YAM _thaillestlunatic_,
I read ur posting on the forum and this is what i think abt it. Seva is any kind of service that enhances the cause of humantiy. As long as you are ready to help someone selflessly, for each and every small good deed of yours, MHI is going to bless you. As for the badge, there are certain sevas that can be done only if you have a badge. If that is the case, there is no harm in taking the badge. Think of it this way, a badge not only means recognition but also responsibility and duty towards serving our khaane members. It is upto us, as to what we like to asssociate with each topic(i mean the badge). Hence, don't let a title or a badge hinder your seva. Do the best you can in JamatKhana with the title or a badge and continue with all your good deeds towards others. Last but not the least, when you wear the badge, don't think of it is a burden or a symbol of recognition, but always remember your intention to serve others selflessly. Surely, you will give your best with or without the badge/title then.
VOLUNTEERS - SEVA - SEWA - TKN
Quote on Volunteering Services by our beloved MHI
Volunteers have always been the life-blood of the Aga Khan social welfare institutions. Without their support none of our institutions could function as they do. Today, when resources are so limited in relation to the demands for improvement in education and in health, self-help effort is more important than ever before.
[ .Speech 13 May 1983]
Volunteers have always been the life-blood of the Aga Khan social welfare institutions. Without their support none of our institutions could function as they do. Today, when resources are so limited in relation to the demands for improvement in education and in health, self-help effort is more important than ever before.
[ .Speech 13 May 1983]
How to Get Out of a Slump
Volunteering not only brings joy to others—it can help you feel better about yourself.
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/174/stor ... mc_id=NL44
By Susan Jeffers, Ph.D
There are times on our Journey through the huge-ness of life that we feel lost, unloved, helpless and defeated. What do we do when we find ourselves in such an unhappy state? Some of us escape into the land of danger and defeat. We "get out of ourselves" by drinking too much, or taking drugs, or feeling sorry for ourselves, or complaining, or whatever else that stops us from doing what is truly necessary...and that is taking responsibility for our own experience of life. And we look out at the world with envy imagining that everyone else out there has been given a more fulfilling and enjoyable life than we have. Not good!
There are many healthier and happier alternatives. One of these alternatives, which is simple but HUGE in its force, is to "get out of ourselves" by getting involved in the lives of others who are less fortunate. What does that look like? We help feed and clothe the poor; we help build houses for those who have no homes; we visit the homes for the aged; we read to children in hospitals...and all manner of such beautiful things.
When I was the Executive Director of The Floating Hospital, which provided all sorts of health, educational and recreational activities for the poor in New York City, I relied on the help, not only of a paid staff, but a large number of volunteers. These beautiful beings provided money, services, time, energy, love, and caring to help those less fortunate than themselves.
Understand that not all of these volunteers were the moneyed of the community. I met "poor helping poor", people giving to their community in ways that touched the Soul. They taught me so much about what makes life worth living. And what truly does make life worth living is not only finding love, caring and all good things for one’s self. No, it's also about giving love, caring and all good things to others.
It's not that getting isn't wonderful...it is. And learning how to take with gratitude is a sign of an open heart and brings us much joy. But giving has its own special rewards. It is the pathway to finding and increasing our feelings of self-confidence and worth. And in the end, it is just these feelings that we are all yearning for during those times when our lives seem so empty and unhappy.
At The Floating Hospital, I saw firemen, policemen, society women, doctors, college students and so many other segments of society all showing up to distribute lunches, play with the children, wash the dishes, sing songs, create new programs, do office work, raise money and whatever else was needed. And in so doing, they discovered the incredible feeling of well-being inherent in the act of giving. How lucky they were and how lucky were those they served!
One of the people who often volunteered was my daughter, Leslie. She began learning at the age of ten what it meant to give of herself. She stuffed envelopes, washed dishes and served coffee with the best of them. And she carried this learning into adulthood. One of her ways of getting out of herself today is to volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, a wonderful organization that builds houses for people who can't afford to do it themselves. I have photographs of her happily hammering nails on the roof of a house-in-progress. She talks about her feeling of joy and healthy pride when the keys to that finally-completed house are handed over to a family who never before had a decent place in which to live. In many other ways, Leslie has never stopped her practice of getting out of herself to find more of herself.
Ely, a friend of mine who had a stroke, was able to feel blessed and abundant every time he volunteered, wheelchair and all, to help cook in a restaurant that served free meals to the homeless. He knew he counted and had much to give to the community, despite his stroke. And it was his acts of giving that always made his spirits soar. As a general rule, to know that we count is one of the greatest boosts to our morale that we can ever experience. By the way, some of us volunteer at holiday time, which is wonderful. But those who get the most out of volunteering are those who make it a regular part of their lives...not just a holiday special.
You might be wondering why volunteering makes you feel so good about yourself? As I see it, volunteering takes you out of your Lower Self, the negative part of who you are, and elevates you to your Higher Self...the best of who you are...the part of you that is loving, powerful and abundant. You can understand why, when you find your way from the Lower Self to the Higher Self, your experience of life is transformed in a magnificent way.
So here is what I suggest: Any time you feel yourself in a depressed and unhappy state, immediately get up and get out to help the world in any way you can. And as you make helping others a part of your everyday life, any feelings of depression and unhappiness will appear less and less and less...and feelings of joy, gratitude and all good things will appear more and more and more. It works every time.
See, I told you the answer was simple, but HUGE in its force.
Volunteering not only brings joy to others—it can help you feel better about yourself.
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/174/stor ... mc_id=NL44
By Susan Jeffers, Ph.D
There are times on our Journey through the huge-ness of life that we feel lost, unloved, helpless and defeated. What do we do when we find ourselves in such an unhappy state? Some of us escape into the land of danger and defeat. We "get out of ourselves" by drinking too much, or taking drugs, or feeling sorry for ourselves, or complaining, or whatever else that stops us from doing what is truly necessary...and that is taking responsibility for our own experience of life. And we look out at the world with envy imagining that everyone else out there has been given a more fulfilling and enjoyable life than we have. Not good!
There are many healthier and happier alternatives. One of these alternatives, which is simple but HUGE in its force, is to "get out of ourselves" by getting involved in the lives of others who are less fortunate. What does that look like? We help feed and clothe the poor; we help build houses for those who have no homes; we visit the homes for the aged; we read to children in hospitals...and all manner of such beautiful things.
When I was the Executive Director of The Floating Hospital, which provided all sorts of health, educational and recreational activities for the poor in New York City, I relied on the help, not only of a paid staff, but a large number of volunteers. These beautiful beings provided money, services, time, energy, love, and caring to help those less fortunate than themselves.
Understand that not all of these volunteers were the moneyed of the community. I met "poor helping poor", people giving to their community in ways that touched the Soul. They taught me so much about what makes life worth living. And what truly does make life worth living is not only finding love, caring and all good things for one’s self. No, it's also about giving love, caring and all good things to others.
It's not that getting isn't wonderful...it is. And learning how to take with gratitude is a sign of an open heart and brings us much joy. But giving has its own special rewards. It is the pathway to finding and increasing our feelings of self-confidence and worth. And in the end, it is just these feelings that we are all yearning for during those times when our lives seem so empty and unhappy.
At The Floating Hospital, I saw firemen, policemen, society women, doctors, college students and so many other segments of society all showing up to distribute lunches, play with the children, wash the dishes, sing songs, create new programs, do office work, raise money and whatever else was needed. And in so doing, they discovered the incredible feeling of well-being inherent in the act of giving. How lucky they were and how lucky were those they served!
One of the people who often volunteered was my daughter, Leslie. She began learning at the age of ten what it meant to give of herself. She stuffed envelopes, washed dishes and served coffee with the best of them. And she carried this learning into adulthood. One of her ways of getting out of herself today is to volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, a wonderful organization that builds houses for people who can't afford to do it themselves. I have photographs of her happily hammering nails on the roof of a house-in-progress. She talks about her feeling of joy and healthy pride when the keys to that finally-completed house are handed over to a family who never before had a decent place in which to live. In many other ways, Leslie has never stopped her practice of getting out of herself to find more of herself.
Ely, a friend of mine who had a stroke, was able to feel blessed and abundant every time he volunteered, wheelchair and all, to help cook in a restaurant that served free meals to the homeless. He knew he counted and had much to give to the community, despite his stroke. And it was his acts of giving that always made his spirits soar. As a general rule, to know that we count is one of the greatest boosts to our morale that we can ever experience. By the way, some of us volunteer at holiday time, which is wonderful. But those who get the most out of volunteering are those who make it a regular part of their lives...not just a holiday special.
You might be wondering why volunteering makes you feel so good about yourself? As I see it, volunteering takes you out of your Lower Self, the negative part of who you are, and elevates you to your Higher Self...the best of who you are...the part of you that is loving, powerful and abundant. You can understand why, when you find your way from the Lower Self to the Higher Self, your experience of life is transformed in a magnificent way.
So here is what I suggest: Any time you feel yourself in a depressed and unhappy state, immediately get up and get out to help the world in any way you can. And as you make helping others a part of your everyday life, any feelings of depression and unhappiness will appear less and less and less...and feelings of joy, gratitude and all good things will appear more and more and more. It works every time.
See, I told you the answer was simple, but HUGE in its force.
The Privilege of Giving
'It is in giving that we receive.'
By Terry Lynn Taylor and Mary Beth Crain
There's a charming Zen story about a rich merchant who decided to donate a large sum of money to a Zen master who needed a larger school. The master accepted the money without a thank you, almost as if he were doing the merchant a favor. This irritated the merchant, who informed the master in no uncertain terms that he was giving him a very generous gift.
"Do you want me to thank you for it?" asked the master.
"You certainly should," replied the merchant.
"Why?" countered the master. "The giver should be thankful."
The angels love this story, for they are total givers whose thanks come in the form of our joy and newfound wisdom. They want us to give in the same spirit not expecting thanks but being grateful for the chance to exercise the virtue of generosity and to witness the joy we bring to others.
When you give, do you expect thanks? Acknowledging a gift is the decent and mannerly thing to do, of course, but our Zen master was not being boorish; he was testing the merchant to see in what spirit his gift was given. The next time you give something, detach yourself from the need to receive thanks, and give thanks instead for the opportunity to return to the universe a fraction of what it has given to you.
An Angelic Reflection: I delight in the process of giving.
'It is in giving that we receive.'
By Terry Lynn Taylor and Mary Beth Crain
There's a charming Zen story about a rich merchant who decided to donate a large sum of money to a Zen master who needed a larger school. The master accepted the money without a thank you, almost as if he were doing the merchant a favor. This irritated the merchant, who informed the master in no uncertain terms that he was giving him a very generous gift.
"Do you want me to thank you for it?" asked the master.
"You certainly should," replied the merchant.
"Why?" countered the master. "The giver should be thankful."
The angels love this story, for they are total givers whose thanks come in the form of our joy and newfound wisdom. They want us to give in the same spirit not expecting thanks but being grateful for the chance to exercise the virtue of generosity and to witness the joy we bring to others.
When you give, do you expect thanks? Acknowledging a gift is the decent and mannerly thing to do, of course, but our Zen master was not being boorish; he was testing the merchant to see in what spirit his gift was given. The next time you give something, detach yourself from the need to receive thanks, and give thanks instead for the opportunity to return to the universe a fraction of what it has given to you.
An Angelic Reflection: I delight in the process of giving.
In spiritualism, a higher standard of life awaits
Wayne A. Holst
For the Calgary Herald
Sunday, November 04, 2007
All Souls Day is celebrated on Nov. 2 of the Christian calendar. It follows naturally from All Saints Day, which is marked on Nov. 1.
The first commemorates Christian saints, known and unknown. The second recognizes the deaths of the community's faithful during the preceding year.
Both festivals acknowledge the special endings and new beginnings to which all Christians lay claim because of the death and resurrection of Jesus. It is a time of remembering and anticipating.
This past summer, I turned 65. Sixty-five represents a life transition in our culture -- even when I experience little change in my working routine or day-to-day activity.
My body is encountering previously unknown challenges. My mind and spirit entertain strange and subtle nudgings. Pension cheques start to arrive . . .
For more than six decades I have been heavily involved in shaping a career -- of enhancing or sometimes just trying to maintain my standard of living.
I have been climbing a mountain. Now, lodged on an adequate perch, I reflect on important things.
This is a time to think transition. Where have I been? Where am I now? Where do I go from here?
For the first time, I seriously consider my legacy. What is a legacy? What will my legacy be? Legacy is an important consideration at many tipping points in a lifetime. Yet somehow, it is different this time. I realize I am not immortal. I know my lifespan will expire.
Legacy is sometimes used synonymously with inheritance -- the material benefits we leave to people we care about. At other times we associate it with 'heritage' -- those social and cultural traditions we have received, contributed to, and now pass on to others.
