A False Sense of Grandeur

I have no idea how many people know we in SIP write these blogs, neither do i know how many people read them. However it does not change what the truth of the matter is but it would be nice if people took the time to see the flip side.

In the last blog i asked "what are we doing?" the question is an idealistic question, the foresight to know what the end game is. Can not help feel like a solider in a war either a bullet or retreat command could end the game. For Swaymsevaks we have no such game plan it's more about "making a difference" and we take the stance we'll hold the ground till the jobs done. Forgetting to ask WHAT'S THE JOB?. Bog standard answer are Unite something or other, again with the vague agenda we can use an active imagination to fill in the gaps.

Im not going to dwell on the issue too much a) it's a waste of time and b) Im more likely to see a pig fly before i hear an answer that would satisfy me or even stand up to further questioning. I had the pleasure of having Swami Ramdev-ji's company about a week ago in a private meeting quietly observing i saw something that amused me. The "older" people who were handling him lost their composure and brought their families in to see him and get blessings whilst the "much" younger of the group were left thinking "why didn't i do that" and speaking to them afterwards, The sentiments of So what? my family is more important came across.

Now I'm sure like many are wondering what's the moral behind the story? in truth there Isn't a moral behind it. There is only the sad truth that swaymsevaks are like that with a custom built False Sense of Grandeur. Seeing the old, young sick and healthy man handle this poor swami from India (after he had given a 2 hour yoga session) i couldn't help think that can't they see that he does get tired and he does need his own space. Swami Ramdevji restored order quite quickly and the discussion resumed it only became clear once i saw an Interview he did with Hindu Voice Uk [ref 1] how deeply he knew and understood the Indian Pysche.

The lack of discipline for those who can't be bother to sit through the interview is a major and systematic problem, i'am not exempt from this i have my moments to but the question is how many of us are willing to admit it. I have no idea how many people know we in SIP write these blogs, neither do i know how many people read them. However it does not change what the truth of the matter is but it would be nice if people took the time to see the flip side.

[ref1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28Znl8xd5Ow

Have you done anything selfless lately?

On 11^th July, my parents had held a havan yagna in celebration of Nandini’s and my 18^th birthday and regularly, it was mentioned that I have an obligation to serve three groups of people selflessly:

1) My parents because they have brought me into this world and have unconditionally loved me throughout the last 18 years of my life.

2) My family because they too have loved me unconditionally throughout the 18 years of my life and have been the backbone of all my successes.

3) My samaj because without the samaj, I could not have had the opportunities that I have had up to now.

And then my thoughts went immediately to 2 occasions. One was our first Abhyaas Varg in Leicester and the other was an episode of F.R.I.E.N.D.S, within both of which was discussed this idea of selflessness. In F.R.I.E.N.D.S, Phoebe constantly tried to prove Joey wrong, sure of the fact that there are selfless good deeds. Towards the end of the episode we seem unconvinced of her point, as all her attempts spark good feelings inside her which must mean that these deeds have benefitted her in some way and hence are not selfless!

However, at the Abhyaas Varg, we made a slightly different conclusion. This was because we looked at selflessness in a different light. We started with a scenario much like prisoner’s dilemma and we found that every time we played, we would act out of self-interest. This actually lead to everybody, including ourselves finishing worse off than if we had all co-operated and found a solution together. Hence, we were working selfishly. However, if we had worked together, and acted out of the interest of everybody else, everybody would have been better off and this would have still been selfless work, because even though we benefit from our action, our thoughts go out to the samaj first. We concluded that self-interest would always be there but does this mean that a deed is not selfless? What does selfless mean?

A selfless deed is one in which those around you benefit more than you do from carrying out the deed. You are effectively outputting more benefits than you are receiving.

And so, after the havan, I introspected, and asked myself, have I done anything selfless lately? Finding it difficult to say that I had, I immediately wanted to remedy that! I shall not say what I have done because I do not want praise for my deed but ever since, I have vowed that I will commit one selfless good deed at least once a day, so that when I ask myself, “have I done anything selfless lately” I can always answer “yes, actually, I have.” Now I would like to ask you, the reader, “have you done anything selfless lately?” If not, then fix it!

