What My Son Told Me In Vegas Posted by Anuj Pandey, Mar 31 2018 [An open-hearted share at this Wednesday's Awakin Circle.] Hello, my name is Manny, and this is my first time here. I have meditated in silence at various places, but the energy here is different. Thank you. When I heard this week's passage on wonder, my mind went to something I often wonder about -- what would it be like to be in someone else's shoes? I want to share a story about it, that planted that question deep within myself. Before I started meditating, I was pretty much a zero compassion guy. I had anger, frustration, zero patience with people. I mean I would just get angry without notice. I remember, we were on vacation in Vegas, eating at a restaurant with my kids. One thing after another, I got really angry at the hostess. I was hungry, cranky and so many reasons, but I got so angry that we ... Read Full Story

At Golden West College, An Awakin Circle! Posted by Fran Faraz, Mar 31 2018 At Golden West College, in Los Angeles area, we just had our second Awakin Circle at the college. More people came than the first one, and even our President came in and had a great sitting. Someone from our College Newspaper came in and wrote an article. "You probably can't read it, but it opens with: "In 1996, three friends in the Bay Area decided to spend an hour in silence. They began to invite others to join them, and soon Awakin Circles became a worldwide phenomenon. On March 14th, the Peace and Leadership club brought it to Golden West ..." We'll have the next one (April 25). (And we're excited about the upcoming 12th annual Peace Conference as well, that many of you have spoken at!) Ripples all around.

Karma Kitchen Bucharest! Posted by Ashima Goyal, Mar 31 2018 I am overwhelmed with emotions and no words can really describe what I am feeling right now. Today, exactly 11 years after the first Karma Kitchen, Karma Kitchen opened it’s doors in Bucharest, Romania!! We had the first KK here in a school (Verita International School). It is amazing how the universe works and what ripples led this event to happen and how it will ripple out! The volunteers comprised of teachers, parents, students and also people outside the school community. The preps started almost a month before with kids starting to make decoration stuff and stuff for the gratitude table in their art class. The wall was decorated with butterflies, birds, flowers, posters, streamers and some rabbits too as Easter is here :-). The tables had handmade vases, table tags, mats, menus designed and written by kids.. oh! it was beautiful. All the servers for the tables were children so they ... Read Full Story

KindSpring Posted by Michaele Premet-Rosen, Mar 28 2018 Comment found on the KindSpring feed today which made me smile and think, yes, this is the beauty of our website :) Comment: shellysheils I am teacher at Amesbury Middle School and my students and I are reading some of these stories. Thank you for sharing a great example of how reaching out to someone who was feeling alone can make a difference. One person can change a life for the better!!! Thank you !

Myron Eshowsky: A Deeper Listening Posted by Amit Dungarani, Mar 28 2018 This week's Awakin Call guest: 'Myron Eshowsky: A Deeper ListeningReflection questions: What is the role of deep listening in your life -- deep listening of yourself and of others? Are you holding the voice of others long enough to hear your own, and vice versa? In your own journey, what tools and practices spur you to listen to the pain, and to that which is being called forth beyond the pain?

KindSpring Weekly: Spotlight On Kindness: Giving More Posted by Ameeta Martin, Mar 27 2018 Latest issue of 'KindSpring Weekly' newsletter is themed Spotlight On Kindness: Giving More With Stillness. We are able to give more when we are centered in quiet and calm. When we feel everything spinning out of control, that is exactly the time to slow down and find a measure of peace-with meditation, nature, walking-whatever relaxes our minds and reminds our hearts to open wider. In that sacred silent space, we find our more than enough, enabling us to give without depleting our inner stock. - Mindy

Inspiring Link Posted by Neil Patel, Mar 26 2018 Lovely reflections by Tap on importance of many values this community holds dear in computing:   Lost Values of Computing – Tapan Parikh – Medium Computing has always been a field laden with implicit values. Arguably the most fundamental of these is efficiency-which is hard-baked into some of the discipline’s most fundamental theories and…

 It Was A Night Of Letting ... Posted by sunita Lama, Mar 26 2018  It was a night of letting go with soulful music and in the company of the singer himself. No, there was no Celine Dion or Adele or Katy Perry in our midst but that didn’t stop us. We sang in mixed pitches to strike the chord of oneness that binds  us irrespective of our externals. It was indeed a night where music spoke in the language of love and broke all inhibitions. Deepest gratitude to our brother Nimo for the  magical awakening. To quote Jacob, ‘Thursday night was a beautiful collection of caring and loving souls. Wonderful gentle energy filled the room when we all met and sat in meditation. Then there was open, honest sharing from the heart. Nimo got, ‘put on the spot’ and delivered a freestyle rap – a beautiful metaphor for life where we all rap impromptu. It was a night of uplifting joy, music and conversation.’ For ... Read Full Story

