Best Piece Of Advice You've Received? Posted by Ariel Nessel, May 25 2018 [What's the best advice you've ever received? Here's what 24-year-old CEO of GiveTide, Pete Ghiorse, posted on Quora. --Ari] One day a few months ago, in the very early days of my business, I had a call with a man named Birju Pandya. We began the conversation by exchanging “hello’s.” Then Birju said, “Peter, before calls like these, I like to start with a minute of silence.” “Oh…Okay!” I replied. There was something about the way he said it that caught me off guard. It was powerful and confident, yet calming. Over the next 60 seconds, my thoughts would relax, only to be shaken by the fears and worries that dominated my thinking at that time in my life. A minute later, “So how can I help you today Peter?” Maybe it was that 60 seconds of silence. Perhaps it was my frazzled state of mind. Something about that moment made me feel comfortable. I felt it ... Read Full Story

Video On Women In Prison Singing Planting Seeds Posted by Anjo Duque, May 25 2018 Last week, during Nipun's visit to the Philippines, we were all overwhelmed by the love and joy that the Theater Arts students of the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) showed us. Many of them have been in prison for at least a decade. Last year, Nimo had taught them a song, and this year, they (women with black t-shirts) were keen to perform it. "We have been looking forward to this day for a long time now," they said as they opened with a performance ... I spent a long time runnin' / I never knew then, what I know I now / That the fruits they always comin' / But you can't go around just knockin' them down / It takes a long time to showin' / We plant the seeds then, and we look at them now / But the roots are always growin' / No matter if I'm there or never around // Whatever grows will grow / Whatever dies will die / Whatever works will work / Whatever flies will fly / Whatever fails will fail / What's meant to soar will soar / I am planting seeds nothing more // We are always in awe of the hardwork and talents that the women show us! #Grateful

At Our Awakin Circles, We Have ... Posted by Ashima Goyal, May 25 2018 At our Awakin circles, we have a team of Romanians who have offered to help translate the passage every week. One of the most regular "translator volunteer" shared this with me today: "Translating Neruda's wonderful poem was a breeze, but it took me longer to reflect on it. Deep... Honestly, I'm not sure anymore what I like most about your Circles, the silence, your cooking, the intellectual depth or being exposed to such various intellectual exercises, new horizons and new ideas... Awakin' Circles are making my Wednesday evenings worthwhile."

Flip Side Of No = Yes, And Other Learnings From Posted by Chris Johnnidis, May 22 2018 "I knew you respected me, because [instead of getting us in trouble right away] you asked what happened first." I had asked a middle school student how he felt in retrospect about our ad-hoc restorative circle process, following a brief fight that broke out at the end of the first talking circle I co-facilated at that school. Not one to mince words--as I would come to learn and love--he reflected back a gem. I've been processing many such experiences from my internship at a K-8 school last year, and would like to try to summarize some of the learnings, as well as invite other learnings. In the context of addressing school climate, particularly in terms of encouraging healthy conflict resolution/disciplinary process & positive relationships, here are three summary points: Finding The "Yes" For Every "No" One major learning can be summarized with the phrase: the flip side of no = yes. Which is to ... Read Full Story

KindSpring Weekly: Spotlight On Kindness: We All Need Posted by Ameeta Martin, May 22 2018 Latest issue of 'KindSpring Weekly' newsletter is themed Spotlight On Kindness: We All Need Connection. Despite our seemingly increased tech social connections, we are all now more disconnected than ever. A new study featured below shows loneliness is at epidemic levels with only 50% of Americans reporting meaningful in-person social interactions on a daily basis. This is especially affecting our young. Let's also make sure we connect with neighbors, friends and strangers in person again! - Ameeta

Connecting With Nature In London! Posted by Mita Shah, May 22 2018 ‘All things in nature are not only one with themselves but also one with the totality. They haven’t removed themselves from the fabric of the whole by claiming a separate existence: ‘me’ and the rest of the universe.’ - Eckhart Tolle A few Sundays ago, it was a joy to gather with 30 friends in London and to Celebrate and Connect with Nature together on International Mother's Day! It was so beautiful to watch a seed that was planted at the beginning of this year, blossom into an inspiring afternoon of planting flowers, listening to each other's reflections and being so fully present to our natural surroundings. We opened with a few minutes of silence to soak in our surroundings. Trishna shared the beautiful reading, ‘Planting Twin Trees’ by Robin Wall Kimmerer, which was perfectly fitting to set the tone for the rest of the afternoon. She invited us to reflect on ... Read Full Story