Legacy is both inheritance and heritage.
At this point, however, I want to explore a less-considered aspect known as my 'spiritual legacy.' Spiritual legacy involves material aspects like wills, bequests and endowments but it also entails non-material features connecting us with others and with God. Spiritual legacies are inclusive and embrace the visible and invisible.
Material legacies by themselves are temporal. Spiritual legacies are eternal. Our best bequest is not something we create for ourselves. Nor is it the good we leave behind for those we care about. It is a spiritual gift we have freely received from God and can generously share with others. It derives from God and ultimately returns to God.
I take my cues from my Christian faith, even though people of other faiths or none may share my perspective.
Once, when Jesus was teaching the people, he told a story (Luke 12) about a rich farmer who realized one year he would be reaping an exceptional harvest. His barns were full and he didn't have any more room to store his crops.
The farmer decided to pull down his barns and build bigger structures to store his bounty. "My soul," he thought, "you have plenty of good things laid up for many years to come. It is time to take things easy: to eat, drink and enjoy the good things you did without all those years."
But God intervened. "Fool!" he declared. "This very night the demand will be made for your soul. And your collection of good things and experiences -- whose will they be then?"
So it is, Jesus concluded, when we selfishly hoard our treasure instead of becoming "rich in the sight of God."
Many people recognize a reality exists beyond this world. They live in the here and now with an awareness of that reality. They develop a different set of values that influence what really counts in their lives. I want to be numbered among such people.
I want to see things from a perspective that transcends this world. The practical and the material are important, but I do not want to be overly concerned about such things.
This is what I want my legacy to be. I want to move intentionally and creatively from maintaining and enhancing my current standard of living to celebrating a new, generous standard of life. I want to do this out of gratitude for the rich legacy I have been given. Freely I have received; freely I want to give.
I will try to have enough in my barn so that, in my more fragile years, I will not be too much of a burden for those I love. But I will not grow obsessed with having enough and accumulating more.
My spiritual legacy includes my family, friends, work and the communities from which I gain strength and identity. I will continue my vocation of teaching and writing for as long as I am able and will conduct my affairs knowing I am accountable to others and ultimately to God for all that I do.
Wayne A. Holst teaches at the University of Calgary and at St. David's United Church.
© The Calgary Herald 2007
Wayne A. Holst
For the Calgary Herald
Sunday, November 04, 2007
All Souls Day is celebrated on Nov. 2 of the Christian calendar. It follows naturally from All Saints Day, which is marked on Nov. 1.
The first commemorates Christian saints, known and unknown. The second recognizes the deaths of the community's faithful during the preceding year.
Both festivals acknowledge the special endings and new beginnings to which all Christians lay claim because of the death and resurrection of Jesus. It is a time of remembering and anticipating.
This past summer, I turned 65. Sixty-five represents a life transition in our culture -- even when I experience little change in my working routine or day-to-day activity.
My body is encountering previously unknown challenges. My mind and spirit entertain strange and subtle nudgings. Pension cheques start to arrive . . .
For more than six decades I have been heavily involved in shaping a career -- of enhancing or sometimes just trying to maintain my standard of living.
I have been climbing a mountain. Now, lodged on an adequate perch, I reflect on important things.
This is a time to think transition. Where have I been? Where am I now? Where do I go from here?
For the first time, I seriously consider my legacy. What is a legacy? What will my legacy be? Legacy is an important consideration at many tipping points in a lifetime. Yet somehow, it is different this time. I realize I am not immortal. I know my lifespan will expire.
Legacy is sometimes used synonymously with inheritance -- the material benefits we leave to people we care about. At other times we associate it with 'heritage' -- those social and cultural traditions we have received, contributed to, and now pass on to others.
Legacy is both inheritance and heritage.
At this point, however, I want to explore a less-considered aspect known as my 'spiritual legacy.' Spiritual legacy involves material aspects like wills, bequests and endowments but it also entails non-material features connecting us with others and with God. Spiritual legacies are inclusive and embrace the visible and invisible.
Material legacies by themselves are temporal. Spiritual legacies are eternal. Our best bequest is not something we create for ourselves. Nor is it the good we leave behind for those we care about. It is a spiritual gift we have freely received from God and can generously share with others. It derives from God and ultimately returns to God.
I take my cues from my Christian faith, even though people of other faiths or none may share my perspective.
Once, when Jesus was teaching the people, he told a story (Luke 12) about a rich farmer who realized one year he would be reaping an exceptional harvest. His barns were full and he didn't have any more room to store his crops.
The farmer decided to pull down his barns and build bigger structures to store his bounty. "My soul," he thought, "you have plenty of good things laid up for many years to come. It is time to take things easy: to eat, drink and enjoy the good things you did without all those years."
But God intervened. "Fool!" he declared. "This very night the demand will be made for your soul. And your collection of good things and experiences -- whose will they be then?"
So it is, Jesus concluded, when we selfishly hoard our treasure instead of becoming "rich in the sight of God."
Many people recognize a reality exists beyond this world. They live in the here and now with an awareness of that reality. They develop a different set of values that influence what really counts in their lives. I want to be numbered among such people.
I want to see things from a perspective that transcends this world. The practical and the material are important, but I do not want to be overly concerned about such things.
This is what I want my legacy to be. I want to move intentionally and creatively from maintaining and enhancing my current standard of living to celebrating a new, generous standard of life. I want to do this out of gratitude for the rich legacy I have been given. Freely I have received; freely I want to give.
I will try to have enough in my barn so that, in my more fragile years, I will not be too much of a burden for those I love. But I will not grow obsessed with having enough and accumulating more.
My spiritual legacy includes my family, friends, work and the communities from which I gain strength and identity. I will continue my vocation of teaching and writing for as long as I am able and will conduct my affairs knowing I am accountable to others and ultimately to God for all that I do.
Wayne A. Holst teaches at the University of Calgary and at St. David's United Church.
© The Calgary Herald 2007
Here goes a beautiful article on Seva by T Sher Singh
http://sikhchic.com/article-detail.php?id=88&cat=12
Neither a Shield, Nor a Sword
by T. SHER SINGH
I have noticed that the concept of seva - loosely translated as "selfless, voluntary service" - is nowadays increasingly wielded as a weapon and less as what it is meant to be.
The other day, when a community volunteer was asked why she repeatedly failed to do what she had undertaken to do, why she hadn't met her obligations fully or in a timely fashion, I was flabbergasted by the response I overheard:
"I do seva, bhenji", she protested. "I'm not getting paid for this. I spend so many hours here, while I could easily be doing something else. I don't have to listen to this nonsense: if you don't want me here, say so, and I'm gone!"
It was a deft use of the very essence of seva. As a shield - a shield from criticism and from accountability.
On another occasion, I heard a fellow wield the word somewhat differently, but equally effectively.
He was addressing members of a community group. "I'm the one who can run this organization and ensure that it stays alive. I've done seva for three years ... day and night, and weekends too. And haven't taken a single cent for my time. How can you even think that another person should come over and run it. Others will simply run it to the ground.
And, you know, I'm not going to let you do this. I'm not going to let you turn all my seva into nought!"
I felt, as I watched him through this performance, that he was wielding his seva quite
deftly... as a weapon. A sword, actually. The parry and thrust was working: you could see it in the wounded look in the eyes of the audience.
Is this what seva is all about?
Am I wrong in thinking that the moment you use seva ... yes, USE it ... for any ulterior purpose, then it instantly ceases to be seva? If it loses its spiritual core, then all you're left with is ... a clumsy weapon.
The concept of seva, I feel, is simple and uncomplicated in Sikhi.
The very idea of seva begins with a metaphor: that of the milk-pot or vessel. Nanak says:
First, wash the vessel,
Next, disinfect it with incense.
Then, and only then, is it ready to receive the milk.
[GGS, M1, 728:1]
True. What good is the milk once it has been poured into a soiled receptacle? The dirt of the vessel taints everything that is poured into it.
The mind, like the vessel, first needs to be cleansed if one is to prepare it for things spiritual. Otherwise, all effort goes to waste. And this cleansing of the mind, the preparation, is done with the "soap" of humility.
So far, all of this is esoteric and philosophical. But Sikhi brings the exercise down to earth by guiding us how to do it while going about our day-to-day, ordinary lives. In seeking humility, there's no need to blindly wade through religious tomes. No penances, no fasting, no retreats, no masochism of any kind. No feeding of priests, no pilgrimages, no renunciations, no onerous abstentions.
There's a simple, direct and effective way: seva.
No grandiose projects are necessary for this inner cleansing. We don't have to build monuments, or light bonfires on top of mountains, or even go on far-flung crusades fighting for world peace.
Just serving the basic needs of those who are in need puts us on the right path. At home, with the neighbour, around the corner, in the community we live in ... the concentric circles can get as wide or remain as narrow as the situation demands.
Feed the hungry, clothe the destitute, shelter the homeless.
Or even more simple: just wash the dishes at the langar, or serve food, or look after the shoes of those who come to worship.
Anonymity helps. Not wearing a t-shirt or bandana that proclaims SEVADAR, helps.
Doing it without fan-fare, without a shabash or pat on the back, is a definite plus. Doing things that others do not want to, or cannot do, is good. Sweeping the floor, or cleaning the washrooms are therefore bound to be the most rewarding.
One of the most moving sights I have seen in my life is something I witnessed a couple of years ago in Espanola, New Mexico. Singh Sahib Harbhajan Singh Yogi had shed his mortal coil and crowds from around the globe had arrived to celebrate his life. By the thousands. The logistics required to cater to the needs of these visitors from far and wide were stupendous.
And one of them was the need for a platoon of portable toilets which were, I'm sure, leased for the occasion. It would've been terribly easy to have also bought the services of a handful of workers who could've maintained the facilities and kept them clean at all times.
What touched me deep inside was the vision of our hosts who saw it as an unprecedented opportunity to do seva. Any time of the day or night, if you walked into the facilities, you
saw a couple of the Sikhs from the Espanola sangat cleaning the toilets and water basins, or down on their hands and knees, cleaning the floor. It was arguably the cleanest spot within the endless acreage roped in for the events of the week.
And, you know, there was not a sign anywhere proclaiming, e.g., "Seva" provided by the Sangat of ....." Nothing. Not a word, not a peep. That's seva.
It's for the sheer sake of seva. It has no other goal. Even the end result is not important. You don't need a smile or a nod, a pat on the shoulder, or the gratitude of another to validate it. You simply do it, and you do it to the best of your ability, and nothing
else matters.
You don't go home and note it in your diary. Or tell your family and friends. Or have it published in a newsletter in the "Acknowledgment" section.
And you don't wave it in the face if you are running for election the
next time around.
Here's what I've been taught and what I try to emulate .... though
those who know me well could easily cite many a lapse:
Don't let the right hand know what the left hand does ...
It isn't seva if it is for the purpose of getting a tax-deductible
receipt.
It isn't seva if your heart and soul aren't in it.
It isn't seva if it isn't done with honesty and integrity.
It isn't seva if you believe that mediocrity is all that is expected
of you, and that you needn't do more.
It isn't seva if it's for building your resume.
It isn't seva if it is meant to be a stepping stone to bigger and
better things.
It isn't seva if you need to tell others, now or later, that you did
it.
It isn't seva if lack of appreciation by others, or their criticism,
drives you away.
It isn't seva if you believe that it is your right to do it.
It isn't seva if you have to fight against others to do it.
It isn't seva if you snatch it away from another, to do it.
It isn't seva if you begin to believe you're the best one to do it.
And, it isn't seva if it distresses you that others take credit for
what you've done.
Not too long ago, I was blessed with an opportunity to visit the Durbar Sahib in Amritsar, after an absence of more than three decades. There were so many things that added to the joy of being there.
Not the least of it was the timeless sight at all hours of the day or night, literally - even in the cold and dark hours before dawn - of men, women and children behind the counter, tending to the shoes of pilgrims.
Quiet faces, moving in the shadows. Ever-so-slight, barely discernible quivering of the lips, silently accompanying the kirtan playing from the speakers around them. No small-talk. No name-tags. No meeting of the eyes, no searching for acquaintances. Just simple, purposeful, swift, efficient movements ... the queues were long.
There's always a hush around the shoe-stalls outside the main entrance, I've noticed. The only words you hear are "satnam, satnam..." and "waheguru, waheguru..." And a lot of "ji...ji...jee- o...ji ..."
I don't know how they do it. But I see them taking each pair of foot-wear as if it is a house-warming gift. Lovingly, gently, softly ... if you glance back for a split-second, as you turn away, you may even catch one in the shadows wiping the dirt off your shoes as they
are placed on the shelves.
