Maitri Milan
Just after the Diwali of 2013, 50 'Ladders' from across the cities of India and the world gathered together for three days at the ESI Campus in Sughad. The circle was held by people from all walks of life -from successful entrepreneurs, to community leaders at the forefront of the development world, musicians from all over the world and volunteers who serve through small acts of kindness. In what was termed 'Maitri Milan', or a gathering of Noble friends, the intention was set right from the start - to allow for a new paradigm of Servant Leadership to emerge.
From sharing our paradoxes, to exploring edges in working with communities, new paradigms for creating value, living sustainably and creativity with values - the discussions were anchored by participants all throughout. All of this representing the spirit of co-creation. Every gathering, and circle allowing for an emergence that only a collective participation could bring about.
 |
 |
The Gandhi 3.0 framework and learnings from the Moved By Love framework gave the whole gathering a context - and brought out the importance of doing small things locally. We all saw the beauty in engaging with Rickshaw drivers like Nick does in his apartment complex in Pune. Or like Yogeshbhai, supporting his daughters who choose to celebrate their birthday by offering roses and chocolates to policemen in their suburb. And Chad who faced visa trouble on his flight here from New York, decided to use compassion in an airport by reaching out to the hearts of the airline staff! Immediately you could see the circle resonate with the joy in honouring our local circles, wherever we were. And all of that represented by listening deeply to every single speaker, and smiling through every single act of kindness that breathed life into the three days.
After a year of hosting 11 retreats at the ESI campus, we had all tangibly begun to see the results of offering ourselves completely to the guest who chose to walk in through the door, or every person who held the mic and decided to share his vulnerabilities with the circle. The ripples from the circle have already been set into motion - one of the participants, the head of a frontline Indian IT company flew back with Sakshi, a 16 year old. At the Mumbai airport, he saw Sakshi hailing down a rickshaw. In that moment, he decided to offer his car and chauffeur to a smiling Sakshi and decided to travel by a rickshaw himself. All of this with no intention of return! In other cities, organizations and non-profits are already gathering together to think about putting into motion these organizing principles. The true impact of a circle like this might be hard to measure in the years to come. But we've all dispersed with a little more faith in the organizing capacity of nature, and the faith that a new emergence is already underway.
Moved By Love :)
Here are some images clicked by Rahul and Shaalini.
To view the complete galleries,
click here.
\
Posted by Siddharth Sthalekar on Nov 11, 2013 | permalink
-
Vinya wrote ...
Sidharth, thank you so much for sharing :). I can't wait to be part of a retreat in sacred company but most importantly, I am looking forward to creating the space for myself and those around me everyday :). Sending love and smiles :)
-
swara wrote ...
What a wonderful experience :-) Thank you :-)
-
Harsh wrote ...
Wow. It was a retreat full of trust and love. Many of us got the answers of the question we put to the circle on day 1 by the end of day 3 and that too so organically.
-
Mona wrote ...
May be it's the first time of my life that i cannot translate into words my experience during these 3 days with the Moved by Love Family, may be, the only thing i could say, like Paul, the greatest of all is LOVE.
Not just Moved by Love, but merged in Love for 3 days...and nights
-
sheetal wrote ...
One of the many beautiful learnings for me from this gathering was the conversations around "Asangraha" or non-consumerism. Came home to find this explanation on this by Satish Kumar in his book "Path without a destination". Asangraha, or nonconsumerism, means nonacquisition, nonaccumulation, and nonconsumption of goods and services which are inessential, wasteful, harmful, and unnatural. Excessive possessions are a trap; they bind us, imprison us, and enslave us. If I were caught in the trappi See full.
One of the many beautiful learnings for me from this gathering was the conversations around "Asangraha" or non-consumerism. Came home to find this explanation on this by Satish Kumar in his book "Path without a destination".
Asangraha, or nonconsumerism, means nonacquisition, nonaccumulation, and nonconsumption of goods and services which are inessential, wasteful, harmful, and unnatural. Excessive possessions are a trap; they bind us, imprison us, and enslave us. If I were caught in the trappings of wealth and power, I would be unable to live a truly comfortable, creative, and compassionate life. Much of my time would be absorbed in taking care of houses, cars, household gadgets, furnishings, paintings, silverware and china, computers, yachts, and umpteen other things. I would need to work hard to earn enough not to meet my needs but to service these possessions. A stage would come when my possessions would possess me rather than my possessing them. I would be in the knot that is graha. When that knot is pulled tight, it becomes sangraha, but when I am free from the noose I am practicing asangraha. -
Neeti wrote ...
Sheetal so rightly you have put it, thank you so much!!
These 3 days where bliss and felt like bathed in the Ganges.....feel purified and cleansed.
ashima wrote ...
Wah! Thank you for putting it down so beautifully sid :) The three days were so beautiful in the company of noble friends... A space for healing,a space for re-treating; a space called home.