Hidden Treasure Series - Part II - On ‘Service and Sacrifice’

Dear Folks,

From the feedback received, from Singapore to Saudi  Arabia to Slovenia, I could understand that the previous blog on ‘love’ was well received and cherished by everyone. Here we go with the 2^nd part of the ‘Hidden Treasure’ series on ‘LIFE  EXPLORATIONS’, where we share with you the excerpts of that book, written by Shri.GRK, in the  form of a lively conversation between him and ‘Yours Truly’.

Ravi: A warm welcome to you Shri. GRK. You would be happy to note that our blog is slowly reaching the length and breadth of this cosmos. Hopefully they will get to read in Mars and Jupiter as well whenever Man gets there!

GRK:  That’s nice to hear, Ravi. You know, “Life is all about Caring and Sharing”. We are NOW going to share on THAT one aspect of LIFE which emanates from the highest compassion.

Ravi:  I guess you are referring to ‘Service and Sacrifice’. Please go ahead. Am all ‘ears’!

What is Service?

GRK: Ravi, “Service is a noble act. It is the result of the FEELING of a great concern to others and their situations. It emanates from the highest compassion and tender generosity to those who are in distress and suffering”.

Ravi: Again should it be conditional with expectations or unconditional?

GRK: Well, service does not have any expectations. It does NOT have utilitarian motives and conditions.

Ravi: However, today we find service being professionalized as well!

GRK: Service becomes a business or a bargain when it is professionalized. Thus, it loses the noble human touch. Also service cannot take place in between a superior and an inferior relationship. It does not have connotations of levels, inequality and privilege, obligation and gratitude.

Ravi: Oh! Allow me to share what I was seriously contemplating doing couple of years back. On seeing the plight of the ‘have-nots’ lacking a platform to excel, I wanted to promote their talents through G&W foundation - Spot, nurture & manage them; and run it like a business. Now, I understand that one should not mix business and service! Thanks a ton for getting this thought into my brain!

GRK: Well, Ravi, your thought is indeed noble.  However, you can help ‘enable’ provide a platform to the ‘have-nots’, in a myriad of ways. I know that you are a sincere ‘Enabler’ of people, aren’t you? Simply stick with/to that.

Ravi: Thank you so much. Shri. Perez also said the same. He would be happy hearing this. Will keep DOING the same and would never forget this nugget of wisdom!

Ravi: Moving on, yesterday, in Chennai, there was a festival and people were distributing food to everyone and the roads in Mylapore and Mandaveli were choked, with a ‘sea of humanity’. Is this also one form of service?

GRK: yes and NO.  yes, because some FEW hungry and parched throats get succor. However, quite often, unfortunately, service becomes a means of expression of one’s EGO. In fact, it is advocated in many traditional religions as a ‘modus operandi’ to attain the religious merit (punya),the doer of service feels it as his privilege and thus quench his/her ego. Not only that, he/she takes it as a means to attain moksha (realization-heaven-resurrection or nirvana).

 Moreover, in this spirit and context, and in this type of relationship, the spirit of service is lost. It becomes an unholy act with a utilitarian motive. Service is possible when only there is a genuine love  - nay a sacred love towards those who are suffering and the vulnerable. This ‘love’ is holy, unconditional and unexpecting anything in return. (from the recipients of service)

Ravi: Awesome! We got the ‘meat’ of the matter. However, with humans becoming more and more materialistic, parents and peers inducing  “marks race” into children and THEN “money race” taking over, can service THEN be taught?

GRK: NOT at all. Service canNOT be taught. Showing lip sympathy, pretending compassion, following usual courtesies and table-manners, do not substitute for a genuine throbbing compassion and love. This compassion is possible only in a heart of great innocence and spontaneity.

Ravi: Hmmm. Super. I need a break. Will be back in two minutes….

Ravi: Shri. GRK, I was thinking of the scores of women folks (Pardon me men-folk for this singling out) who sacrifice(d) themselves for the well-being of their near and dear ones. I guess there are plenty of examples of ‘humane’ humans in this cosmos, across religions who have done SUCH sacrifice(s). I for one could think of the yesteryear grandmas in India who have sacrificed their LIFE for their near and dear ones and still continue to do so amidst their failing health!

What is Sacrifice, THEN?