Symphony Of White Butterflies Posted by Bhumika Patel, Mar 25 2018 [Below is Milan Rai's lucid share during our recent 'Gandhi 3.0' retreat -- about his journey in learning, losing, and loving. His White Butterflies have inspired hope and joy in the little things, across 42 (and counting) countries. :)] Namaste everyone. I'd you like to stand because from here it looks like this is the setting of an orchestra. So I feel like I'm a conductor. :) Each one of you I imagine as different notes melodies -- some resounding with hope, some resounding with dreams, some resounding with so many different, deep beautiful emotions. So let's start a symphony. I would like to share my journey from my teenage days till now. In the eighth grade, I failed in all the subjects, and my teacher told me, "You are a very hopeless kid; very poor in math." I told him, "If you upgrade me to class 9, I'll fail in nine subjects. That's ... Read Full Story

Six Hours With Rev. Heng Sure In China Posted by Zilong Wang, Mar 25 2018 Yesterday, my parents and I had the blessing to visit Rev. Heng Sure and the team from Dharma Realm Buddhist Association, in the ancient city of culture and abundance, Hangzhou. Dear friend and ServiceSpace summer intern Sophie told me about Rev. Heng Sure's visit to China a few weeks back. When I shared the news with my parents, they both feel moved to visit the beloved teacher, yet couldn't pinpoint any concrete motives :) They are just happy to have the opportunity to be in the presence of the noble sangha and community, pay our gratitude and respect, and be of service if any opportunity arises. With that intention, we drove for 4 hours to Hangzhou, and got to spend a precious 6 hours with the wonderful community. It was a day when the Dharma came alive, the community came together, and life came full circle. Untiring Mind Rev. Heng Sure and team were ... Read Full Story

First Karma Kitchen In Israel! Posted by Galia Tyano, Mar 24 2018 Our very first Karma Kitchen, in Israel, was so amazing! Such a blessing. I am so grateful to you all!! We fed with love and tasty food -- 400 people in 2 rounds of lunch! So many wonderful people we met. The people loved it so much. Here's our volunteer circle, before we started: May we be at service for as many as possible May peace prevail on earth I’ll tell you more as soon as I can. Love you very much. Thank you for your enormous support and love -- like this kid, every time I looked back, I felt like you were all with me giving me strength. Still shaking from the inside from all that goodness of heart... a great wave of generosity that we are all part of. Lots of hugs. More photos here.

The Giving Stump Posted by Jon Madian, Mar 23 2018 While The Giving Tree always seemed a strange children's book, ironically as my 77th b'day approaches, I'm finding it is a classic for articulating themes about growing old. A recent poetic reflection on 'The Giving Tree'... THE GIVING STUMP (Sequel to The Giving Tree) At the end of the day the giving tree had given her last leaf to a girl who wanted to decorate her hair And her last branch to a boy who wanted to make marks on the earth and bang rocks and tree trunks The boy walked with an old man who looked at the stick's lovely curves, knots, curls, and gnarls, and said, that stick will be good for me to lean on; some day I'll carve a lovely handle to celebrate this fine walking stick so the mountains will remember how grateful I was when I walked here The sound of the boy and the old man grew softer. The tree, that now was a tree only in memory, was alone; and the tree felt that she was just a stump She ... Read Full Story

London Update: April Gatherings Posted by Trishna Shah, Mar 23 2018 April 2018 - Upcoming London Gatherings "Ubuntu speaks of the very essence of being human.... you are generous, you are hospitable, you are friendly and caring and compassionate. You share what you have. It is to say, 'My humanity is inextricably bound up in yours.' We belong in a bundle of life."-- Desmond Tutu We're looking forward to seeing many of you at this month's inspiring gatherings in London, with guests from California gracing the shores of London, including Nipun, the founder of ServiceSpace, and two revolutionary doctors, who are planting seeds to create a world where nobody dies from treatable diseases, regardless of their circumstances. Awakin Circles: Camden, Pimlico, Harrow and Mill Hill Each month, we host Awakin Circles at four locations throughout London, where we meditate for the first hour, engage in a circle of reflective sharing based on a reading in the second hour, and conclude by sharing a home-cooked ... Read Full Story

