“It’s time to unite inner revolution with outer revolution”
#Love#InnerTransformation#Community#SmallActs
#MoreKindsofWealth#SocialChange#CommonGood
#Giftecology#Circles#Silence#Beauty#Service
INTRO
From 25th january till 8th february we will embark in a journey of self discovery and service to India!
Our main intention is to find greater love and greater compassion for the World. We look for facilitators of a cultural shift that will help humanity connect and reconnect with kindness, generosity and peace.
Sometimes we find our world full of competition, isolation and scarcity. We believe in a cultural shift that brings us from competition to contribution, from transaction to trust, from isolation to community, and from scarcity to abundance.
We hope this journey helps us realize we can live a life aligned with our values and greatest hopes.
Together we will hold space for a collective journey that will engage our head, heart and hands in the wisdom of greater possibilities.
We will have the chance to visit and discover some of the leading projects and spaces in the field of inner transformation and social change. We will visit some of the most innovative and transformative cities, organizations and people in this field.
It’s more a pilgrimage than a trip, aligned with the wisdom: “Be the Change you wish to see in the World”.We understand inner change and outer change are very closely related, and we will facilitate the journey in alignment with that wisdom.
We will engage in different service related activities, practice meditation, hold circles with inspiring locals, visit different projects, have time for reflection and sharing…
“It’s not so much about how much I do, but more about who I become with the doing.”
INDIA
It’s very hard to encapsulate India in few words. India is many things. Sometimes it is the land of the slums, the material poverty, dirt and pollution. Many times it is land for spirituality, devotional service and greater love. India is the land of all religions, the land of social innovation and vibrancy, the land of meditation and karma, the land of Jiddu Krishnamurti or Mahatma Gandhi.
India is also one of the most active and entrepreneurial places of the planet and within this vast land we can meet with some of the leading people and projects which are transforming the World into one with greater sense of connection, trust and generosity. At the same time India is the land where many contemplatives led and lead a life of meditation and introspection. It is this intersection between service and meditation one of our guides for this journey to India, in the hope that we will learn and be able to connect with the best in ourselves, society and the World.
Many people, organizations, and even entire towns are exemplifying ways of living which are aligned with the principles of sustainability, human kindness and peace. We want to learn from them and serve them in their journey as well.
“I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man (woman) whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him [her]. Will he (she) gain anything by it? Will it restore him (her) to a control over his (her) own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to freedom for the hungry and spiritually starving millions?”
Mahatma Gandhi
WHERE ARE WE VISITING AND SERVING?
When Mahatma Gandhi came back from South Africa to India he established an Ashram where he and others could cultivate within. He stayed in that Ashram for 13 years, till his famous Salt March, when he parted to never come back. Gandhi left seeds which are sprouting locally and all over the World. For many people, this is still the heart of India. We We will visit it and stay with local people who are carrying on such great legacy of love.
“Gandhi was the fruit of all the Wisdom traditions of India and he was the seed of the society that has to come.”
Moved by Love is a social movement dedicated to small acts of transformative service. Through online and local projects, they aim to cultivate decentralized communities of practice that ignite our fundamental generosity, and thus catalyzing both inner and outer transformation.
Their story reads: “Inspired by the lives of Gandhi and Vinoba, few people gathered in a small retreat in 2010. Those conversations organically led to a series of ongoing projects whose ripples have now spread far and wide into the world. We invite you to explore, learn more about our organizing principles, and join us in this movement of love. Thank you for ‘being the change you wish to see.’ “
We will meet with some of the movement facilitators and participate in service related activities with them.
Located in the heart of the Sabarmati Gandhi Ashram, Manav Sadhna has being serving the underprivileged communities in the city of Ahmedabad for almost 30 years. Her mission reads: “We are humbly dedicated to the upliftment of our brothers and sisters living in marginalized communities. Our way is through love and the practice of Gandhiji’s teachings. Love all, Serve all.”
Manav Sadhna keeps the spirit of Gandhi alive through more than 30 projects and serves more than 8000 people daily. Its methods and ways have inspired thousands of volunteers from all over the World to lead a more compassionate and socially involved life.
Seva Café is an expression of the love for humanity. What happens when you enter a restaurant where the underlying principle is: “Guest is God”? This traditional wisdom moves the strings at Seva Café, a gift economy restaurant where your meal is a gift from someone who came before you. It is a place to express the best of humanity, from generosity to kindness, in infinite possible ways.
“If you don’t see the face of God in the next person you meet, then stop searching.”
Auroville is a whole city, born 50 years ago with the intention to: “Be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. The purpose of Auroville is to realise human unity.”
Auroville is rooted in spirituality, generosity and sustainability, being a unique example that can guide human development.
We are given the beautiful synchronicity of spending few days there during the 50th anniversary of the town!
More visits and activities yet to be confirmed: ESI-Sughad, short pilgrimage, visit to rural areas, Udaipur..
CO-CREATION AND SELECTION
As we said earlier, our primary hope is that this journey will boost our own journeys of generosity and kindness. We know how one single experience can drive us towards greater love and happiness.
We are doing this in the spirit of co-creation, so the fruits of the experience will depend on all of us. Facilitators will be there to make the journey easier and support you whenever you need, but the fruitfulness of the experience will depend on each one of us.
As we said earlier we will engage in different service related activities, practice meditation, hold circles with inspiring locals, visit different projects, have time for reflection and sharing… We are open to your proposals as well. We will have a more concrete agenda as we get closer to the date.
Before the journey, and in case there are many applications, please fill out this form. We have a maximum of 12 places this year. In the form, you will be able to express which your main areas of interest are. We hope we can tap into your needs and expectations and together serve you in the best way possible.
We also want to explore the questions that are alive in each one of us. We actually asked all of you which are the questions you are holding. In this way we have tried to co-create and design an experience that will give you field for exploring these questions.
“There are thousand ways to kneel and kiss the ground” Rumi
LOGISTICS
This journey will be facilitated entirely by volunteers. It’s what we call a labor of love. We do it unconditionally because we believe it’s a priceless gift.
We will have some expenses per person that will be around 300 euros. We will create an account were people can make the contribution to cover the cost of the stay, food and transportation in India.
For international transportation, insurance, and visa procedures, participants will also cover their own costs.
If you have any question, please, let us know. More details will be given later on.
NEXT STEPS…
So now, that was a small introduction :). More to come!
Please, if you are interested fill this form. We will get back to you as soon as possible.
We hope everyone who applies can come to this Journey with us, but if we have to say no to anyone, we will let you know by 6th December the latest.
If you have been selected we will let you know as soon as possible and we will keep sharing more details with you.
Thank you and see you soon!
Espacio Ubuntu 