Inspiring Kindness Act Posted by Maria Daniel, May 21 2018 Inspiring kindness act: https://www.facebook.com/nasdaily/videos/1043371802481638/ This is not Airbnb. This is AirbnFree! :) After months of work furnishing, I'm happy to open the doors to my apartment to you and YOUR friends on the Internet watching this. Here is the backstory and how you can visit: 4 months ago or so, I visited مدينة روابي Rawabi City in Palestine and was so impressed that I made my first ever investment there on a 2 bedroom apartment with a beautiful view. The idea behind the purchase is to promote more people to come to Palestine and see it in person (not just Rawbai, but around it too) and the least I can do is offer my place to stay. But as is the case with every country in conflict, the picture is incmplete without the other. In this case, Israel. My initial thought was to buy another apartment there but it's insanely expensive and I almost never do any ... Read Full Story

Ripples Of A Stolen Backpack Posted by Trishna Shah, May 21 2018 Last week, my husband's car was surprisingly broken into in broad daylight, while it was parked in a safe neighbourhood in central London on a busy road with several shops and people walking by. Whenever something like this happens, our first reaction is of course shock when you return to your car, In this case, even moreso, as the staff at the dry cleaners nearby observed the whole incident and came running out to share every detail with him when he returned to his car. Two masked people on cycles came by with a crow bar, smashed his rear window and knew exactly what they were stealing -- his work backpack with his laptop and much more! They must have been watching him when he opened the car boot to remove a bag only 30 minutes before returning back to his car. A passerby tried to stop them and they ... Read Full Story

Wowed By The Field Of Love In Philippines Posted by Nipun Mehta, May 19 2018 I'm about to depart the Philippines shortly. And my trip here has been a remarkable ripple of meeting Ana and Anjo at the Gandhi 3.0 retreat. On the surface, I came as a speaker for Assumption College commencement -- which, of course, was a remarkable experience. It's an all-women school with about 3000 kids, from K through college, and whose alumni have included 2 Philippines presidents, numerous business leaders and even more nuns! Somewhere behind a podium in the photo below, I'm speaking about embracing grace. :) Underneath the hood, though, I had the great joy of witnessing Ana's magic. (For those who don't know Ana, she was Julliard's "100 Most Outstanding Alumni in 100 Years" among other things.) First off, extreme hospitality from Anjo, Erwin, Wylette and the entire compassion army -- I mean, having been here multiple days, I still don't know my way around, because there were always volunteers ... Read Full Story

Sharing Blessings From A Special Union Posted by Chris Johnnidis, May 18 2018 I was deeply moved recently to be part of a special union between dear friends Nandita and Fahad. They had asked me last year if I would officiate their wedding ceremony, and after quite some dialogue and deliberation, :) I realized that given our shared connection over the years (including hosting Awakin circles together in Philly) and their unique story, it was an opportunity of a lifetime and really the only thing to do was say yes and figure it out along the way. Many friends offered support in very practical ways (and many more in intangibles ways, I'm sure): Pavi along with Birju and Anne-Marie generously shared notes from their wedding ceremony, including their vows--which themselves had been inspired by Nipun and Guri and others. Jin Chuan Shi, a monk at City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, also generously shared of his officiating experience. Nimo sent song suggestions that spoke to ... Read Full Story

What Potential Manifested Looks Like Posted by Trupti Pandya, May 17 2018 [During our Gandhi 3.0 gathering in January, Teach for India founder, Shaheen Mistri, shared these three stirring stories of gratitude below -- on arranging shoes, a boy who played, and the quiet capacity of one grandson's heart to give. Originally posted Feb 25, 2018.] We were at the ashram yesterday, and right outside Gandhiji's room, Jayeshbhai — with his normal big warm smile — said, "Chalo, Shaheen, let’s start arranging the chappals [shoes] in order!” We started arranging the chappals, and my mind went back 20 years to my first Jayeshbhai encounter and story — a time when I brought a group of children from my organization, Akanksha, to Ahmedabad. We were at the Gandhi Ashram. The kids were about to enter the ashram and they (as kids would be) took off their chappals, and they threw them here and there. Jayeshbhai just went and arranged all their chappals in a straight line. ... Read Full Story

A Brief Q/A On Satya- Prem- Karuna With Arun Dada Posted by Trupti Pandya, May 17 2018 During a recent conversation with Arun dada he shared three words that serve as pillars to his life: Satya-Prem-Karuna On truth: What is your definition of truth? Truth is different for every individual. Truth is our lifeline. Each person should follow his definition, his base of truth. When he does that, day by day the layers of ignorance will keep shedding depending on the level of inner transformation (antar-shuddi). As one deepens in the practice of inner transformation the aashudhi will start peeling away. Today you may see the truth in a certain form. But there will come a stage when it will become formless (vastravihin) and colorless (rangvihin). Dada sang few lines from a song to explain further: "Sat na meli rang sogatha, khelu neet chopat." (In the game of ludo there are different coloured pawns. For each individual his colour is his truth.) "Jeevan ne jeeti lidha mein janam janam ne ghat." (When I play ... Read Full Story

Heart March At Mulberry School! Posted by Jane Murphy, May 16 2018 Last week, inspired by a recent visit from Nimo and his call for a "Heart ❤️March" -- our students embarked on a walk to spread smiles and kindness around our school neighborhood and community. The kids were beaming of kindness and joy! It was truly magical -- full of so much L️OVE! Teachers Denise and Sara’s planning included our entire community! The kids and families were amazing to watch!