Hello From Awakin SG! Posted by Sixian Lim, Mar 22 2018 Last evening, some friends and I came together for Awakin SG in my living room (: I first experienced the magic of Awakin Circles at Meghna’s place in Ahmedabad. As I traveled south after Ahmedabad, I also had the opportunity to pop by an Awakin Circle with the lovely folks in Mumbai. I remembered feeling a sense of ease and warmth even before I arrived, knowing that wherever Awakin Circles are held, I had “kin”. Deeply moved, I was toying with the idea of starting a circle when I returned to Singapore. Because I was staying with my family, I remembered sharing the idea with my mum to find out if that was something she’s comfortable with. At the same time, gently seeding the idea, testing waters if you may. She yielded, gently as well, without too much of struggle! (: After a little deliberation, encouragement and inspiration from Min (who had ... Read Full Story

Dear Staff And Volunteers Of Seva ... Posted by Yoav Peck, Mar 21 2018 Dear staff and volunteers of Seva Cafe, I visited your wonderful space with Gandhi 3.0 about a month ago. I was so struck by what you are doing! I am an organizational psychologist, and what you are doing, in my language, is creating the future, here in the present. Every evening, Seva Cafe demonstrates the future we can all live into. If you remember, you spoke to us from the stage, and moved us with your authenticity and commitment. Anyway, last week I was making a presentation to the staff of a psychiatric clinic here in Israel. I showed them the picture of all of you, and I told them about my experience there. I shared the profundity of accepting your generosity, the appreciation of what you have created there. I did it because I wanted the clinic staff to glance what it is like when people envision the way life can be, and then they create a way of living that in the present. The group of psychiatrists and psychologists and social workers all allowed themselves to be inspired, as I continue to be. Thank you. Yoav Peck, Jerusalem

Anne Veh & Rajesh Krishnan: When Animals Are Our Posted by Pavi Mehta, Mar 21 2018 This week's Awakin Call guest: 'Anne Veh & Rajesh Krishnan: When Animals Are Our HealersReflection questions: Can you recall a time when an animal or other non-human living being has served as a healer for you or for children in your life? What was the nature of the offering, and does that experience offer any relevant perspectives on how we may assist our fellow humans in healing from trauma?

Heart Felt Investing :) Posted by Bonnie Rose, Mar 21 2018 Recently, our congregation has started a sewing circle -- to stitch heart pins. :) I am so very grateful to the women of Wisdom Crafts and beloved Meghna, who have provided us with such a tender display of skill and goodwill. I really have not had an opportunity to go into depth about what the hearts mean to us. I did a sermon on them the other day, telling the story behind the hearts. People were so touched by the generous presence in India. We loved how you took a challenging situation and found reconciliation in the face of potential despair. Simply amazing. What I hope I conveyed in my sermon, and what I hope to convey here is that I am finding that the hearts are not just hearts. They are ways of seeing others. They are a means by which we can invest in priceless values. For example, I gave ... Read Full Story

Supermarkets, Singing, Sufism & Sobbing Strangers Posted by Anya Pearse, Mar 20 2018 I had the tremendous honour of being asked to be one of the opening sharers on Sunday 18th of March at the Awakin London One-Day Retreat: From Me to We which was about cultivating Ubuntu; "Ubuntu speaks of the very essence of being human.... you are generous, you are hospitable, you are friendly and caring and compassionate. You share what you have. It is to say, 'My humanity is inextricably bound up in yours.' We belong in a bundle of life."-- Desmond Tutu Trishna kindly asked me to share my words here (another request I feel honoured by!). May my words be of service to you :) . . . There’s so much that I want to share on this subject that it’s been hard to know where to start. But I want to talk about supermarkets, singing, Sufism, and sobbing strangers. There was a line in the wonderful opening reading, Creating Welcoming Space by ... Read Full Story

The Joy & Freedom Of Unstructured Painting In The Park! Posted by Poonam Singh, Mar 20 2018 Yesterday was a beautiful day of painting in the park with children. It begin with a day off for my daughter, some large canvas, paint, and tarp set up on the green space in front of our house. Some beloved neighborhood children came by and saw what me and my daughter were doing. We realized we only had one large canvas, and my daughter without thinking twice invited the older two girls to paint with her. (how beautiful to witness this moment to share!) I made a request that we do this in silence so we could connect with the artwork that was emerging with us. They were intrigued and ready to try it out. I played some nice music for us. This was the only condition set for the day. The children figured out quickly they would have to collaborate without words through the colors of the art. I immediately felt so relaxed. I ... Read Full Story

KindSpring Weekly: Spotlight On Kindness: Mending Posted by Ameeta Martin, Mar 20 2018 Latest issue of 'KindSpring Weekly' newsletter is themed Spotlight On Kindness: Mending Disconnections. Giving and receiving kindness is where human connection truly comes alive, and it can be as simple as sharing our smile with a stranger. By extending acts of compassion and kindness to ourselves, as well as to others, we can all help heal our beleaguered world and mend the disconnection. Now, more than ever, our world needs us to love one another. - Mish Rosen