Adding Value...

Each day of every SIP Abhyas Varg begins with mind cleansing Safai and Mantras. Safai is performed in the mindset that we should always leave a place in a better manner than when we arrived thereby ensuring your marks is left. When someone enters the place after you have left, they should feel your were there. During Safai we try to identify areas where we can add value, in this case we are looking to add value to the Karyalaya, OUR Karyalaya. The building should give swayamsevaks who visit it a sense of pride and belonging. Just in the same way that a multinational corporation's state of the art head office does. Beginning a day looking to add value in everything we do, is a great benchmark to set, always striving to see where we can fill gaps and be better in all aspects of life. The experience of Safai in SIP has spurred me on to do tiny little things in my life. Such as picking up an empty can if I see one on the street, rather than kicking it down the road assuming someone else will sort it out. Or at home, when normally I have to be told to pick washing off the line, or dry dishes, now I am actively looking to see opportunities where I can help out, or add value, and then I simply do them. An extremely inspiring video detailing an example of adding value whenever you can, not simply because it aids you, is this. The little boy who tries moving the tree by himself has no vested interest in clearing the road. He could quite easily walk around it, yet he sees a problem and decides to do something about it. Can we be like the boy? Or will we sit on the sidelines assuming someone else fill fix things?

Abhyas Varg C: Day 2

After a tiring and immensely hot first day the four of us awoke to what would be the hottest day of the year. As the previous day we began with Safai where Sonal and I tidied the kitchen and with Janak and Avnish clearing out the cellar, followed by prathna and meditation. One particular instance which stuck a chord with me was the reading, which at first was difficult to digest but then Ramji gave an example which made it abundantly clearer. He stated that once mobile phones are charged they work very well but sooner or later the charge fizzles out and thus requires another charge. This was paralleled with ourselves and our drive to complete a project or sangh work. I remembered when I finished my first year of SSV and I was revitalised and raring to go, yet after a while the drive seemed to be overridden with other thoughts, hence this example exemplified the importance of re-energising oneself.

After breakfast and the introduction to a crazy invention which I renamed limarmalade (lime and marmalade) we started on our first activity of the day. The four of us walked along to a nearby park where we met Phil a member of the environmental branch of the council where we were given litter picks and bin bags. Our first impressions were that the park was relatively clean and we wouldn’t find much litter around yet after a few minutes we soon realised how mistaken we were. As soon as we started actively looking for litter we saw just how much rubbish there actually was and by the end of the session all of our bin bags had been full to the brim with waste. As a result of the session I felt gratified although with a tinge of disappointment I had not carried such a simple exercise before. The session apart from giving me sweaty hands also made me think about our society and our projects, that we weren’t to look just for the sofa in the middle of the street but to look deeper below the surface while also challenging the problem at its source such as a kids litter program.

When we came back to the Karyalay we discussed Community, with it being the unification of people through a commonality, yet there are many in our community who are in our blind spots i.e. those who we often ignore or forget such as the postman. We should attempt to engage as many people as possible in our community especially filling those blind spots.

We then went on to make the SIP rules, briefly they are as follows:

1. Be impeccable with your word
2. Don’t take criticism personally
3. Don’t make assumptions
4. Always do your best
5. Active listening
6. Stay in contact to share ideas and progress
7. No inhibitions: say what’s on your mind but remember the situation you’re in

‘There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.’ From this quote the question was asked 'What is todays Salt?' which when put in context means what is the issue which faces the community today which shall bring the community together since generally people come together when there is something to fight for. Gandhi-ji’s salt march is an example of this where there was a tax imposed by the British on the production of salt which breached their human rights and thus brought together communities. This particular question seemed to be on my mind for the majority of the day with few answers appearing however this is an aspect which we Sipites shall no doubt consider in depth in our own towns.

We also discussed the concept of Active Listening which is essentially putting yourself in the shoes of the speaker to see the point they are trying to make from their perspective without any of your own personal bias.

After lunch from Hot ‘N’ Spicy which seemed to only have cob on the menu turned out to be rather tasty and fufilling before our next session which was about communication. Here we were put through what approach and what language to use when taking to different audiences about SIP, for example when taking to perspective employers to not use the terminology such as HSS but cut to the facts with the skills you have obtained and success of the project. Also the manner in which you speak is very important since an air of positivity about an experience reveals a lot more than simply speech.

We were then joined, unbeknown to us, by Sachin Nanda, Sudhir and Amritji Chandegra and we were put to the test and questioned about SIP and Sangh beliefs. If you had told us we would have faced such an onsaulght about beliefes we hold close to our heart then we wouldn't have believed how difficult this part of the session would be. Yet it turned out to be one of the most difficult points of SIP thus far but also revealing areas we must improve upon. We fell into a trap of using terminology they were not used to and also maybe reacting to hastily rather than pausing for a moment to think about what we really wanted to say and how it should have been presented to them. It seems sometimes things are felt better than they are articulated.