Something Else

A Shakha is composed of three main facets, Khel, Shariek and Baudhik. A balance between these is aimed to provide a comprehensive and well rounded foundation for the individual swaymsevak to take further and benefit those around them. George Bernard Shaw once said that our ideals, like the gods of old, are constantly demanding human sacrifices, the ideals that are taught in Shakha require sacrifice as well, however a point of difference being these are for the individual to decide based on their individual conviction and understanding of themselves and environment.

The Object Relations theory was born from child psychology with Dr. Winnicott, a pediatrician himself being influtuational force. The theory states that a child's first ‘not me possession’ an object that child cannot bare to be without. The possession is given acceptance and validation from social spheres.

The theory describes the process of the developing mind, as a child grows with an object like a teddy bear or a blanket. Object relationships are initially formed during early interactions with care givers. These early patterns can be altered with experience, but often continue to exert a strong influence throughout life. In context the relationship with god or spirituality is an individual or group’s attachment or affiliation. Whilst the belief is subjective the acceptance is objective creating an intermediate area of experiencing.

Like the object being accepted so is an individuals affiliation to a religious tradition or an experience it can be viewed objectively and subjectively, the relationship is formed through initial interaction and given time and faith, strengthened through experience. Like the child crying when the object that it has grown attached to is taken away, an individual would exhibit a simliar emotional response when certain truths are scrutinized. The perception being their understanding of the truth and the environment is not what they have come to see, feel and understand.

This can be said for Swaymsevaks as individuals and ambassadors, people do not seem to realize that an opinion of the world is also a confession of character. As individuals within an organisation and as individuals who function external to the organisation a simple question has to be asked, what we are doing? A question often asked of us is when do we stop being Swaymsevaks? Those of who prescribe to the ideals of Sangh surely must live it, breathe it and experience it?. What are we doing? Either as a group or individuals is inseparable from the pursuit of ideals and the purpose of Sangh.

To keep an aim in sight and within reach be it as individuals or as a collective unit, is relatively easy. Losing the ‘why’ however is more of a concern. It leads to sense of bewilderment a state of mind where efficiency and productive come to halt. The obvious answer that overcomes this by binding the work conducted with simple, pragmatic and achievable aims tied into a long term vision. Rather than focusing on the same vision of Sangh and working to the same beat. Honest Questions Require Honest Answers! A little bit of introspection never hurt anyone. Those who are of the Sangh fold and read this should ask what am I doing?

Motivation - will we trip and fall?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6XAPnuFjJc

This video is incredibly useful in understanding the psyche of motivation when it comes to any organisation, however, this applies in particular, to Sangh.

At the first SIP Abhyaas Varg, we had a communcations exercise, and the majority of us had great difficulty in trying to convince an outsider what our objective was. This is how the conversation (summarised) went:

"What is you aim in Sangh?"

"to unite and strengthen the world.."

"But that is looking very far into the future. We do not have a time scale for this and so I cannot comprehend this. So what are you going to do before that?"

"Strengthen the Hindu samaj so that we can be heard."

"Even that statement does not have a timescale because we do not know how long this will take. We do not even know if it is possible!"

The point of this conversation, was that these visions cannot tell us what our next steps are in progressing towards them. Our answers are always to strengthen the world or the Hindu samaj, and yet these are so distant that the majority of our swayemsevaks cannot comprehend them. We cannot see a united world because it is so far into the future. And so we must set reasonable, short term goals in line with that end goal because Sangh is an organisation which requires "rudimentary, cognitive thinking" amongst its workers.

We have mastered mastery; we want to become the best in every field but now we must put our skills into use and this is what SIP has done. SIP has given the participants a short term goal with a specific time period (7 weeks) which is in line with the long term goal. This then allows us to set weekly or even daily goals and suddenly we have purpose to our everyday actions and this creates motivation! Motivation that allows us to drive these projects to their end goals and eventually Sangh to its end goal.

However, this must not be mistaken for the removal of our long term goal. Our long term goal ensures that we continue to move in the right direction; a bit like a compass. With that compass, I will know where my destination lies, but if I do not look at where I am going in the short-term, I could trip and fall.