I tell you, it is there, standing on the cold wet marble, looking at this scene, that I experienced the first communion with what I had come searching for, after all these years, at the doors of the Harmander.
It is the epitome of seva.
And, it is most magical when - and I borrow from the English Bard - it "is not strain'd"...
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest:
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.
May we all, each one of us, be blessed with this gift.
-----------------------
posted by:
Regards
Parminder Singh
http://sikhchic.com/article-detail.php?id=88&cat=12
Neither a Shield, Nor a Sword
by T. SHER SINGH
I have noticed that the concept of seva - loosely translated as "selfless, voluntary service" - is nowadays increasingly wielded as a weapon and less as what it is meant to be.
The other day, when a community volunteer was asked why she repeatedly failed to do what she had undertaken to do, why she hadn't met her obligations fully or in a timely fashion, I was flabbergasted by the response I overheard:
"I do seva, bhenji", she protested. "I'm not getting paid for this. I spend so many hours here, while I could easily be doing something else. I don't have to listen to this nonsense: if you don't want me here, say so, and I'm gone!"
It was a deft use of the very essence of seva. As a shield - a shield from criticism and from accountability.
On another occasion, I heard a fellow wield the word somewhat differently, but equally effectively.
He was addressing members of a community group. "I'm the one who can run this organization and ensure that it stays alive. I've done seva for three years ... day and night, and weekends too. And haven't taken a single cent for my time. How can you even think that another person should come over and run it. Others will simply run it to the ground.
And, you know, I'm not going to let you do this. I'm not going to let you turn all my seva into nought!"
I felt, as I watched him through this performance, that he was wielding his seva quite
deftly... as a weapon. A sword, actually. The parry and thrust was working: you could see it in the wounded look in the eyes of the audience.
Is this what seva is all about?
Am I wrong in thinking that the moment you use seva ... yes, USE it ... for any ulterior purpose, then it instantly ceases to be seva? If it loses its spiritual core, then all you're left with is ... a clumsy weapon.
The concept of seva, I feel, is simple and uncomplicated in Sikhi.
The very idea of seva begins with a metaphor: that of the milk-pot or vessel. Nanak says:
First, wash the vessel,
Next, disinfect it with incense.
Then, and only then, is it ready to receive the milk.
[GGS, M1, 728:1]
True. What good is the milk once it has been poured into a soiled receptacle? The dirt of the vessel taints everything that is poured into it.
The mind, like the vessel, first needs to be cleansed if one is to prepare it for things spiritual. Otherwise, all effort goes to waste. And this cleansing of the mind, the preparation, is done with the "soap" of humility.
So far, all of this is esoteric and philosophical. But Sikhi brings the exercise down to earth by guiding us how to do it while going about our day-to-day, ordinary lives. In seeking humility, there's no need to blindly wade through religious tomes. No penances, no fasting, no retreats, no masochism of any kind. No feeding of priests, no pilgrimages, no renunciations, no onerous abstentions.
There's a simple, direct and effective way: seva.
No grandiose projects are necessary for this inner cleansing. We don't have to build monuments, or light bonfires on top of mountains, or even go on far-flung crusades fighting for world peace.
Just serving the basic needs of those who are in need puts us on the right path. At home, with the neighbour, around the corner, in the community we live in ... the concentric circles can get as wide or remain as narrow as the situation demands.
Feed the hungry, clothe the destitute, shelter the homeless.
Or even more simple: just wash the dishes at the langar, or serve food, or look after the shoes of those who come to worship.
Anonymity helps. Not wearing a t-shirt or bandana that proclaims SEVADAR, helps.
Doing it without fan-fare, without a shabash or pat on the back, is a definite plus. Doing things that others do not want to, or cannot do, is good. Sweeping the floor, or cleaning the washrooms are therefore bound to be the most rewarding.
One of the most moving sights I have seen in my life is something I witnessed a couple of years ago in Espanola, New Mexico. Singh Sahib Harbhajan Singh Yogi had shed his mortal coil and crowds from around the globe had arrived to celebrate his life. By the thousands. The logistics required to cater to the needs of these visitors from far and wide were stupendous.
And one of them was the need for a platoon of portable toilets which were, I'm sure, leased for the occasion. It would've been terribly easy to have also bought the services of a handful of workers who could've maintained the facilities and kept them clean at all times.
What touched me deep inside was the vision of our hosts who saw it as an unprecedented opportunity to do seva. Any time of the day or night, if you walked into the facilities, you
saw a couple of the Sikhs from the Espanola sangat cleaning the toilets and water basins, or down on their hands and knees, cleaning the floor. It was arguably the cleanest spot within the endless acreage roped in for the events of the week.
And, you know, there was not a sign anywhere proclaiming, e.g., "Seva" provided by the Sangat of ....." Nothing. Not a word, not a peep. That's seva.
It's for the sheer sake of seva. It has no other goal. Even the end result is not important. You don't need a smile or a nod, a pat on the shoulder, or the gratitude of another to validate it. You simply do it, and you do it to the best of your ability, and nothing
else matters.
You don't go home and note it in your diary. Or tell your family and friends. Or have it published in a newsletter in the "Acknowledgment" section.
And you don't wave it in the face if you are running for election the
next time around.
Here's what I've been taught and what I try to emulate .... though
those who know me well could easily cite many a lapse:
Don't let the right hand know what the left hand does ...
It isn't seva if it is for the purpose of getting a tax-deductible
receipt.
It isn't seva if your heart and soul aren't in it.
It isn't seva if it isn't done with honesty and integrity.
It isn't seva if you believe that mediocrity is all that is expected
of you, and that you needn't do more.
It isn't seva if it's for building your resume.
It isn't seva if it is meant to be a stepping stone to bigger and
better things.
It isn't seva if you need to tell others, now or later, that you did
it.
It isn't seva if lack of appreciation by others, or their criticism,
drives you away.
It isn't seva if you believe that it is your right to do it.
It isn't seva if you have to fight against others to do it.
It isn't seva if you snatch it away from another, to do it.
It isn't seva if you begin to believe you're the best one to do it.
And, it isn't seva if it distresses you that others take credit for
what you've done.
Not too long ago, I was blessed with an opportunity to visit the Durbar Sahib in Amritsar, after an absence of more than three decades. There were so many things that added to the joy of being there.
Not the least of it was the timeless sight at all hours of the day or night, literally - even in the cold and dark hours before dawn - of men, women and children behind the counter, tending to the shoes of pilgrims.
Quiet faces, moving in the shadows. Ever-so-slight, barely discernible quivering of the lips, silently accompanying the kirtan playing from the speakers around them. No small-talk. No name-tags. No meeting of the eyes, no searching for acquaintances. Just simple, purposeful, swift, efficient movements ... the queues were long.
There's always a hush around the shoe-stalls outside the main entrance, I've noticed. The only words you hear are "satnam, satnam..." and "waheguru, waheguru..." And a lot of "ji...ji...jee- o...ji ..."
I don't know how they do it. But I see them taking each pair of foot-wear as if it is a house-warming gift. Lovingly, gently, softly ... if you glance back for a split-second, as you turn away, you may even catch one in the shadows wiping the dirt off your shoes as they
are placed on the shelves.
I tell you, it is there, standing on the cold wet marble, looking at this scene, that I experienced the first communion with what I had come searching for, after all these years, at the doors of the Harmander.
It is the epitome of seva.
And, it is most magical when - and I borrow from the English Bard - it "is not strain'd"...
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest:
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.
May we all, each one of us, be blessed with this gift.
-----------------------
posted by:
Regards
Parminder Singh
"In helping others, we shall help ourselves, for whatever good we give out completes the circle and comes back to us."
Flora Edwards
"There is a wonderful mythical law of nature that the three things we crave most in life -- happiness, freedom, and peace of mind -- are always attained by giving them to someone else."
Peyton Conway March
Flora Edwards
"There is a wonderful mythical law of nature that the three things we crave most in life -- happiness, freedom, and peace of mind -- are always attained by giving them to someone else."
Peyton Conway March
Jamat in Kabul comes together around week-long celebration of volunteerism
Also see the Volunteer Week photo gallery.
http://www.theismaili.org/cms/1058/Jama ... lunteerism
Volunteers line up to welcome Jamati and institutional leaders at Umomi Jamatkhana at the conclusion of Volunteer Week in Afghanistan. Photo: Courtesy of the Ismaili Council for Afghanistan
Earlier this year, the Afghan Jamat observed a week-long celebration of volunteerism, a tradition that has long been central to Ismaili culture. Held at all Kabul Jamatkhanas, Volunteer Week was an opportunity to showcase the impact that volunteers have on the Jamat’s wellbeing, and increase the unity and collaboration among them, as well as within the wider Jamat.
“We were excited and happy to have this week to demonstrate the love and respect with which we carry out our voluntary duties,” said Rabia, a volunteer. All volunteers dressed in their uniforms throughout the week, which kicked off with a special cake-cutting ceremony in each Jamatkhana that was led by their respective Jamati leaders.
The week also coincided with Navroz, and in keeping with tradition volunteers took part in cleaning and sprucing up their Jamatkhanas. They planted different kinds of flowers and trees in and around Jamatkhana grounds. Recognising perhaps, the contribution that he was making to the health and beauty of the environment, junior volunteer Mahmood declared his lifelong commitment: “I planted a flower at Jamatkhana, and I will always come early to water it!”
Volunteers prepared traditional Afghan foods that were sold in the Volunteer Week food courts of each Kabul Jamatkhana. Photo: Courtesy of the Ismaili Council for Afghanistan
Adding to the celebratory atmosphere, volunteers cooked and sold traditional Afghan dishes, including bolani, aashak, manto, sambosa, palao, kabaab, as well as aft mehwa (a sweet drink) and sweets. “Many people come here to buy the food,” said Frozan, one of the volunteers responsible for selling the food. “[It is an opportunity for them] to eat dinner with their family and friends at Jamatkhana.”
In addition to food, there were handicrafts on sale and games for entertainment. Women could also apply mendhi or khina. Zuhal, a senior volunteer who is also studying to be a beautician, took some time off work to volunteer her skills: “I am supposed to be [at the beauty parlour] until 6:00 PM, but I came to Jamatkhana at 3:00 PM to design hands and use my skill to make people happy.”
Beyond the celebration, Volunteer Week also carried serious messages aimed at raising awareness of the benefits of volunteerism, including its role in cultivating greater unity and supporting the overall progress of the Jamat. It was also an opportunity to assist volunteers in becoming more effective in their work, and to invite more members of the Jamat to contribute their time and skills as volunteers.
Older volunteers help their junior counterparts to plant a tree, and teach them about the importance of caring for the environment. Photo: Courtesy of the Ismaili Council for Afghanistan
Senior Jamati leaders visited each Jamatkhana to meet volunteers and observe them as they carried out their duties. Volunteers from other Jamatkhanas also visited, so it became a point of pride for each Jamat to demonstrate the hospitality, proficiency and enthusiasm of their volunteers. But it was also a chance for networking and learning from each other.
“I am happy because throughout this week I met more friends who do the same duty we do,” said Fariha, a senior volunteer from Nukhusteen Jamatkhana. “We all have the same goal and want the same achievements but we were not familiar with each other before this occasion.”
The week also drew interest of many new volunteers, who were invited to join and serve for a few days before making a commitment. A young lady named Parinaz became a volunteer after observing the “respect, excitement and enthusiasm in the faces of [other] volunteers.” She added, “I decided to [join] as a way to serve Mawlana Hazar Imam.”
Volunteers gathered at Umomi Jamatkhana, where they watched video highlights of the past week. Photo: Courtesy of the Ismaili Council for Afghanistan
As the week concluded, volunteers and Jamati leaders gathered at Umomi Jamatkhana, where they watched video highlights captured throughout the week, and cheered as attention turned on each Jamatkhana.
“The week had many brilliant accomplishments and messages,” said the volunteer captain of one Jamatkhana. “All volunteers are looking forward to the next volunteer week!”
Also see the Volunteer Week photo gallery.
http://www.theismaili.org/cms/1058/Jama ... lunteerism
Volunteers line up to welcome Jamati and institutional leaders at Umomi Jamatkhana at the conclusion of Volunteer Week in Afghanistan. Photo: Courtesy of the Ismaili Council for Afghanistan
Earlier this year, the Afghan Jamat observed a week-long celebration of volunteerism, a tradition that has long been central to Ismaili culture. Held at all Kabul Jamatkhanas, Volunteer Week was an opportunity to showcase the impact that volunteers have on the Jamat’s wellbeing, and increase the unity and collaboration among them, as well as within the wider Jamat.