GRK: Am glad that you remember them fondly. Sacrifice is forgoing oneself and his/her intense desires so as to help others and their desires fulfilled. It is renouncing of oneself and his/her desires for the happiness and peace (fulfillment) of others. THUS, Sacrifice is the highest form of service.

Ravi: You know, in one our earlier blogs we have mentioned about Shri. KVR. Today, thanks to his altruism, single-handedly, without an iota of publicity, lives of 12,000+ people, mostly children of the ‘have-nots’  ARE changed for the better. And he toils at his 60+ age for the well-being of others. This service and sacrifice coming from a technocrat in this ‘digital age’ was astounding to me, akin to Warren Buffet-like and Bill Gates-like!

GRK: Ravi, if you observe keenly, realized souls like Shri. KVR are detached and they don’t SUFFER from the obsessions AND possessiveness of varied forms in this world. Also, they aren’t conscious that they are sacrificing and don’t want to make a name or fame out of it! Do you get the point?

Ravi: Very much. All I know is that Almighty has been kind enough to enable me BE in the company of such holy souls.  

Ravi: Onto sacrifice, can we compare the sacrifices done by various people - Say, if there was a ‘patti mandram’ or ‘Neeya Naana’(Debates of various kinds on the Telly) as to Whose sacrifice was greater – Say Mother Teresa or Mahatma Gandhi?

GRK: ‘That’ thinking itself is ‘simply STUPID’, my boy. In a nutshell, Sacrifice is possible when only there is no comparison between people and things. Thus it eliminates competition. Sacrifice is holy and altruistic. Hence, it is the highest form of service. Like Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi… and living ‘humane’ souls like Shri. KVR, as you observed. Please dedicate this ‘piece’ in his honor.

Ravi: That would be wonderful. Will do.  However, please be assured that he may not read this ‘piece’ as he is ‘living’ it!

GRK: That’s fine, Ravi. We need to THINK of such souls and celebrate THEM as well, in a simple way, preferably when they  are alive. This way we are showing our unconditional love and affection towards such people.

“Can you allow me now to take leave Ravi, as it’s time for my evening walk?” Thanks for your time too. Next in the series will share what ‘Values’ are about, again the most confused word in today’s context, many a time we humans conveniently forgetting the ‘Universal Values’.

Ravi: Shri. GRK,I guess this ‘piece’ itself needs to be munched longer. So am gonna do that, so are our readers. Thank you so much for this sharing.  Look forward to our discussion next Friday.

Folks, hope you enjoyed this sharing like we both enjoyed sharing with you all – All pure ‘LIFE JUICES’ without any religious connotation, whatsoever. Is applicable and useful to all living humans of all sizes and shapes – from ‘haves’ or ‘have-nots’, whether one follows Religion A or Religion Z, are able-bodied or differently-abled!  However, watching Discovery channel, I observe that some ‘humane’ souls in the animal kingdom too practice what Shri.GRK has said!

I sign off with unbridled joy like a three-year old! Am turning “Naughty Two” (Sorry,42) next Saturday, however FEELING as young and agile as ever, like when I was 22 and of course wish to be ever-naughty like a child! No complaints from my wife, though! Hah Ha!

Cheers and all of you have a peaceful weekend. If possible, for the future of the ‘nature cursed’ but lovely Japanese and passionate Libyans wanting democracy! For best results for  them, picture them in front of your eyes, close your eyes and let your eyes point downwards on your right side! After 5 minutes of deep silence, take a deep breath and say aloud “YES, the Japs and the Libyans would get better”. Use your hands as a gesture to show your true love, the way u like. This way, we all can send ‘positive’ Universal Energy to them, in trickles, though, which the learned SAY that, it’s  abundant in the cosmos! Some, like my cousin sister, light candles, online or offline. The ‘pure’ thought is good enough, the methods may vary, isn’t it? Amen!

Anbudan

Ravi 

Let’s Re-Discover-TO-Discover ourselves - IN Career AND Life as well!