After this shock to the system we slightly more prepared for the second challenge when Vinod came in to talk to us about a scheme held in Leicester aimed towards youngsters with a political mindset. We then went about explaining Sangh and SIP better than previously yet still falling into some traps. From this session we learned to always be prepared and more importantly to simplyfy our arguments and beliefs and package them in a way which is easier to understand by others.

After all of this we would have been forgiven to think we would have had a nice simple dinner prepared by Dharmesh and Dipvandener but instead we were given the task of making dinner with a budget of £10 for 7 people and including a small aubergine. Such a task didn't seem that difficult to myself since I have been used to this through the experience of University. We ended up creating a feast which included brushetta as a starter with pasta bake as the main and a dessert of rasmala (which was left from saturday by NHSF's own Miten)

After such a hectic day we ended with Dharmesh not eating the food we had lovingly made for him, a recap of the day and looking forward to some well deserved rest.

SIP: Day 1

Four individuals were we; a mix of friends, strangers, some familiar names and familiar faces. Whatever our relationships at the beginning of abhyaas varg C, by the end of the first day a mutual understanding of who we were and what we may be doing started to become apparent.
Day 1, Karyalay, Leicester.
The first activity was done in the mind of:
"Leave the place in a better state than that in which you found it." And so began Safai, as would be the norm for the next few days. This was followed by prathna and meditation. Excellent!
After a breakfast of everything you'd expect to find in a well balanced meal (toast, tea, pizza, cereal) we assembled for the first session: choice. We all sat waiting, eager to know what thought provoking issues would emerge from the first session, as Dipvandana and Dharmesh stood facing us.
“Welcome to SIP" said they, more or less, and then they left the room. No instructions, no explanation, nothing. Initially we sat, rooted to our chairs anticipating their imminent return... but alas! They did not come! And so we were left to our own devices. In the room was a table laden with bits and bobs; books, articles, DVDs, and some board games, including monopoly... and so we decided to play, just until they came back, mind you! We played, not strictly in accordance with the rules, for one hour, with still no sign to suggest that we had not been abandoned. It was then that it dawned on us that a game of monopoly would not be much to show for an hour and that something must be done. Janak checked on his laptop, revealing to us all that the first session was entitled CHOICE. With this in mind, we did choose to get something constructive done. Having been assigned two projects each, we worked and talked about ideas and potential avenues leading from our projects. All in all we had about 2.5-3hours. During a lunch that followed, we were asked "why do we think session 1 was designed the way it was?" It was only then that we began to see how those three hours reflected how we use our free time in our day to day life. When no one from school/university/work is telling us what to do, how do we organise our time and make the maximum use of it? How do we get the drive to get off the sofa and work without external instruction? Leaving us on our own without any push in any direction was a clear message from the SIP organisers that during the course of this programme, we will not be instructed or mothered. Rather that the drive to act and to do has to come from yourself. Organising the time you have and deciding how to spend it is vital; this way you can still meet with friends and do other things that you want to do.
After lunch and a bit of time for general replenishment, we began session 2: conditional sewa. Dipvandana and Dharmesh decided to stay fro the entire course of this session which we were very glad of. This session looked at a number of issues/topics/questions:
“How far are we willing to go to find a solution?"
Too often we are very quick to react to a problem, whether it be the weather, what we see on the news, traffic etc. What has to happen for us to get out of this cycle of simply criticising? Creating potential solutions as ways of combating the problems is a much more useful way of spending time.
“Be thankful to every poor person in the world; they enable us to serve."
This statement is something I have never considered. With it comes humility, a quality that allows us to see and appreciate this relationship of give and take; how you are receiving and growing in the service you are giving. Their state of poverty gives you an avenue for personal and spiritual growth.
“If you have come here to help me then you may leave BUT if your liberation is bound with mine then we may work together.”
"Service is the rent we pay for our space on this Earth"
We as British citizens are amongst the richest 2% of people in the world. But what is it that we have done to deserve it? What have we done to enjoy this Earth? We don’t make much of a sacrifice to enjoy the fruits of this life, and we cannot see anything unjust in this relationship of taking so much from Mother Earth. It is the service we do that must balance all that we have received.

The evening’s dinner plans were to be at different venues. We were all to go to different shakha households and spend the evening, from 18:30-22:00. Amidst the normal bustle of evening activities we were to find out as much as possible about our respective hosts. Later on that night, we re-adjourned for feedback. Listening to the different family stories of their past gives a fragment of understanding other peoples lives.
It was decided later on that night that all four of us were to follow a topic each in current affairs during the course of the month, ensuring that we withhold personal judgment. In this way a solid understanding can be gained.

The day ended with some meditation that strangely seemed to drift into sleep- it had been a long day!