“We were excited and happy to have this week to demonstrate the love and respect with which we carry out our voluntary duties,” said Rabia, a volunteer. All volunteers dressed in their uniforms throughout the week, which kicked off with a special cake-cutting ceremony in each Jamatkhana that was led by their respective Jamati leaders.
The week also coincided with Navroz, and in keeping with tradition volunteers took part in cleaning and sprucing up their Jamatkhanas. They planted different kinds of flowers and trees in and around Jamatkhana grounds. Recognising perhaps, the contribution that he was making to the health and beauty of the environment, junior volunteer Mahmood declared his lifelong commitment: “I planted a flower at Jamatkhana, and I will always come early to water it!”
Volunteers prepared traditional Afghan foods that were sold in the Volunteer Week food courts of each Kabul Jamatkhana. Photo: Courtesy of the Ismaili Council for Afghanistan
Adding to the celebratory atmosphere, volunteers cooked and sold traditional Afghan dishes, including bolani, aashak, manto, sambosa, palao, kabaab, as well as aft mehwa (a sweet drink) and sweets. “Many people come here to buy the food,” said Frozan, one of the volunteers responsible for selling the food. “[It is an opportunity for them] to eat dinner with their family and friends at Jamatkhana.”
In addition to food, there were handicrafts on sale and games for entertainment. Women could also apply mendhi or khina. Zuhal, a senior volunteer who is also studying to be a beautician, took some time off work to volunteer her skills: “I am supposed to be [at the beauty parlour] until 6:00 PM, but I came to Jamatkhana at 3:00 PM to design hands and use my skill to make people happy.”
Beyond the celebration, Volunteer Week also carried serious messages aimed at raising awareness of the benefits of volunteerism, including its role in cultivating greater unity and supporting the overall progress of the Jamat. It was also an opportunity to assist volunteers in becoming more effective in their work, and to invite more members of the Jamat to contribute their time and skills as volunteers.
Older volunteers help their junior counterparts to plant a tree, and teach them about the importance of caring for the environment. Photo: Courtesy of the Ismaili Council for Afghanistan
Senior Jamati leaders visited each Jamatkhana to meet volunteers and observe them as they carried out their duties. Volunteers from other Jamatkhanas also visited, so it became a point of pride for each Jamat to demonstrate the hospitality, proficiency and enthusiasm of their volunteers. But it was also a chance for networking and learning from each other.
“I am happy because throughout this week I met more friends who do the same duty we do,” said Fariha, a senior volunteer from Nukhusteen Jamatkhana. “We all have the same goal and want the same achievements but we were not familiar with each other before this occasion.”
The week also drew interest of many new volunteers, who were invited to join and serve for a few days before making a commitment. A young lady named Parinaz became a volunteer after observing the “respect, excitement and enthusiasm in the faces of [other] volunteers.” She added, “I decided to [join] as a way to serve Mawlana Hazar Imam.”
Volunteers gathered at Umomi Jamatkhana, where they watched video highlights of the past week. Photo: Courtesy of the Ismaili Council for Afghanistan
As the week concluded, volunteers and Jamati leaders gathered at Umomi Jamatkhana, where they watched video highlights captured throughout the week, and cheered as attention turned on each Jamatkhana.
“The week had many brilliant accomplishments and messages,” said the volunteer captain of one Jamatkhana. “All volunteers are looking forward to the next volunteer week!”
[Feature] On 50 years of Ismaili Volunteer Corps Gulmit
Posted on October 30, 2010 by Pamir Times| 6 Comments
Huzur Mukhi Muhammad Ghulam (right) getting a token of appreciation for lifelong voluntary services
Photographs: Asghar Khan
Volunteering for common causes has been an important feature of life for communities of the mountainous Gilgit – Baltistan region. For centuries the men and women have sacrificed their resources, time and thoughts for collective good, enabling the society to progress in economic and social domains.
The formation of Ismaili Volunteer Corps in Hunz, Gilgit and Ghizar , in my opinion, immortalized the institution of volunteerism by providing it the organizational structure hitherto unknown. One of the first such groups to be formed in Hunza Valley was the Ismaili Volunteer Corps, Gulmit.
The need for establishing the volunteer corps emerged in 1960 because His Highness the Aga Khan IV, Shah Karim Al – Hussaini, Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, was visiting the region. The volunteer corps were formed to coordinate and manage the preparations for the visit. It was a historic visit because never before had any Ismaili Imam visited the region.
The Ismailis of Hunza, Ghizar and Gilgit traditionally celebrate the first visit of their Imam to the region by holding festivals across the region from October 20 to October 26.
A recent ceremony held in this connection at Gulmit, the head quarter of Gojal Tehsil, was dedicated to the pioneers of Ismaili volunteer Corps. Speakers paid glowing tributes to the men and women who sacrificed physically and materially for common well being and established a strong social institution that has played an important in regional progress.
Many of the founding members are not alive today but their services were remembered with reverence and tokens of appreciation were awarded to their family members. Former office bearers of the Ismaili Volunteer Corps Gulmit were also presented with certificates as a token of appreciation.
For the Ismaili Muslims volunteerism is more than community participation and collective progress. It is an element of their faith.
Princess Zahra, daughter of His Highness the Aga Khan, in an address at the International Association for Volunteer Efforts (IAVE), 1998, explained volunteerism as means for actualization of the Islamic ethics of ” inclusiveness, of compassion, of sharing, of the respect for life, and of personal responsibility for sustaining a healthy physical, social and cultural environment.”
In her address Princess Zahra also counted “generosity of material resources, of time, of thought and knowledge” as fundamental aspects of the Islamic concept of volunteerism.
Princess Zahra had further said that appreciating and acknowledging volunteery services increases the level of efficiency and satisfaction obtained from work. “When volunteers are taken seriously,” said Princess Zahra, “the quality of their contribution and their own sense of satisfaction literally soar.”
In this scenario the appreciation ceremony provided an opportunity to the people to thank and praise the volunteers for a job well done and a life well spent.
For more photos click on http://pamirtimes.net/photos-50-years-o ... ps-gulmit/
Posted on October 30, 2010 by Pamir Times| 6 Comments
Huzur Mukhi Muhammad Ghulam (right) getting a token of appreciation for lifelong voluntary services
Photographs: Asghar Khan
Volunteering for common causes has been an important feature of life for communities of the mountainous Gilgit – Baltistan region. For centuries the men and women have sacrificed their resources, time and thoughts for collective good, enabling the society to progress in economic and social domains.
The formation of Ismaili Volunteer Corps in Hunz, Gilgit and Ghizar , in my opinion, immortalized the institution of volunteerism by providing it the organizational structure hitherto unknown. One of the first such groups to be formed in Hunza Valley was the Ismaili Volunteer Corps, Gulmit.
The need for establishing the volunteer corps emerged in 1960 because His Highness the Aga Khan IV, Shah Karim Al – Hussaini, Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, was visiting the region. The volunteer corps were formed to coordinate and manage the preparations for the visit. It was a historic visit because never before had any Ismaili Imam visited the region.
The Ismailis of Hunza, Ghizar and Gilgit traditionally celebrate the first visit of their Imam to the region by holding festivals across the region from October 20 to October 26.
A recent ceremony held in this connection at Gulmit, the head quarter of Gojal Tehsil, was dedicated to the pioneers of Ismaili volunteer Corps. Speakers paid glowing tributes to the men and women who sacrificed physically and materially for common well being and established a strong social institution that has played an important in regional progress.
Many of the founding members are not alive today but their services were remembered with reverence and tokens of appreciation were awarded to their family members. Former office bearers of the Ismaili Volunteer Corps Gulmit were also presented with certificates as a token of appreciation.
For the Ismaili Muslims volunteerism is more than community participation and collective progress. It is an element of their faith.
Princess Zahra, daughter of His Highness the Aga Khan, in an address at the International Association for Volunteer Efforts (IAVE), 1998, explained volunteerism as means for actualization of the Islamic ethics of ” inclusiveness, of compassion, of sharing, of the respect for life, and of personal responsibility for sustaining a healthy physical, social and cultural environment.”
In her address Princess Zahra also counted “generosity of material resources, of time, of thought and knowledge” as fundamental aspects of the Islamic concept of volunteerism.
Princess Zahra had further said that appreciating and acknowledging volunteery services increases the level of efficiency and satisfaction obtained from work. “When volunteers are taken seriously,” said Princess Zahra, “the quality of their contribution and their own sense of satisfaction literally soar.”
In this scenario the appreciation ceremony provided an opportunity to the people to thank and praise the volunteers for a job well done and a life well spent.
For more photos click on http://pamirtimes.net/photos-50-years-o ... ps-gulmit/
Ismaili tradition of voluntary service and contributions to Ontario recognised by province’s Premier
http://www.theismaili.org/cms/1369/
********
Brief meaning and history of Institution of Ismaili Volunteer Corp (IIVC), by Amin Kanji MSW
http://ismailimail.wordpress.com/2012/0 ... ilimail%29
*******
Salim Kanji’s Thank You Letter to East African Pioneers Kassam Ali Paroo, Lutafali Maherali and Aziz Esmail
http://simerg.com/thanking-ismaili-hist ... iz-esmail/
http://www.theismaili.org/cms/1369/
********
Brief meaning and history of Institution of Ismaili Volunteer Corp (IIVC), by Amin Kanji MSW
http://ismailimail.wordpress.com/2012/0 ... ilimail%29
*******
Salim Kanji’s Thank You Letter to East African Pioneers Kassam Ali Paroo, Lutafali Maherali and Aziz Esmail
http://simerg.com/thanking-ismaili-hist ... iz-esmail/
Article: Selfless Giving
By Alysha Javer/Zeenatara Allahrakhya – I woke up this morning with a feeling of guilt and desolation. I thought about the quality of my life and that of my family, and it struck me how much God has given us, and how well He looks after us and how much He protects us. I was struck by His awesome generosity, kindness, love and benevolence. And once again, the feeling of guilt and desolation swept through my entire being. To the loving God who has been so kind to us all — what do we do for Him in return? I felt very small this morning as it struck me forcibly that I was not doing anything much at all in gratitude and shukrana to my most generous Lord. I thought, “People do so much, they give hundreds and millions of dollars in charity every year. They give so much and do so much and here I am, taking so much from Him but not giving at all much in return.” With these thoughts, I sat down in prayer to apologize to my dear Lord, to seek His forgiveness for being a taker and not giving much at all.
It is then that a voice spoke to me that God does not expect big and exalted things from His loved ones. He does not ask for the building of big, big mosques and temples, schools and colleges etc. He is most happy with small but meaningful gestures of kindness and charity from His loved ones. This is because in small and meaningful acts of kindness and charity, there is no scope, or rather there is little scope for what is known as “dikhwaava” i.e. showing off, and as soon as I heard this voice, an instance from the life of Sant Kabir flashed in my mind:
Sant Kabir says that one time a very devout follower of the Lord Shri Krishna complained to the Lord in his prayers. He told the Lord that he had tried his best in his life to be as devout as possible. He had never missed a single time of prayer. He had never missed a single fast, he had done yagnas and had also made a lot of sacrifices, including hours of meditation and penance. And yet, his soul was still yearning for that ultimate prize, entry into the “Krishnadhaam” — the personal abode of the Lord Himself, the place of complete and true peace and happiness. He complained to the Lord in this way and begged the Lord to guide him and to show him the correct way to the Krishnadhaam. That night, in his sleep, he saw a vivid image: He saw the Krishnadhaam whose gates were closed and being guarded by an angel. He then saw a man come up to the angel and ask him to open the gates and allow him entry into the Krishnadhaam. The angel asked the man why he should open the gates for him.
“What? Have you not heard of who I am!” the man exclaimed to the angel. “Do you not know I have spent hundreds and millions of dollars for the good of mankind? All over the world, you will find temples, mosques, university buildings, hospitals with my name on them. Now open the gates and allow me entry.”
The angel shook his head and said, “No. I am sorry but for all your good deeds you have received praise and recognition from the world. In fact, you carried out all these good deeds for just that purpose. Is it not your own name that is displayed at the entrances of all these buildings? All these acts have been dedicated to for yourself and not to the Lord Krishna. So there is no place for you here. Go away.”
The dream continues with another man coming up to the angel and demanding entry. The angel asked him the same question, to which the man replied, “I have done so much for the poor in the world. I have opened shelters and food canteens and free clinics all over the world. I have ensured that the poor are well looked after.”
Once again, the angel shook his head and denied him entry for the same reason. Thereafter, a third man arrived, dressed in the robes of a hermit. He requested for entry and was asked the same question.
“I have taken my Lord’s name a million times,” he responded. “I have spent 8 to 10 hours a day just on meditation and I have even spent years, standing on one leg and chanting my Lord’s name. I have gone through austerity and penance. I have spent time in cold water during the freezing winter, praying and meditating. Surely I deserve to go in.”