My Dear Wonderful brethren, sons and daughters of Mother Earth,

THANKS to the ‘digital age’ we live, have promised to MYSELF, that we share ‘one-blog-a-week’, every Saturday evening - failing Sunday Morning  - to readers from Arctic to Antarctic, WHEREVER, in Mars  - in our lifetime, or in Venus during Gen Y/ Gen Z’s lifetime – Wherever and Whenever  - there is ‘bandwidth’! Apart from the techies who MADE these happen, should we not celebrate the visionary SOULs of Late Shri. Dewang Mehta, former President of Nasscom, politicians like Late Shri. Pramod Mahajan, in India, who stressed the importance of providing ‘Internet bandwidth’ to everyone as along with the basic necessities of life Roti(Basic Food),Kapda (basic clothing) and Makaan (Place to live) in this ‘digital age’ a.k.a  Kaliyug. Let’s Thank them NOW.

Being a weekend, I thought ALL would read PEACEFULLY, thereby many would avoid BROWSING -  Many a time, we humans, “Missing-the-Juice-for-the-Taste” -  choosing to remain “Bolted-AND-Beated-in-the-Heat”, “Disagreeing-Agree, instead of Agreeing-Disagree”, many a time – our knowledge or wealth or physical beauty proving a bête-noire to ourselves!  - From ‘State Politics’ to ‘Sports Politics’, from ‘mundane Teachers’ to ‘mindless Terrorists’, In Parliament or Prison, At home or office, the situation is the same, isn’t it? No issues and complaints, whatsoever as ‘Life is a Package’, right? However, shall WE all say THANK you ‘Digital-Age’ for all the COMFORT, the ‘ubiquitous mouse’, to start with! Many SIMPLY AWESOME. Some, unimaginable for everyone to own, even a decade back – i.e. Mobile Phones, SAAS and Cloud Computing’. All societies always have marched and moved on. We ALL also have to move on  - and do WHAT? (Avoid WHY here) We move on only to…

‘Re-Discover-TO-Discover ourselves’. AND, in that, the only constant companion is ‘change’ – predominantly ‘mindset’ change - WHAT and HOW we think – IS it pre-dominantly LEFT or whether there is generous use of the RIGHT brain as well, like the ‘Sage of Omaha’ Shri. Warren Buffet to our ‘Living MK Gandhi-like  Shri. Manmohan Singh, or President Obama, the ordinary human who became the powerful Man on Mother Earth. “HOW to do that?, Ravi ‘boy’”, my friend R. Ravikumar a.k.a Ravi Yettan, is asking me NOW.

Simple. Very simple. However, whether in learning ABCD or Astronomy, we always should take baby-steps FIRST, isn’t it? The first baby-step HERE is Self-Introspection, with oneself sitting on both sides of the table AND seeing both sides of the coin as well. And THEN FEEL. The TRUTH about oneself. In my reading experience, have found that the legendary Tamil writer Shri. Balakumaran has always stressed in most of his novels on this – “As HOW to deep introspect oneself / situation – in Sex or in Spirituality?” There could be lot of techniques, including Yoga or Meditation or ‘simply NLP’. Choose what is Ogay with you, not ME. Nor your spouse. Nor your parents either.

WHAT of the WANT and the HOW  - To Re-Discover-to-Discover in Career or LIFE?

In any situation, career or in daily-life the basic LAW IS the SAME. The first fundamental LAW is :  WHAT DOES ‘ONE’ WANT? ( Read NOT What one’s kith and kin WANTED for you ). The ‘What of Whatever The WANT’, one has to decide. Not me nor their kith and kin, though, we ALL would bombard with inputs from our experience, whether applicable to YOU or not, mostly out of love! Love also has an other side, we miss most of the time. In Thamizh, it is called “Anbuth Thollai”! Many a time, WHAT we say have little or no relevance to ONE’s SITUATION, I have observed.

Once the WANT is clear, once one FEELs is measurable – THEN one has to work on ‘HOW of the WANT’ before getting into the little doses of WHY, ‘When’ and ‘Where’ wherever required. Also think of  some or many “mundane societal rules” and “archaic regulations” to change to achieve one’s WANT, if it’s in our purview. Shall we move on, Ravi Yettaa?

(Many of you folks who are in leadership or in ‘niche’ position(s), from Team lead to a CXO to a Scientist- who are looking for a ‘break’ -  Apply a ‘Brake’ from this ‘piece’ and ‘Take a break’ NOW. Am gonna SHARE with you the mantra I/we share with senior folks I/we come across while ‘Enabling Leadership Human Capital’ TO Organizations WHO CREATE ‘Wealth With Wisdom’.

