A New Song. Winter 2022.

Dear Friends,

Thank you for an incredible winter of events – capped off by the goose-bump inducing "Hockey Assists at Gandhi 3.0".

In dozens of circles and retreats, what a JOY to come together in a myriad different ways to dive into the heart of service.

Few snapshots from this winter: at a permaculture farm in Baroda with an 83-year-old Gandhian farmer; with nine volunteers from Vietnam at Karma Yog retreat, asking deep questions: is the reward for service more service? In Chandigarh, remembering Vasudev Kutumbhakum; with each other, with high-profile entrepreneurs in Mumbai, self organizing into concentric circles when the mics went bust; with students from IIM Bodhgaya to IISc in Bangalore to a high school in Anand exploring the art of educating the heart; with palpable stories of soul force at Gandhi Ashram; with 50+ volunteers at Surat's Karma Kitchen; with Tipanya-ji as our surprise guest *listener* at Indore’s Awakin Circle; in a circle of sharing with didis from GB Road in Delhi, as electricity went out and everyone turned on their cell phone lights; and all throughout, listening to uncommon stories of how the world changes when we change.

All together, it created a new song. 

Quite literally, even. In Odia, Shailen offered an original composition: “Going Home From The Market”. To close our retreat in Punjab, Sonu sang a beautiful song evoking the true village values. In another circle, Monica spontaneously crafted a new poem: “Huddled Like Fireflies”. With birds chirping in his Pune balcony, Neerad sang a Gujarati song about holding space. The activities at Panchshakti retreat itself were a song! :) Even with a sore throat, Wakanyi gave voice to her mother’s Kenyan village. Larry sang “Gratitude” – with sacred tears. Radhika evoked Bulle Shah. Michael Penn led us in a group song that his grandmother used to sing as a slave: “O Freedom”. And remarkably, a monk from Poland and another from Silicon Valley stunned a school crowd with a fluent Gujarati prayer! Listen to The Songs >>

Like Bhumika’s closing chant at Gandhi 3.0 notes, “May the love we share here spread its wings, Fly across the earth, And sing a song to every soul, That is alive. Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu. May all the beings of all the worlds be happy.”

May all the beings of all the worlds be happy.

In service,

Moved By Love crew