The angel shook his head and said, “It is true you have done what you say but all that was for yourself and in return you accepted praise, recognition and adulation by gathering a large group of disciples who treated you as God Himself. So you have received your reward for your sacrifices and there is no place for you here.”
And with that, the hermit was turned away. At that moment, the angel saw a man dressed in ragged clothing standing some distance away and watching the gates of the Krishnadhaam. The angel called the man to come and asked him why he too did not wish to enter the Krishnadhaam like the others.
“I am but a poor carpenter and if the wealthy philanthropists and pious hermit were turned away, what hope do I have of entering this exalted abode? That is why I decided to stand afar and just lust for the abode from a distance.”
The angel asked him to describe what he did the day before.
The carpenter said that he went to work but did not manage to sell any of his carvings. He then came home with empty pockets and asked his wife to make a simple meal. He thereafter extracted a small portion of the rice his wife had cooked and carried it over to his neighbour, a poor destitute woman who had been sick and bedridden for some time. He sat by her bedside and spooned a few morsels of rice into her mouth. He then picked the Geeta and read out aloud to her a few chapters from the Holy Book.
Thereafter, noticing the dust in her room, he picked up the broom and swept the room clean. He then prayed to the Lord Krishna saying, “I have done this in your name, the little that I could. Please grant this woman health and please look after her.” With that, he returned home.
Immediately, the angel opened the gates of the Krishnadhaam and with respect and hospitality ushered the poor carpenter into the splendorous abode. “You helped the sick woman in the name of the Lord Krishna with no expectations for yourself. Now the Lord Krishna invites you into His abode.” (end of story)
Immediately, my feelings of guilt and desolation dissolved. It is not big acts of charity that are dear to the Lord. Small, small acts of kindness: giving a packet of milk to the beggar at the corner, helping a sick neighbour, giving a smile and words of encouragement to a sad child, lending a sympathetic ear to a troubled friend etc. It is all such small but meaningful acts that will bring us closer to our ultimate destiny. But as we learn from the above instance, whatever we do, dedicate it in the name of the Lord, with no expectations of rewards and recognition.
I thank God for this inspirational revelation and hope to bring a smile to someone’s lips today so that God may smile on me and my loved ones.
By Alysha Javer, with an inspiration from her maternal grandmother Zeenatara Allahrakhya. Alysha is a teacher, after completing her studies in the field of Education and Psychology in the UK, she taught English Language and Literature for a few years before joining the Writers’ Bureau, UK. Currently, she lives part of the year in the UK and part of the year in Kenya (with her grandmother) and she’s working on writing her first novel. In her own words: “I’m very interested in learning more and going deeper into the subject of faith and ethics, and my grandmother is a great source of inspiration and knowledge in this vast subject.”
http://ismailimail.wordpress.com/2012/0 ... ss-giving/
By Alysha Javer/Zeenatara Allahrakhya – I woke up this morning with a feeling of guilt and desolation. I thought about the quality of my life and that of my family, and it struck me how much God has given us, and how well He looks after us and how much He protects us. I was struck by His awesome generosity, kindness, love and benevolence. And once again, the feeling of guilt and desolation swept through my entire being. To the loving God who has been so kind to us all — what do we do for Him in return? I felt very small this morning as it struck me forcibly that I was not doing anything much at all in gratitude and shukrana to my most generous Lord. I thought, “People do so much, they give hundreds and millions of dollars in charity every year. They give so much and do so much and here I am, taking so much from Him but not giving at all much in return.” With these thoughts, I sat down in prayer to apologize to my dear Lord, to seek His forgiveness for being a taker and not giving much at all.
It is then that a voice spoke to me that God does not expect big and exalted things from His loved ones. He does not ask for the building of big, big mosques and temples, schools and colleges etc. He is most happy with small but meaningful gestures of kindness and charity from His loved ones. This is because in small and meaningful acts of kindness and charity, there is no scope, or rather there is little scope for what is known as “dikhwaava” i.e. showing off, and as soon as I heard this voice, an instance from the life of Sant Kabir flashed in my mind:
Sant Kabir says that one time a very devout follower of the Lord Shri Krishna complained to the Lord in his prayers. He told the Lord that he had tried his best in his life to be as devout as possible. He had never missed a single time of prayer. He had never missed a single fast, he had done yagnas and had also made a lot of sacrifices, including hours of meditation and penance. And yet, his soul was still yearning for that ultimate prize, entry into the “Krishnadhaam” — the personal abode of the Lord Himself, the place of complete and true peace and happiness. He complained to the Lord in this way and begged the Lord to guide him and to show him the correct way to the Krishnadhaam. That night, in his sleep, he saw a vivid image: He saw the Krishnadhaam whose gates were closed and being guarded by an angel. He then saw a man come up to the angel and ask him to open the gates and allow him entry into the Krishnadhaam. The angel asked the man why he should open the gates for him.
“What? Have you not heard of who I am!” the man exclaimed to the angel. “Do you not know I have spent hundreds and millions of dollars for the good of mankind? All over the world, you will find temples, mosques, university buildings, hospitals with my name on them. Now open the gates and allow me entry.”
The angel shook his head and said, “No. I am sorry but for all your good deeds you have received praise and recognition from the world. In fact, you carried out all these good deeds for just that purpose. Is it not your own name that is displayed at the entrances of all these buildings? All these acts have been dedicated to for yourself and not to the Lord Krishna. So there is no place for you here. Go away.”
The dream continues with another man coming up to the angel and demanding entry. The angel asked him the same question, to which the man replied, “I have done so much for the poor in the world. I have opened shelters and food canteens and free clinics all over the world. I have ensured that the poor are well looked after.”
Once again, the angel shook his head and denied him entry for the same reason. Thereafter, a third man arrived, dressed in the robes of a hermit. He requested for entry and was asked the same question.
“I have taken my Lord’s name a million times,” he responded. “I have spent 8 to 10 hours a day just on meditation and I have even spent years, standing on one leg and chanting my Lord’s name. I have gone through austerity and penance. I have spent time in cold water during the freezing winter, praying and meditating. Surely I deserve to go in.”
The angel shook his head and said, “It is true you have done what you say but all that was for yourself and in return you accepted praise, recognition and adulation by gathering a large group of disciples who treated you as God Himself. So you have received your reward for your sacrifices and there is no place for you here.”
And with that, the hermit was turned away. At that moment, the angel saw a man dressed in ragged clothing standing some distance away and watching the gates of the Krishnadhaam. The angel called the man to come and asked him why he too did not wish to enter the Krishnadhaam like the others.
“I am but a poor carpenter and if the wealthy philanthropists and pious hermit were turned away, what hope do I have of entering this exalted abode? That is why I decided to stand afar and just lust for the abode from a distance.”
The angel asked him to describe what he did the day before.
The carpenter said that he went to work but did not manage to sell any of his carvings. He then came home with empty pockets and asked his wife to make a simple meal. He thereafter extracted a small portion of the rice his wife had cooked and carried it over to his neighbour, a poor destitute woman who had been sick and bedridden for some time. He sat by her bedside and spooned a few morsels of rice into her mouth. He then picked the Geeta and read out aloud to her a few chapters from the Holy Book.
Thereafter, noticing the dust in her room, he picked up the broom and swept the room clean. He then prayed to the Lord Krishna saying, “I have done this in your name, the little that I could. Please grant this woman health and please look after her.” With that, he returned home.
Immediately, the angel opened the gates of the Krishnadhaam and with respect and hospitality ushered the poor carpenter into the splendorous abode. “You helped the sick woman in the name of the Lord Krishna with no expectations for yourself. Now the Lord Krishna invites you into His abode.” (end of story)
Immediately, my feelings of guilt and desolation dissolved. It is not big acts of charity that are dear to the Lord. Small, small acts of kindness: giving a packet of milk to the beggar at the corner, helping a sick neighbour, giving a smile and words of encouragement to a sad child, lending a sympathetic ear to a troubled friend etc. It is all such small but meaningful acts that will bring us closer to our ultimate destiny. But as we learn from the above instance, whatever we do, dedicate it in the name of the Lord, with no expectations of rewards and recognition.
I thank God for this inspirational revelation and hope to bring a smile to someone’s lips today so that God may smile on me and my loved ones.
By Alysha Javer, with an inspiration from her maternal grandmother Zeenatara Allahrakhya. Alysha is a teacher, after completing her studies in the field of Education and Psychology in the UK, she taught English Language and Literature for a few years before joining the Writers’ Bureau, UK. Currently, she lives part of the year in the UK and part of the year in Kenya (with her grandmother) and she’s working on writing her first novel. In her own words: “I’m very interested in learning more and going deeper into the subject of faith and ethics, and my grandmother is a great source of inspiration and knowledge in this vast subject.”
http://ismailimail.wordpress.com/2012/0 ... ss-giving/
Ismailis walk with the YWCA to create community awareness
September 10, 2012 by Justine Leonhardt Leave a comment
Cause We Care will be a housing complex for to single mothers and their children similar to Alder Gardens. Photo courtesy of YWCA
For 21-year-old Salina Dharamsi, a member of the Ismaili community in Vancouver, volunteering started early.
She was eight years old when she first helped out at her local mosque. It was something that anchored her, she says, and enabled her to give back to her mosque and the community at large.
Now, volunteerism is simply a part of Dharamsi’s life and has led her to countries as far away as Guatemala, India, Rwanda and Switzerland to work with organizations like the UN, World Vision and the YWCA.
The Ismailis, belonging to the Shia branch of the religion of Islam and living in over 25 different countries around the world, have a deep-seated sense of community, and it is this quality that led Dharamsi to foster her own involvement in volunteer work. Within the larger Ismaili community, it has also led to the creation of events like the Ismaili Walk which was started in 1992.
On Sept. 23, the 21st Annual Ismaili Walk will be partnering with Vancouver’s oldest non-profit organization to raise awareness and funds for the YWCA Cause for Care House.
Based on the model of previous YWCA housing, and taking off from what the YWCA Crabtree Corner Family Resource Center started, Cause for Care is slated to open
in 2015 and will be a housing community for single mothers and their children.
All of the women have different stories and a different set of experiences, according to Maia Gibb, fund development manager for the YWCA. Many are immigrants that have come to Vancouver and have become single mothers. They are forced to navigate a city where the language is foreign and the cost of shelter “limits choice in a huge way.”
Cause We Care’s hope is to create stability for those children and assist their mothers in achieving economic and personal independence through programs and facilities that will include access to child care, medical services, ESL and literacy courses and a full service library.
The principles of the Ismaili community and the YWCA are similar, according to Ali Solehdin, a Ismaili Walk volunteer. Both are dedicated to giving back to their community and giving their time, competence, and effort, he adds. It is a mutual goal of the YWCA and the Ismailis to take care of their community and Solehdin believes this begins with women.
“Healthy women create healthy families,” he says. “It is the health of these children that will make them successful and contributing members of their own communities in the future.”
In this way, the Ismailis have come full circle and are giving back to a community that once helped to welcome them. It was this camaraderie and mentoring that gave Dharamsi the sense that she could make a difference at a young age and also made her aware that volunteerism, like the Ismaili Walk itself, can be done by anyone, old or young.
Not only has volunteering deepened Dharamsi’s own faith, but it has also made her realize the importance of her actions, with faith as the base and volunteerism as the action.
http://thelasource.com/en/2012/09/10/is ... awareness/
September 10, 2012 by Justine Leonhardt Leave a comment
Cause We Care will be a housing complex for to single mothers and their children similar to Alder Gardens. Photo courtesy of YWCA
For 21-year-old Salina Dharamsi, a member of the Ismaili community in Vancouver, volunteering started early.
She was eight years old when she first helped out at her local mosque. It was something that anchored her, she says, and enabled her to give back to her mosque and the community at large.
Now, volunteerism is simply a part of Dharamsi’s life and has led her to countries as far away as Guatemala, India, Rwanda and Switzerland to work with organizations like the UN, World Vision and the YWCA.
The Ismailis, belonging to the Shia branch of the religion of Islam and living in over 25 different countries around the world, have a deep-seated sense of community, and it is this quality that led Dharamsi to foster her own involvement in volunteer work. Within the larger Ismaili community, it has also led to the creation of events like the Ismaili Walk which was started in 1992.
On Sept. 23, the 21st Annual Ismaili Walk will be partnering with Vancouver’s oldest non-profit organization to raise awareness and funds for the YWCA Cause for Care House.
Based on the model of previous YWCA housing, and taking off from what the YWCA Crabtree Corner Family Resource Center started, Cause for Care is slated to open
in 2015 and will be a housing community for single mothers and their children.