Based on the feedback I received on my performance over the last 10+ years in Enabling People and Organisations, I FEEL I have graduated from being a charismatic ‘People Enabler’ THEN to a humble ‘Career Doctor’ NOW. Hence this particular sharing. I FEEL, many of you require help in ‘Resume writing’. Most of the CV’s are not contemporary – Those that catches the EYE quickly – Many have large doses of qualitative stuff – Little or no quantitative, most "FEELLINGLESS" - like a text book! Kind of "Statement of account" category. If anyone require a ‘Extended hand’ to get your CV done -  with your FEELINGS and NEVER “Just Queen’s English” You may write to our friend Ms.Suba of SLN Global Services suba.aspire@gmail.com Her profile is in http://in.linkedin.com/in/subaln I understand that if you are ‘delighted’ with the output, then they charge a nominal fee.

“Someone may write a better CV than her, Ravi”. Cool. That’s the first step. That alone, may not help oneself to  fully ‘Re-Discover-to-Discover ONESELF’. Folks, by default, being ambassadors to our clients, WE always share with the senior folks -  who seek a 'change' - a fair understanding of the WHAT, WHO and HOW of the Organization and WHERE are they heading NOW?  THEN I/We tell these folks to make a ‘powerful power point presentation’, on the following lines, to start with.

WHO are YOU and WHAT you bring to the Table? WHO refers to the quantitative brief summary of oneself, including one’s passion. WHAT ‘one brings to table’ refers to WHAT you specifically bring in to the Table is w.r.t. the Organization’s today’s needs and tomorrow’s WANTS. There are other aspects which we share with them to complete THIS simple but effective exercise. Many a time, especially my post NLP period, applying some of those simple and effective thoughts, WORDS, techniques and learning’s, has helped the senior folks, to help them ‘Re-Discover-to-Discover THEMSELVES’, Some decided to call it a day and ‘be on their own’. No issues, if G&W coffers don’t fill up as a result if their decision, after THIS exercise. We look at relationships. Preferably Long term. 

As far as possible, WANT has to a realistic ONE, some may even look “Not achievable”, first instant. Deep ‘Self introspection’ would reveal wonders about oneself. CAN be only FELT by oneself. THEN, one would start to love oneself. (One of the Powerful Diamonds shared in our earlier blog dated Sep 17,2010) “Do you know WHEN most of us THINK and CARE about ourselves”? The answer is shocking  - but true, brain scientists have found. That is, during our sleep in the night, when our benevolent RIGHT brain is verily ACTIVE. No wonder humans get ‘dreams’ only during the night, and not during day! Being, a ‘moon walker’, since college days, I have observed my Principal mother earlier and my Professor wife now, talk to themselves during SLEEP– Most of the time it is related to their work and for THEM ‘Work is their Sanmaargam’, like for most Japanese and for many Indians who ‘work-to-death’! For me, it’s NLP. For you, it could be Budhism. For him/her something else or simply NOTHING. Sanmargaam is best defined “THE Path(s), One needs to take to attain salvation”. ‘Victory’ or owning a ‘Ferrari’ is quite obvious here.  In fact they are significant at the start. Then they might become insignificant, to SOME, later…

Like, the ‘scholarly and sage-like tech czar’ whom am going to meet on Thursday Oct 28^th – Shri. KVR - A techie WHO Once built and owned ‘Ferraris’, in fact  helped many OWN as well – Then gave many away, some to build a Shirdi Saibaba  mandir to spread HIS teachings - Is today monk-like, unlike a monk! Is today working on finding eco-friendly  and 'economically viable' solutions for the benefit of  'human-kind', especially in Renewable Energy. I have a WANT to share with YOU  - His sage-like advises, nuggets of wisdom, some diamonds AND some ‘PURE fresh juices’ as well! You too, don’t you? ‘Furthen’ THAT WANT of OURS to make it happen as dunno if he will have the time. I have lots, though!

I sign off sending truck loads of ‘Godiva Chocolate-like LOVE’ to all of you, to your wonderful families as well.

Anbudan

Ravichander Venkatraman a.k.a G&W Ravi, a ‘brinjal’ to one of his Guru-like human!