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.