All of the women have different stories and a different set of experiences, according to Maia Gibb, fund development manager for the YWCA. Many are immigrants that have come to Vancouver and have become single mothers. They are forced to navigate a city where the language is foreign and the cost of shelter “limits choice in a huge way.”
Cause We Care’s hope is to create stability for those children and assist their mothers in achieving economic and personal independence through programs and facilities that will include access to child care, medical services, ESL and literacy courses and a full service library.
The principles of the Ismaili community and the YWCA are similar, according to Ali Solehdin, a Ismaili Walk volunteer. Both are dedicated to giving back to their community and giving their time, competence, and effort, he adds. It is a mutual goal of the YWCA and the Ismailis to take care of their community and Solehdin believes this begins with women.
“Healthy women create healthy families,” he says. “It is the health of these children that will make them successful and contributing members of their own communities in the future.”
In this way, the Ismailis have come full circle and are giving back to a community that once helped to welcome them. It was this camaraderie and mentoring that gave Dharamsi the sense that she could make a difference at a young age and also made her aware that volunteerism, like the Ismaili Walk itself, can be done by anyone, old or young.
Not only has volunteering deepened Dharamsi’s own faith, but it has also made her realize the importance of her actions, with faith as the base and volunteerism as the action.
http://thelasource.com/en/2012/09/10/is ... awareness/
Jalaledin Ebrahim’s Gratitude to Amira Dharrab, Abu Najm Sarraj and Hasan-i-Sabbah
http://simerg.com/thanking-ismaili-hist ... -i-sabbah/
http://simerg.com/thanking-ismaili-hist ... -i-sabbah/
Time and Knowledge Nazrana: A Quest Through the Seven Valleys
http://sabrinalakhani.com/2012/10/22/ti ... n-valleys/
http://sabrinalakhani.com/2012/10/22/ti ... n-valleys/
To Maheralibhai.
You seeming to be searching rare ones from Diamond mines with your well found links of Inspirations.
It was very well presented and enlightening to read it.
It was ladder of Khidmat(mijalis) and seven intellect combined in a nice way.
saw your Foto in images file showing you as based in Calgary.
Keep up the great Khidmat.
You seeming to be searching rare ones from Diamond mines with your well found links of Inspirations.
It was very well presented and enlightening to read it.
It was ladder of Khidmat(mijalis) and seven intellect combined in a nice way.
saw your Foto in images file showing you as based in Calgary.
Keep up the great Khidmat.
Volunteering at the Dawn of the Age of Imamat
“I Wish I’d Been There”
By Aziz R. Kurwa
http://simerg.com/special-series-i-wish ... of-imamat/
“I Wish I’d Been There”
By Aziz R. Kurwa
http://simerg.com/special-series-i-wish ... of-imamat/
Courage is a Must – Part Two – By Alysha Javer
http://ismailimail.wordpress.com/2012/1 ... more-59568
http://ismailimail.wordpress.com/2012/1 ... more-59568
From AKDN to AKA: A Systematic Vision
A Personal Interpretation by Sabrina Lakhani
http://sabrinalakhani.com/2012/11/07/fr ... ic-vision/
*******
Volunteerism in Ismaili community mentioned at the senate
http://www.parl.gc.ca/Content/Sen/Chamb ... 6-e.htm#37
Volunteerism in Canada
Inquiry—Debate Continued
On the Order:
Resuming debate on the inquiry of the Honourable Senator Mercer calling the attention of the Senate to Canada's current level of volunteerism, the impact it has on society, and the future of volunteerism in Canada.
Hon. Mobina S. B. Jaffer: Honourable senators, this inquiry has been adjourned in the name of Senator Callbeck. I have requested her permission to proceed before her and then have this inquiry adjourned in her name, if I may.
Honourable senators, I rise before you today to speak to Senator Mercer's inquiry, which calls the attention of the Senate to Canada's current level of volunteerism, the impact it has on society and the future of volunteerism in Canada.
I would like to thank my honourable colleague Senator Mercer for drawing the Senate's attention to the importance of volunteerism in Canada. I have always admired Senator Mercer for the service he personally renders to various charitable organizations, including the Canadian Diabetes Foundation, the YMCA of Greater Toronto and the Kidney Foundation of Canada. In Senator Mercer's inquiry, he stresses the importance of saying "thank you" to all donors and volunteers as a symbol of respect and appreciation. I would like to take this opportunity to thank him for all the work he does on behalf of Canadians.
Honourable senators, as Canadians, we truly understand the value of service in the name of humanity and take great pride in being recognized as a caring, generous and peaceful nation. Compassion, generosity and unity are all values that have defined Canadians for centuries. Similarly, these are also values at the cornerstone of His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan's philosophy.
The Aga Khan is the forty-ninth hereditary imam or spiritual leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslims. The Aga Khan has emphasized the view of Islam as a thinking, spiritual faith, one that teaches compassion and tolerance and that upholds the dignity of man, Allah's noblest creation. As a proud Ismaili Muslim woman, I consider myself incredibly fortunate to be the beneficiary of the Aga Khan's guidance and wisdom.
Today, I would like to draw the Senate's attention to the volunteerism within Canada's Ismaili Muslim community and shed light on the ethics and principles that motivate Ismaili Muslims to give back to their communities and to our country.
Ever since I was a young girl, I remember my parents teaching me the importance of giving back to the community. I fondly recall getting dressed up in my Ismaili junior volunteer uniform and going to various functions organized by the Ismaili community in Uganda. Even though I was just a young girl, the older volunteers always found a task for me to complete. My own two children also proudly wore their volunteer uniforms. My husband and I watched them do all kinds of tasks, and we were proud parents of our two children.
Today I proudly watch my grandson, who is six years old, as he proudly participates in functions like I once did. I admire his eagerness to get involved and lend a hand. Whether it is organizing a canned food drive in anticipation of the holiday season, cleaning up a local park, serving food at a community event, or facilitating a clothing drive, there is always an initiative that is welcoming volunteers of all ages, even young boys of his age.
The spirit of giving has always been the bedrock of the Ismaili community's philosophy, and the importance of offering time and service is something that is instilled in Ismaili volunteers from a very young age and reinforced throughout their adult lives. For example, Challenging Ismaili Volunteers in Communities, which is commonly referred to as CIVIC, is a volunteering initiative that seeks to leave a positive impact on local communities throughout Canada. This program allows youth between the ages of 13 and 25 to become ambassadors for the spirit of voluntary service. The impact left in local communities by CIVIC volunteers has been felt throughout many communities across Canada, as their mission is not exclusive to the Ismaili community. It is an inclusive effort to make positive contributions to the community at large, regardless of faith or origin.
On each designated CIVIC day across the country, more than 1,100 participants come together in their respective regions and contribute over 4,400 hours of voluntary service to designated projects. These projects can be geared toward the restoration of rundown neighbourhoods or the rejuvenation of flora and fauna in natural regions. CIVIC has conducted many environmental preservation projects that exemplify this mission. For example, in 2009, in commemoration of the Aga Khan's Golden Jubilee, youth in my province of British Columbia planted 50 fruit trees, which will produce approximately one tonne of fruit every year that will be donated to shelters in downtown Vancouver. It is small, voluntary acts of kindness and hard work like this that can inspire others to help on a large scale or in different arenas. The Ismaili community has always embraced the spirit of volunteerism, always emphasizing that it does not matter if one is five or ninety-five, one can never be too young or too old to make a difference.
Another example of how Ismaili community, both young and old, came together to serve the community was during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. The Ismaili volunteer corps was asked to help with the logistical planning and organizing of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games after being recognized by the committee and the community for their expertise in streamlining other large-scale events that we regularly hold. During the 2010 Winter Games, the Ismaili volunteers provided multi-faceted services, ranging from providing information to tourists and athletes, to managing scores of energetic crowds, to escorting senior government officials and ministers to special VIP Olympic events in and around Vancouver. By engaging in voluntary service within the larger community, the Ismaili Muslim community seeks to give back to the communities in which it lives by putting the ethics of volunteerism into action.
Not only do Ismaili Muslim volunteers offer their time and knowledge, they also organize several initiatives which raise funds for vulnerable and marginalized populations living both in Canada and abroad. For example, every year thousands of Canadians gather in 10 cities across Canada and participate in the World Partnership Walk, which is Canada's largest fundraising event that is dedicated to fighting global poverty. Since the first walk, which was held in 1985, the World Partnership Walk has raised over $17 million for international development programs and initiatives.
For the past 27 years, the Aga Khan Foundation, with the support of its devoted volunteers, has organized the walk in an effort to show Canadians what people in other parts of the world are going through and to create an awareness of being part of the global family in which every member is as valuable as any other. The Aga Khan Foundation Canada directs all of the money raised through partnership walks to sponsorship of projects focused on health, education, culture and economic development, primarily in Africa and Asia.
Another initiative spearheaded by the Ismaili community is the Ismaili Walk which is held annually in British Columbia. In fact, just a few short weeks ago, I had the honour of walking alongside 1,500 British Columbians as the Ismaili Walk celebrated its twenty-first anniversary. For over two decades, men, women and children from across British Columbia have gathered at Lumberman's Arch in Stanley Park where they have enjoyed live music, delicious food and a festive atmosphere while at the same time supporting a great cause.
In the past, the Ismaili Walk has partnered organizations such as the YMCA, an organization that I am personally very close to as I was its national president for six years, the Women's Health Research Institute at B.C. Women's Hospital, Health Centre Foundation and, most recently, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, raising awareness and funds for remarkable and deserving causes. In fact, over the past 21 years, the Ismaili Walk has raised more than $3.8 million for community organizations in the Lower Mainland of Vancouver.
Honourable senators, I would like to conclude by shedding light on the Aga Khan Foundation Canada, which is the institution that anchors many of the different projects and initiatives I have mentioned today. Aga Khan Foundation Canada is a non-denominational, non-profit international agency that supports social development programs in Asia and Africa. As a member of the Aga Khan Development Network, Aga Khan Foundation Canada works to address the root causes of poverty, finding and sharing effective and lasting solutions that help improve the quality of life for poor communities.
For more than 25 years, Aga Khan Foundation Canada has worked with Canadians to support sustainable improvements in the quality of life of poorer, marginalized communities in Asia and Africa, as well as foster dialogue on critical global issues to enhance Canada's unique leadership in world affairs. The excellent work done by Aga Khan Foundation Canada would not be possible if it was not for the hundreds of volunteers who generously give their time and lend their support to the many projects it conducts every year.
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From the individuals who help organize the World Partnership Walk and the World Partnership Golf tournament, to the interns who travel to the developing world to make a difference in the lives of people residing in communities plagued by hunger, poverty and conflict, volunteers help make the Aga Khan Foundation's vision a reality.
Honourable senators, Governor General Johnston has made volunteerism a key component of his mandate as Governor General. In October 2011, at The Ismaili Centre in Burnaby, His Excellency addressed a distinguished audience at a Canadian Club of Vancouver luncheon and underlined the values and ideals which shape a vibrant Canadian identity in the 21st century and enjoined upon all Canadians the importance of volunteerism and philanthropy.
As Canadians, we pride ourselves on being generous, open-minded and forward-thinking. By working together selflessly and courageously, we can build a world for future generations that is full of opportunity. If alone we have the desire, then together we know we have the ability, and we know that when we unite we realize the potential of collaborative voluntary service.
Honourable senators, we know that no one can do everything, but everyone can do something to create opportunities for all.
(On motion of Senator Jaffer, for Senator Callbeck, debate adjourned.)
(The Senate adjourned until Wednesday, November 7, 2012, at 1:30 p.m.)
A Personal Interpretation by Sabrina Lakhani
http://sabrinalakhani.com/2012/11/07/fr ... ic-vision/
*******
Volunteerism in Ismaili community mentioned at the senate
http://www.parl.gc.ca/Content/Sen/Chamb ... 6-e.htm#37
Volunteerism in Canada
Inquiry—Debate Continued
On the Order:
Resuming debate on the inquiry of the Honourable Senator Mercer calling the attention of the Senate to Canada's current level of volunteerism, the impact it has on society, and the future of volunteerism in Canada.
Hon. Mobina S. B. Jaffer: Honourable senators, this inquiry has been adjourned in the name of Senator Callbeck. I have requested her permission to proceed before her and then have this inquiry adjourned in her name, if I may.
Honourable senators, I rise before you today to speak to Senator Mercer's inquiry, which calls the attention of the Senate to Canada's current level of volunteerism, the impact it has on society and the future of volunteerism in Canada.
I would like to thank my honourable colleague Senator Mercer for drawing the Senate's attention to the importance of volunteerism in Canada. I have always admired Senator Mercer for the service he personally renders to various charitable organizations, including the Canadian Diabetes Foundation, the YMCA of Greater Toronto and the Kidney Foundation of Canada. In Senator Mercer's inquiry, he stresses the importance of saying "thank you" to all donors and volunteers as a symbol of respect and appreciation. I would like to take this opportunity to thank him for all the work he does on behalf of Canadians.
