Progress

One of the two* questions that I am most commonly asked while I am on vistaar is whether I miss my family. In Hindu scriptures it is said "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam", which means 'the whole world is one family' and thus, with this spirit in mind, I regard the different people and families that I interact with as if they were my own. Indeed, people have been warm and welcoming and have generally made me feel at home, wherever I am.

However, is this sentiment felt both ways; just because I consider someone as part of my own family, do they interpret the situation in the same way? The answer, in the majority of cases, is no. Though people will naturally welcome and treat a guest with respect, that is still how they see me - as a guest.

Hence I was both pleasantly surprised and genuinely touched when, while at a swayamsevak's house recently, his mother said (casually, in conversation) that I was not a guest but part of the family and that I should feel as though their house is my house too. Though this may not initially seem to be quite so profound, to me it indicated something deeper - progress. If, just by spending some time with a family, they start to see me as one of their own, then this is massive progress.

In fact, this is the only way in which our Sangh work will progress, the only way our samaj will progress; imagine a society in which everyone treated each other as if they were part of their own family - a society where people would overlook each others faults, where people would encourage and support each other through tough times, where people think beyond their own interests and where people would love each other unconditionally. Imagine how strong and united such a society would be!

Such is the beauty of our philosophy......




* - the other question most people (usually elders) ask when someone introduces me to them is whether I am from India! The implication is almost as if only people from India choose to give up time and selflessly work for an organisation or an ideal. As someone born and brought up in the UK, I hope that by doing vistaar, I can successfully challenge this stereotype.

Hurdles

Last week I had the opportunity to meet several people who were originally from Kenya in Eastern Africa but who are now living here in the UK. The first person I spoke to rarely went to shakha himself, but had a nephew who was heavily involved in Kenya. On numerous occasions this person mentioned the immense level of commitment his nephew had for shakha and how, at times, he would even prioritise going to shakha above any family events! He spoke in almost admiration at such a high level of commitment and dedication.

The second person who I spoke to was the father of one of the teenage swayamsevaks here in Coventry. We spoke about his experiences growing up and as a swayamsevak in Mombasa. Even though he hadn't been to shakha for about 16 years (since coming to this country!) he spoke with so much passion, enthusiasm and fondness, recalling events and incidents as if they just happened yesterday.

That evening I began thinking about these two conversations. What was it that has made all these swayamsevaks who originated from East Africa have such commitment and dedication towards shakha? What has influenced them such that, many years on, they still speak with passion in their eyes and fire in their hearts? As I stood there listening to the joys of Mombasa life, the answer came to me - having daily shakhas; by having shakha every day it became a part of their daily lives, rather than just a mere hobby or passing interest.

This revelation reminded me of something which I had recently read in P.P. Guruji's "Bunch of Thoughts":

"This is the unique feature of the Sangh work, wherein the 'means' and the 'end' have coalesced. The 'end', i.e. the ideal of an organised society, is being gradually realised day after day in practice by the 'means' - the day-to-day process of bringing together and moulding persons for an organised life."

Furthermore, I also recalled something which was said by Jeffrey Armstrong, the chief guest at NHSF's (National Hindu Students Forum) recent Dynamic Spirit conference. Jeffreyji suggested that "in India you become a Hindu by 'osmosis' " - because you are permanently in a Hindu environment, following Hindu customs, rituals and culture, this will naturally permeate into you without any conscious effort on the part of the individual. In contrast, here in this country, we are not "on campus" and thus, by being so passive and making little conscious attempt to preserve and practice our dharma, our 'Hinduness' will naturally permeate out of us.

Thus, the conclusion is that we need to stop relying solely on a single weekly shakha session if we are to achieve our aims. Because we do not have the luxury of having daily shakhas, we need to hold other events and visit swayamsevaks regularly; because we do not have the luxury of being in an environment that is conducive to our goals we must work twice as hard and be proactive rather than passive; because we are not able to combine the 'means' with the 'end', we have to pay even more care and attention, devote even more time and effort and work with even more passion and commitment!