A Hundred Thousand Times Posted by Sachi Maniar , May 15 2018 [I met Lobsang in December. We were organizing Awakin Talks and when we met it didn't feel like we're meeting for the first time. He's a monk who left his monastery. So yeah, I thought that you know, he's a monk, he's traveled the world with H.H Dalai Lama and very close to him. So, I expected a very serious man who was going to say very profound things. He did say profound things, but it was very, very joyous and lighthearted. Lobsang comes from a place in India called Arunachal Pradesh from a small village, which is beyond Tawang. He takes three days to reach just the airport that can get him here. While going to his place, he has to cross a forest, which is dangerous to cross even in the daytime. He has a place which he calls Jhamtse Gatsal, which is "Garden of Love and Compassion," ... Read Full Story

KindSpring Weekly: Spotlight On Kindness: Striving For Posted by Ameeta Martin, May 15 2018 Latest issue of 'KindSpring Weekly' newsletter is themed Spotlight On Kindness: Striving For Wholeness. A careful reader helpfully nudged us on last week's mention of a mother's "selflessness." Like caretaking vs. caregiving, self-less-ness (vs.self-full-ness) may subtly privilege another's needs over one's own, discouraging self-care. This may set up a victim triangle (see below). We should strive for wholeness and love with every interaction we have, both with ourselves and with others. - Ameeta

Kindness Coffees Posted by Ashima Goyal, May 14 2018 About 6 months ago, as I was emptying my bag, I found a SMILE card. I kept that card on the entry cabinet and every day coming in and out of home, that card would make me smile and also invite me to pass it on. Except that I was too shy. New country, new language, new culture… how will I explain it? How will the idea be received? I had too many self-doubts that were holding me back. As days passed, I started feeling guilty for not having used the card since so long. One day as I was going to meet Sikander at his regular Starbucks for coffee, I took the card with me. But I chickened out again and asked Sikander if he will go up to the cashier and pay for an extra coffee and leave the card with them. And he did. It took him some ... Read Full Story

Laddership News: The Webs We Weave Posted by Jane Murray, May 14 2018 This month's 'Laddership Newsletter' was just posted online. May sees the spider furiously spinning in this part of the world, ready to catch the abundant life that has sprung up. This month's stories reminded me of this: how we are always weaving with our thoughts and actions and the magic that happens when we weave with presence and kindness.

Happy Mother's Day: I Lost My 27 ... Posted by Dimple Parmar, May 14 2018 Happy Mother's day: I lost my 27 yr old young husband (Nitesh) to cancer 2 months back. I was so devastated and couldn't do anything on Mothers day for 5 mothers in my life. My mom, Mom in law, 2 moms who took care of us in the USA when we came here for Nitesh's treatment and my sister who recently became a mother. Yesterday late evening I got up and made 5 videos for 5 moms with all pictures involving them, me and Nitesh. They totally Loved it and had tears in their eyes when they saw it. We cherished Nitesh's memories and that's the way he would have wished all Mothers. Sometimes just by doing simple things, you can touch people's hearts and I felt amazing after doing this small act. BE SELFISH BE GENEROUS. Thank you for teaching such priceless things.

2018 Trip To Crestone Posted by Xiaojuan Shu, May 14 2018 If we do everything with a noble intention, then everything we do is noble. Ask yourself three questions: Where are you? Where is really your home? What are you doing here? ----- Mu Deng Recently, we visited Crestone, a “spiritual vortex” in Colorado, with a group of Chan practitioners from China. How incredible it was to be exposed to such concentrated wisdom in a small mountain town with a population of less than 150! Being immersed in the true harmony among different world religions, spiritual practices, and conscious organizations was truly a treasurable rare experience! How profound it was to receive Chinese Chan teaching while absorbing teachings from all the wisdom traditions that we encountered! May such a vibrant and open-hearted spiritual community continue to evolve to its full potential for generations to come. The Crestone Prophecy Crestone is situated in the northern part of the San Luis Valley, a sacred land of natural ... Read Full Story

A Gathering Of The Tribe Posted by Maria Daniel, May 12 2018 [A beautiful story titled "A Gathering of the Tribe", from Charles Eisenstein’s book “The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know is Possible".] Once upon a time a great tribe of people lived in a world far away from ours. Whether far away in space, or in time, or even outside of time, we do not know. They lived in a state of enchantment and joy that few of us dare to believe could exist, except in those exceptional peak experience when we glimpse the true potential of life and mind. One day the elders of the tribe called a meeting. They gathered around and one of them spoke solemnly. “My friends” she said.”there is a world that needs our help. It is called Earth and its fate hangs in the balance. Its humans have reached a critical point in their collective birthing, the same point our planet was at one million years ... Read Full Story