Honourable senators, as Canadians, we truly understand the value of service in the name of humanity and take great pride in being recognized as a caring, generous and peaceful nation. Compassion, generosity and unity are all values that have defined Canadians for centuries. Similarly, these are also values at the cornerstone of His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan's philosophy.
The Aga Khan is the forty-ninth hereditary imam or spiritual leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslims. The Aga Khan has emphasized the view of Islam as a thinking, spiritual faith, one that teaches compassion and tolerance and that upholds the dignity of man, Allah's noblest creation. As a proud Ismaili Muslim woman, I consider myself incredibly fortunate to be the beneficiary of the Aga Khan's guidance and wisdom.
Today, I would like to draw the Senate's attention to the volunteerism within Canada's Ismaili Muslim community and shed light on the ethics and principles that motivate Ismaili Muslims to give back to their communities and to our country.
Ever since I was a young girl, I remember my parents teaching me the importance of giving back to the community. I fondly recall getting dressed up in my Ismaili junior volunteer uniform and going to various functions organized by the Ismaili community in Uganda. Even though I was just a young girl, the older volunteers always found a task for me to complete. My own two children also proudly wore their volunteer uniforms. My husband and I watched them do all kinds of tasks, and we were proud parents of our two children.
Today I proudly watch my grandson, who is six years old, as he proudly participates in functions like I once did. I admire his eagerness to get involved and lend a hand. Whether it is organizing a canned food drive in anticipation of the holiday season, cleaning up a local park, serving food at a community event, or facilitating a clothing drive, there is always an initiative that is welcoming volunteers of all ages, even young boys of his age.
The spirit of giving has always been the bedrock of the Ismaili community's philosophy, and the importance of offering time and service is something that is instilled in Ismaili volunteers from a very young age and reinforced throughout their adult lives. For example, Challenging Ismaili Volunteers in Communities, which is commonly referred to as CIVIC, is a volunteering initiative that seeks to leave a positive impact on local communities throughout Canada. This program allows youth between the ages of 13 and 25 to become ambassadors for the spirit of voluntary service. The impact left in local communities by CIVIC volunteers has been felt throughout many communities across Canada, as their mission is not exclusive to the Ismaili community. It is an inclusive effort to make positive contributions to the community at large, regardless of faith or origin.
On each designated CIVIC day across the country, more than 1,100 participants come together in their respective regions and contribute over 4,400 hours of voluntary service to designated projects. These projects can be geared toward the restoration of rundown neighbourhoods or the rejuvenation of flora and fauna in natural regions. CIVIC has conducted many environmental preservation projects that exemplify this mission. For example, in 2009, in commemoration of the Aga Khan's Golden Jubilee, youth in my province of British Columbia planted 50 fruit trees, which will produce approximately one tonne of fruit every year that will be donated to shelters in downtown Vancouver. It is small, voluntary acts of kindness and hard work like this that can inspire others to help on a large scale or in different arenas. The Ismaili community has always embraced the spirit of volunteerism, always emphasizing that it does not matter if one is five or ninety-five, one can never be too young or too old to make a difference.
Another example of how Ismaili community, both young and old, came together to serve the community was during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. The Ismaili volunteer corps was asked to help with the logistical planning and organizing of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games after being recognized by the committee and the community for their expertise in streamlining other large-scale events that we regularly hold. During the 2010 Winter Games, the Ismaili volunteers provided multi-faceted services, ranging from providing information to tourists and athletes, to managing scores of energetic crowds, to escorting senior government officials and ministers to special VIP Olympic events in and around Vancouver. By engaging in voluntary service within the larger community, the Ismaili Muslim community seeks to give back to the communities in which it lives by putting the ethics of volunteerism into action.
Not only do Ismaili Muslim volunteers offer their time and knowledge, they also organize several initiatives which raise funds for vulnerable and marginalized populations living both in Canada and abroad. For example, every year thousands of Canadians gather in 10 cities across Canada and participate in the World Partnership Walk, which is Canada's largest fundraising event that is dedicated to fighting global poverty. Since the first walk, which was held in 1985, the World Partnership Walk has raised over $17 million for international development programs and initiatives.
For the past 27 years, the Aga Khan Foundation, with the support of its devoted volunteers, has organized the walk in an effort to show Canadians what people in other parts of the world are going through and to create an awareness of being part of the global family in which every member is as valuable as any other. The Aga Khan Foundation Canada directs all of the money raised through partnership walks to sponsorship of projects focused on health, education, culture and economic development, primarily in Africa and Asia.
Another initiative spearheaded by the Ismaili community is the Ismaili Walk which is held annually in British Columbia. In fact, just a few short weeks ago, I had the honour of walking alongside 1,500 British Columbians as the Ismaili Walk celebrated its twenty-first anniversary. For over two decades, men, women and children from across British Columbia have gathered at Lumberman's Arch in Stanley Park where they have enjoyed live music, delicious food and a festive atmosphere while at the same time supporting a great cause.
In the past, the Ismaili Walk has partnered organizations such as the YMCA, an organization that I am personally very close to as I was its national president for six years, the Women's Health Research Institute at B.C. Women's Hospital, Health Centre Foundation and, most recently, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, raising awareness and funds for remarkable and deserving causes. In fact, over the past 21 years, the Ismaili Walk has raised more than $3.8 million for community organizations in the Lower Mainland of Vancouver.
Honourable senators, I would like to conclude by shedding light on the Aga Khan Foundation Canada, which is the institution that anchors many of the different projects and initiatives I have mentioned today. Aga Khan Foundation Canada is a non-denominational, non-profit international agency that supports social development programs in Asia and Africa. As a member of the Aga Khan Development Network, Aga Khan Foundation Canada works to address the root causes of poverty, finding and sharing effective and lasting solutions that help improve the quality of life for poor communities.
For more than 25 years, Aga Khan Foundation Canada has worked with Canadians to support sustainable improvements in the quality of life of poorer, marginalized communities in Asia and Africa, as well as foster dialogue on critical global issues to enhance Canada's unique leadership in world affairs. The excellent work done by Aga Khan Foundation Canada would not be possible if it was not for the hundreds of volunteers who generously give their time and lend their support to the many projects it conducts every year.
(1650)
From the individuals who help organize the World Partnership Walk and the World Partnership Golf tournament, to the interns who travel to the developing world to make a difference in the lives of people residing in communities plagued by hunger, poverty and conflict, volunteers help make the Aga Khan Foundation's vision a reality.
Honourable senators, Governor General Johnston has made volunteerism a key component of his mandate as Governor General. In October 2011, at The Ismaili Centre in Burnaby, His Excellency addressed a distinguished audience at a Canadian Club of Vancouver luncheon and underlined the values and ideals which shape a vibrant Canadian identity in the 21st century and enjoined upon all Canadians the importance of volunteerism and philanthropy.
As Canadians, we pride ourselves on being generous, open-minded and forward-thinking. By working together selflessly and courageously, we can build a world for future generations that is full of opportunity. If alone we have the desire, then together we know we have the ability, and we know that when we unite we realize the potential of collaborative voluntary service.
Honourable senators, we know that no one can do everything, but everyone can do something to create opportunities for all.
(On motion of Senator Jaffer, for Senator Callbeck, debate adjourned.)
(The Senate adjourned until Wednesday, November 7, 2012, at 1:30 p.m.)
Ismaili Volunteers and their Stories of Service – A Special New Series for Simerg’s 4th Anniversary
26May
2013
2 Comments
By Malik Merchant
http://simerg.com/2013/05/26/ismaili-vo ... niversary/
26May
2013
2 Comments
By Malik Merchant
http://simerg.com/2013/05/26/ismaili-vo ... niversary/
How Do We Increase Empathy?
So how do we increase empathy?
Dacher Keltner, who runs the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California at Berkeley, says that having people think about suffering activates the vagus nerve, which is linked to compassion. He also cites evidence that uplifting stories about sacrifice boost empathy, as do various kinds of contemplation — prayer, meditation, yoga.
Keltner says that going out into nature also appears to encourage greater compassion. Feelings of awe, such as those generated by incredible images from space, seem to do the same thing, he says.
More...
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/29/opini ... d=45305309
So how do we increase empathy?
Dacher Keltner, who runs the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California at Berkeley, says that having people think about suffering activates the vagus nerve, which is linked to compassion. He also cites evidence that uplifting stories about sacrifice boost empathy, as do various kinds of contemplation — prayer, meditation, yoga.
Keltner says that going out into nature also appears to encourage greater compassion. Feelings of awe, such as those generated by incredible images from space, seem to do the same thing, he says.
More...
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/29/opini ... d=45305309
Life's most urgent question is:
what are you doing for others?
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
You can't live a perfect day without doing something
for someone who will never be able to repay you.
- John Wooden
What power there is in our service
when our actions line up with our mission, skills and joy.
– Mary Anne Radmacher
Every charitable act is a stepping stone toward heaven.
- Henry Ward Beecher
what are you doing for others?
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
You can't live a perfect day without doing something
for someone who will never be able to repay you.
- John Wooden
What power there is in our service
when our actions line up with our mission, skills and joy.
– Mary Anne Radmacher
Every charitable act is a stepping stone toward heaven.
- Henry Ward Beecher
IMPORTANT FARMAN ON QUALITY OF SEVA
My beloved spiritual children,
I would like you to recollect that an enormous amount of responsibility for progress, for worldly progress, rests on your shoulders, because you are the young men and young women sometimes a little older than young that you are of the young men and young women who have accepted the responsibility to serve voluntarily in the Jamat. This responsibility is a magnificent challenge, and when you succeed, it is a blessing every day in your life, because you are giving out of your love and affection and your charitable feelings to members of the Jamat and other, in your service, and this, in Islam, is a blessing.
So I want you to know that, first of all, you have not only on your shoulders the joy of serving, but you have the responsibility of serving competently and well, because when you serve, you don't serve with the objective of not serving well, you come forward, and you come forward to serve well, to serve effectively. So if that is the objective, to serve effectively, then the next question is, how can we serve more effectively than we have done in the past?
Our world is changing, our Jamat is changing, its needs are changing. What can we do so that the service we provide in the years ahead will be more effective than what we have done in the past? This is a question every generation of Jamati leaders, every generation of Jamati institutions must ask itself, because, society does not stand still, it is in a state of continuous change. In order to serve that change and to direct that change so that it is beneficial to the Jamat rather than damaging to the Jamat, you must ask yourself: How can I improve my service? What is the thing that my institution can do better if it is not doing?
This means that there is a premium on intelligent service, on competent service, not just service for the sake of service, but service for the betterment of the people and for the betterment of the institutions.
What I am saying to you is that you should have confidence in your own judgment, confidence in your ability to analyze problems, confidence in your ability to develop solutions to those problems. Bring forward your ideas. It is only the stupid person who doesn't listen to ideas. It means he is like a horse who lives with blinkers and all he sees ahead of him is a little tiny dimension of light. No, that's not for our Jamat. Listen to ideas, develop ideas, create ideas and bring them forward for the service of the Jamat.
So be happy, don't be worried, be creative and confident. And remember, that of all the many qualities our Jamat has, one of the most outstanding and one of the most unique is represented by you here today, voluntary service. It is a magnificent service, continue it, develop it, build upon it. And I give you My best special blessings. Khanavadan, Khanavadan.
.....MHI Farman
.....Volunteers
.....Hyderabad,Sind,Pakistan
.....March 22,1989
My beloved spiritual children,
I would like you to recollect that an enormous amount of responsibility for progress, for worldly progress, rests on your shoulders, because you are the young men and young women sometimes a little older than young that you are of the young men and young women who have accepted the responsibility to serve voluntarily in the Jamat. This responsibility is a magnificent challenge, and when you succeed, it is a blessing every day in your life, because you are giving out of your love and affection and your charitable feelings to members of the Jamat and other, in your service, and this, in Islam, is a blessing.
So I want you to know that, first of all, you have not only on your shoulders the joy of serving, but you have the responsibility of serving competently and well, because when you serve, you don't serve with the objective of not serving well, you come forward, and you come forward to serve well, to serve effectively. So if that is the objective, to serve effectively, then the next question is, how can we serve more effectively than we have done in the past?
Our world is changing, our Jamat is changing, its needs are changing. What can we do so that the service we provide in the years ahead will be more effective than what we have done in the past? This is a question every generation of Jamati leaders, every generation of Jamati institutions must ask itself, because, society does not stand still, it is in a state of continuous change. In order to serve that change and to direct that change so that it is beneficial to the Jamat rather than damaging to the Jamat, you must ask yourself: How can I improve my service? What is the thing that my institution can do better if it is not doing?