Unexpected start to SIP

After a night of unprecedented heat and lots of tossing and turning further enhanced by the fact I was using a hoody as a pillow since I had forgotten to bring one, the day had finally come, the beginning of SIP. Awaking at 6.30am was something which I had not been used to as of post exam celebrations and as the rest of the SIP participants will tell you I am not a morning person yet I was ready to get stuck into the first activity after breakfast.

There we all were, sitting eagerly awaiting the start of a new venture, a new exciting chance to aid Sangh in an innovative way, when Dipvandana and Dharmesh walked out of the room! The four of us thought they would be coming with something they might have forgotten to bring and thus in that time we sat and chatted, got to know each other before resting our eyes on the table in front of us. This table had many different objects on it but the one which took our collective eyes was the big red and white board game which takes everyone back to their childhood: monopoly.

We became caught up in the game for about an hour which helped break the ice between us four, even forgetting Dharmesh and Dipvandana were gone. As the start of the second hour began we decided to make a start on our projects and discussed ideas with each other and writing out initial plans until the session was complete.

This first session was named Choice, it was our own choice to play monopoly and mess about at the start but we then decided on our own terms to start working upon our projects. This would be replicated when we went back to our own towns since we would not be micro managed but our progress would be down to us. This was not the way we envisaged the start of SIP but we all felt we had gained something from it especially the new ideas and perspectives of our peers and we looked forward to the rest of the sessions hoping they were to be as imaginative as the first.

Litter Picking...

On the morning of 30th June we four SIPites picked litter from the local park. The act of litter picking itself is obviously sewa, but this is not the only thing to gain from the experience. One thing I know I learned is that when we walk down the road, we are socially conditioned to not see litter in the form of crisp packets, cans, gum unless its a sofa in the middle of the road we ignore and walk on. Yet when you have a litter pick and bin bag in your hand and are actively searching for litter, you see the vast amount that was previously invisible. This goes back to removing our own preconceptions to truly see. The exercise also taught me to think about sustainability in whatever we do. Its all well and good for the four of us to do one day's of picking, but what about next week when all the litter has amassed again? The solutions we find to our problems must be sustainable to be truly effective.

'The ones who walk away from Omelas'

On 31th June we travelled out to a park, sat under the shade of a tree and discussed 'The ones who walk away from Omelas' - Ursula K. Le Guin. I cannot recommend this reading enough. It takes a while to process, but what I learned from it was that we can easily speak of how would do the right thing in certain situations, but once we realise the situation is actually what we are living in right now, we find it difficult, if not impossible, to change. Especially when that change causes us hardship.
After the reading, we were asked to place ourselves in the city of Omelas and discuss what we would do. The jist of the story is that the citizens of Omelas are blissfully happy with no hardship whatsoever. But there is one child who lives locked in a cupboard on its own excrement and is miserable. The happy citizens of Omelas have never experienced hardship or sacrifice, they have not earned their eternal happiness. If the child were ever to be freed, the remaining citizens would no longer be blissfully happy. The child is sacrificing his happiness so everyone else can live in permanent blissfulness.
I believe that there cannot be happiness without sacrifice. Would one want someone else to sacrifice for one's own happiness? Usually the answer is no, and people are disgusted to hear about this child. Yet when we draw parallels with our world, we realise that we are happy, yet most of us do not experience sacrifice. The poor beggar on the street is the child, the undernourished in the third-world are also the child. We see their hardship, but how many of us walk past beggars in London's city streets and pretend them not to be there?
It is easy to say that we would do the right thing if we were in the story. Yet we are in a similar story and many of us are doing nothing.

What we actually did for 4 days, cut off from the rest of the world, in Leicester

SIP 2009 officially started on Monday 29th June with all four attendees, Sonal Mistry from Warrington, Avnish Thakrar from Wellingborough, Neil Krishna-Kundu from Redbridge, and myself from North London, converging in Sangh's Leicester head-office for a four day Abhyas Varg (Training Camp).

Naturally I can't give away everything we did, or it will spoil it for those who will complete SIP in years to come. But I can provide a small insight into a few activities:

* Litter picking in a local park, this included the expected crisp packets and cans etc. and also some fly tipped vinyl flooring and side-boards!
* Cooking dinner for 7 with only £10 and a small aubergine, and it didn't help that the kitchen felt like a furnace!
* Reading 'The ones who walk away from Omelas' - Ursula K. Le Guin
* Many more discussions and workshops on topics including, but not limited to, choice, community, communication, consumerism and commitment. (Yes they are all topics beginning with 'C' by design!)
* And a screening of 'The Legend of Bagger Vance'.Abhyas Varg
* There were also sessions directed at helping us with our individual projects, one in particular I found helpful tried to make us think about the method and presentation of the projects in as many different ways as possible. A real 'out of the box' session.