Prayer , Compassion and Meditation

The day begins at the break of Dawn. A group of 20 young women who are being trained at Safai Vidyalay to become Aanganwadi workers/teachers (They would be trained to provide outreach services to poor families in need of immunization, healthy food, clean water, clean toilets and a learning environment for infants, toddlers and pre schoolers). are about to leave for a daily ritual called "Prabhat Feri" (Prabhat meaning Dawn and Pheri meaning walk ) singing prayers and bhajans by Gandhiji and Vinoba bhave. i grabbed this incredible or rather blessed opportunity of joining them. The choir was led by Gopal Dada (an 86 year old inspiration who has been part of the freedom struggle and is presently volunteering at the Ashram). The serene atmosphere added to the divinity of the place . Bhajans of "Vaishnava jana to tene kahi ye peda parayi jaane re" and "Ishwara allah tero naam" filled the ambience and me with a sense of completeness and bliss.
( that comes in being in a place you've always longed for).Coming back there was a prayer session (comprising of oneness prayer and various other bhajans)

What added meaning to the day was a visit to a blind school at Gandhinagar with Caroline(lovingly called Karuna for her compassion and attachment with the blind kids and her dedication towards making a difference to their lives) and her mother Fredrich. It is heartening to see her compassion for the kids that rubs off on others whho come in contact with her. The day was spent interacting and connecting to the kids,encouraging them to come together to paint the school walls with what they love.The music class was an absolute delight,Music brings these kids alive. it fills me with an incredible sense of joy to see these kids dance their heart out.
The day ended with a blessed and magical Meditation and reflection sharing.
The Magic will be rubbed on in the next post :)

Love and Gratitude

You can do no great things but only small things with great love.

Love is the essence of life. A life a Sabarmati Ashram teaches you this. From the lady who serves you food, the volunteers who run projects in various communities,the administrative staff, the children at the ramdev pir tekra (slum belt) to the young girls and boys at the ashramshala.their hearts are brimming with love that is reflected in their eyes and the way they welcome you.they open their hearts to you. Shramdaan is a part of your daily life, it could be cleaning up the local compound or painting the terrace , from watering the plants to feeding the birds, each day offers you a new experience,teaches you the power of love, offers you an opportunity to be grateful for every moemt, every person you meet.Be rest assured of being touched by every individual you meet at the ashram who is an inspiration in disguise.

The community prayers are a critical part of beginning the day and sets a beautiful tone to the same.Prayer is an inevitable , powerful and the most beautiful part of your life at the Ashram.
Praying for one ness, for every new learning and experiencew, for the abundance of love, for every meal offers you a life filled with gratitude.

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and
more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It
can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.
Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision
for tomorrow.” - Melody Beattle.

Love and Gratitude are a way of life at the Ashram.

Blessed to be here!

In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart. Mahatma Gandhi

The day started with a beautiful prayer with a reflective sharing at Manav Sadhna (Sabarmati Ashram) . A beautiful culmination of purity, passion,service and compassion resonated in the ambiance. At Manav sadhna the spirit of service is defined by being than by doing, by truly being there you are giving yourself. The vibes reverberated during the prayer is incredibly powerful. The feeling is a overwhelming sense of gratitude. A gratitude for all that you have and possess and of what you are able to give. The prayers before every meal is a powerful exercise for expressing gratitude for the food that is keeping us healthy and alive. Here the language understood is the language of love and compassion that is reflected in the very eyes.

Pradeep bhai is is a differently able individual who is visually challenged who has been visiting the Ashram everyday for over a year. What takes you by surprise and touches you is his sense of direction and independence. he volunteers at Manav sadhana during the day, by helping in arranging footwear on the racks and other similar chores. He hoards a deep desire to study at a blind school.

An hour in his presence humbles u as an individual and I was blessed to know him.