from the food to the service. I believe the cause is wonderful. Always happy to help out where needed. Will be happy to return.
Kevin, friend of Manuri

We Love Seva Café

The most trip you’ll take in life is meeting someone half way.
– Tonya Knox

Dear Guest:
Thank you for being a part of this experiment. Together we can make a difference.

Thank You.

Serving at the Seva Café last weekend was an opportunity and a privilege. Usually when I volunteer, it is for an expected end goal such as cleaning up a neighborhood or helping the underserved. However, prior to coming in on Saturday, I knew serving at the Seva Café, was about serving simply to serve. For this reason, I knew serving at the Seva Café would be an interesting and exciting experience……and it didn’t disappoint.

My role on Saturday was dishwasher. To be honest, I wanted to be a server, only because I’ve never had a job in the service sector and I always enjoy new experiences. My presumptions about washing dishes were the following: 1.) I’ve done dishes before, 2.) I do dishes almost everyday, and 3.) There is nothing intriguing about doing dishes. And yes, I was wrong.

Though I wanted to be a server, I knew I would come into Seva Café and fulfill my role, whatever it was, with no expectations. It didn’t matter what my role would be, I would just come in and do it. To me that’s what giving is about. To me that’s what life is about. No expectations. There is nothing more pure than that idea. For example, when you give just to give, no strings attached, no end result desired (maybe only for the satisfaction of completing an action), that is pure. Similarly, when you live just to live, complete a duty just to complete a duty—that is pure. Not to say you shouldn’t care, but you should care about the actual action rather than the result.

So when I found out that there were problems with the plumbing and the water wasn’t draining, but rather backing up into a little hole, and had to be scooped up with a small container, I didn’t mind. I had the mentality of fulfilling my role with no expectations. And as any job or duty, you try to complete it properly.

As I was washing dishes, I overheard a conversation about Karma, and began to relate Karma to washing dishes. I’m not really a believer in Karma, or rather I’m a bit unconventional in my beliefs of Karma. Nonetheless, Karma is too much in the future for me to consider or believe. So when people say the action of “goodness” will bring good Karma for whatever reason— the goodness will be returned to you in a tangible manner in the future or a better life in your next life— I’m not much of a believer. For me Karma is more of a reproduction of mentality. For instance, consider what the Seva Café is about—serving. The benefit of serving, whether it is of the mind, body, or soul, is Karma in itself. Meaning, the mentality of the action of serving, or any action for that matter, is its own Karma. As said before, giving just for the satisfaction of giving is Karma. I hope this makes sense.

While serving at the Seva Café, I also witnessed true teamwork, where everyone was there for each other, selflessly, all working towards a common ideal…..to serve. That is true teamwork—working with and for each other towards a common ideal.

Experiencing the purity of serving just to serve and the purity of teamwork, I was appreciative and grateful of the opportunity to work on Saturday. I am honestly intrigued with the concept of the Seva Café and the principles it is based on. The mentality of the Seva Safe is good Karma.

Sudi