This means that there is a premium on intelligent service, on competent service, not just service for the sake of service, but service for the betterment of the people and for the betterment of the institutions.
What I am saying to you is that you should have confidence in your own judgment, confidence in your ability to analyze problems, confidence in your ability to develop solutions to those problems. Bring forward your ideas. It is only the stupid person who doesn't listen to ideas. It means he is like a horse who lives with blinkers and all he sees ahead of him is a little tiny dimension of light. No, that's not for our Jamat. Listen to ideas, develop ideas, create ideas and bring them forward for the service of the Jamat.
So be happy, don't be worried, be creative and confident. And remember, that of all the many qualities our Jamat has, one of the most outstanding and one of the most unique is represented by you here today, voluntary service. It is a magnificent service, continue it, develop it, build upon it. And I give you My best special blessings. Khanavadan, Khanavadan.
.....MHI Farman
.....Volunteers
.....Hyderabad,Sind,Pakistan
.....March 22,1989
Empathy Is Actually a Choice
ONE death is a tragedy. One million is a statistic.
You’ve probably heard this saying before. It is thought to capture an unfortunate truth about empathy: While a single crying child or injured puppy tugs at our heartstrings, large numbers of suffering people, as in epidemics, earthquakes and genocides, do not inspire a comparable reaction.
Studies have repeatedly confirmed this. It’s a troubling finding because, as recent research has demonstrated, many of us believe that if more lives are at stake, we will — and should — feel more empathy (i.e., vicariously share others’ experiences) and do more to help.
Not only does empathy seem to fail when it is needed most, but it also appears to play favorites. Recent studies have shown that our empathy is dampened or constrained when it comes to people of different races, nationalities or creeds. These results suggest that empathy is a limited resource, like a fossil fuel, which we cannot extend indefinitely or to everyone.
What, then, is the relationship between empathy and morality? Traditionally, empathy has been seen as a force for moral good, motivating virtuous deeds. Yet a growing chorus of critics, inspired by findings like those above, depict empathy as a source of moral failure. In the words of the psychologist Paul Bloom, empathy is a “parochial, narrow-minded” emotion — one that “will have to yield to reason if humanity is to survive.”
We disagree.
While we concede that the exercise of empathy is, in practice, often far too limited in scope, we dispute the idea that this shortcoming is inherent, a permanent flaw in the emotion itself. Inspired by a competing body of recent research, we believe that empathy is a choice that we make whether to extend ourselves to others. The “limits” to our empathy are merely apparent, and can change, sometimes drastically, depending on what we want to feel.
Two decades ago, the psychologist Daniel Batson and colleagues conducted a study that showed that if people expected their empathy to cost them significant money or time, they would avoid situations that they believed would trigger it. More recently, one of us, Daryl Cameron, along with the psychologist Keith Payne, conducted an experiment to see if similar motivational factors could explain why we seem more empathetic to single victims than to large numbers of them.
Participants in this study read about either one or eight child refugees from the Darfur region of Sudan. Half of the participants were led to expect that they would be asked to make a donation to the refugee or refugees, whereas the other half were not. When there was no financial cost involved in feeling empathy, people felt more empathy for the eight children than for the one child, reversing the usual bias. If insensitivity to mass suffering stemmed from an intrinsic limit to empathy, such financial factors shouldn’t have made a difference.
Likewise, in another recent study, the psychologists Karina Schumann, Jamil Zaki and Carol S. Dweck found that when people learned that empathy was a skill that could be improved — as opposed to a fixed personality trait — they engaged in more effort to experience empathy for racial groups other than their own. Empathy for people unlike us can be expanded, it seems, just by modifying our views about empathy.
Some kinds of people seem generally less likely to feel empathy for others — for instance, powerful people. An experiment conducted by one of us, Michael Inzlicht, along with the researchers Jeremy Hogeveen and Sukhvinder Obhi, found that even people temporarily assigned to high-power roles showed brain activity consistent with lower empathy.
But such experimental manipulations surely cannot change a person’s underlying empathic capacity; something else must be to blame. And other research suggests that the blame lies with a simple change in motivation: People with a higher sense of power exhibit less empathy because they have less incentive to interact with others.
Even those suffering from so-called empathy deficit disorders like psychopathy and narcissism appear to be capable of empathy when they want to feel it. Research conducted by one of us, William A. Cunningham, along with the psychologist Nathan Arbuckle, found that when dividing money between themselves and others, people with psychopathic tendencies were more charitable when they believed that the others were part of their in-group. Psychopaths and narcissists are able to feel empathy; it’s just that they don’t typically want to.
Arguments against empathy rely on an outdated view of emotion as a capricious beast that needs to yield to sober reason. Yes, there are many situations in which empathy appears to be limited in its scope, but this is not a deficiency in the emotion itself. In our view, empathy is only as limited as we choose it to be.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/12/opini ... ef=opinion
ONE death is a tragedy. One million is a statistic.
You’ve probably heard this saying before. It is thought to capture an unfortunate truth about empathy: While a single crying child or injured puppy tugs at our heartstrings, large numbers of suffering people, as in epidemics, earthquakes and genocides, do not inspire a comparable reaction.
Studies have repeatedly confirmed this. It’s a troubling finding because, as recent research has demonstrated, many of us believe that if more lives are at stake, we will — and should — feel more empathy (i.e., vicariously share others’ experiences) and do more to help.
Not only does empathy seem to fail when it is needed most, but it also appears to play favorites. Recent studies have shown that our empathy is dampened or constrained when it comes to people of different races, nationalities or creeds. These results suggest that empathy is a limited resource, like a fossil fuel, which we cannot extend indefinitely or to everyone.
What, then, is the relationship between empathy and morality? Traditionally, empathy has been seen as a force for moral good, motivating virtuous deeds. Yet a growing chorus of critics, inspired by findings like those above, depict empathy as a source of moral failure. In the words of the psychologist Paul Bloom, empathy is a “parochial, narrow-minded” emotion — one that “will have to yield to reason if humanity is to survive.”
We disagree.
While we concede that the exercise of empathy is, in practice, often far too limited in scope, we dispute the idea that this shortcoming is inherent, a permanent flaw in the emotion itself. Inspired by a competing body of recent research, we believe that empathy is a choice that we make whether to extend ourselves to others. The “limits” to our empathy are merely apparent, and can change, sometimes drastically, depending on what we want to feel.
Two decades ago, the psychologist Daniel Batson and colleagues conducted a study that showed that if people expected their empathy to cost them significant money or time, they would avoid situations that they believed would trigger it. More recently, one of us, Daryl Cameron, along with the psychologist Keith Payne, conducted an experiment to see if similar motivational factors could explain why we seem more empathetic to single victims than to large numbers of them.
Participants in this study read about either one or eight child refugees from the Darfur region of Sudan. Half of the participants were led to expect that they would be asked to make a donation to the refugee or refugees, whereas the other half were not. When there was no financial cost involved in feeling empathy, people felt more empathy for the eight children than for the one child, reversing the usual bias. If insensitivity to mass suffering stemmed from an intrinsic limit to empathy, such financial factors shouldn’t have made a difference.
Likewise, in another recent study, the psychologists Karina Schumann, Jamil Zaki and Carol S. Dweck found that when people learned that empathy was a skill that could be improved — as opposed to a fixed personality trait — they engaged in more effort to experience empathy for racial groups other than their own. Empathy for people unlike us can be expanded, it seems, just by modifying our views about empathy.
Some kinds of people seem generally less likely to feel empathy for others — for instance, powerful people. An experiment conducted by one of us, Michael Inzlicht, along with the researchers Jeremy Hogeveen and Sukhvinder Obhi, found that even people temporarily assigned to high-power roles showed brain activity consistent with lower empathy.
But such experimental manipulations surely cannot change a person’s underlying empathic capacity; something else must be to blame. And other research suggests that the blame lies with a simple change in motivation: People with a higher sense of power exhibit less empathy because they have less incentive to interact with others.
Even those suffering from so-called empathy deficit disorders like psychopathy and narcissism appear to be capable of empathy when they want to feel it. Research conducted by one of us, William A. Cunningham, along with the psychologist Nathan Arbuckle, found that when dividing money between themselves and others, people with psychopathic tendencies were more charitable when they believed that the others were part of their in-group. Psychopaths and narcissists are able to feel empathy; it’s just that they don’t typically want to.
Arguments against empathy rely on an outdated view of emotion as a capricious beast that needs to yield to sober reason. Yes, there are many situations in which empathy appears to be limited in its scope, but this is not a deficiency in the emotion itself. In our view, empathy is only as limited as we choose it to be.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/12/opini ... ef=opinion
"Never in my long life — I may say with complete honesty — have I for an instant been bored. Every day has been so short, every hour so fleeting, every minute so filled with the life I love that time for me has fled on far too swift a wing. A mind that is occupied, in health or in sickness, with things outside itself and its own concerns is, I believe, a perpetual source of true happiness. In ordinary prayer, as we in Islam conceive it, adoration of the beloved fills up every nook and cranny of the human consciousness; and in the rare, supreme moments of spiritual ecstasy, the light of Heaven blinds mind and spirit to all other lights and blots out every other sense and perception.
In recent years, since the end of the Second World War, I have had a great deal of illness - enough, I suppose, in it's content as in it's prolongation in time, to have depressed me. I have undergone three major internal operations, two of them with what is ordinarily considered a fifty-fifty chance of survival. I have been laid low for months with severe heart trouble. Yet I have never been depressed.I can honestly say that my mind has constantly been occupied with things outside myself. There has been, for example, a great increase in Ismaili activities throughout the Islamic world with a swirl of new ideas and new schemes, with which I have been closely and actively associated. I have read a great deal; I have voyaged in my reading eagerly into the exciting new realms opened up by scientific discovery."
MSMS - The Memoirs Pg 307
In recent years, since the end of the Second World War, I have had a great deal of illness - enough, I suppose, in it's content as in it's prolongation in time, to have depressed me. I have undergone three major internal operations, two of them with what is ordinarily considered a fifty-fifty chance of survival. I have been laid low for months with severe heart trouble. Yet I have never been depressed.I can honestly say that my mind has constantly been occupied with things outside myself. There has been, for example, a great increase in Ismaili activities throughout the Islamic world with a swirl of new ideas and new schemes, with which I have been closely and actively associated. I have read a great deal; I have voyaged in my reading eagerly into the exciting new realms opened up by scientific discovery."
MSMS - The Memoirs Pg 307
FARMAN ON ANTICIPATING CHANGE
My beloved spiritual children,
During recent years, and I think, in the years ahead, many of our institutions and programs and projects have sought to address issues of the future. But I want to remind My Jamat here today, as I did in Kampala several days ago, that these institutions, these programs, exist to serve the Jamat.
The notion of service to the Jamat is a central notion, as it is for volunteers who give their excellent work in a voluntary manner for the benefit of the Jamat. And this notion of institutional service to the Jamat is one to which I attach very, very great importance. And all the leaders and all those who are working in these institutions, keep in mind that the relationship between the Jamat and these institutions must be a relationship of trust and of confidence and therefore those who are responsible for these institutions and these programs, remember that the notion is that you exist, your institutions exist to serve the Jamat.
This notion of service is a notion which changes in time, because the needs of the Jamat change and, therefore, programs and institutions must change accordingly and in so far as possible, they must anticipate change. That is, they must seek to ease and anticipate and interpret the processes of change so that the needs of the Jamat are anticipated by their own institutions. And I will give you a precise example of the sorts of issues that these institutions will need to be addressing.
The Jamat around the world has access, generally speaking, to good education and good health care. But just the notion of good education and good health care, those notions themselves are changing. Education is becoming more sophisticated and more expensive. Health care is becoming more sophisticated and more expensive. And yet it is essential that for the quality of life of the Jamat, the programs and the institutions should continue to anticipate these changes. And therefore we have to address the problem of access.
How do families in Africa, in Asia, in the Western world plan for their children to access education, when education is becoming an increasingly important part of what families spend every year for themselves and their children? This is simply one example amongst hundreds of the need to anticipate change, to plan for that change and to make sure that the Jamat is able to take advantage, either of the Jamati projects and programs or of national projects and programs. And therefore, be aware of these changes and plan for them. If My spiritual children are doing well in their worldly manner, as it is My hope and prayer that they are, plan for the future. Do not be spendthrift. Do not dispose of material resources as though there was something eternal about them. They can come and they can go. And when they are gone they are difficult to reacquire.
Keep in mind that your children's education will be increasingly expensive and therefore whereas, perhaps, in your annual income where you could pay for your children's education out of one year and without discomfort, in the future you may not be able to do that. And therefore plan for financing your children's education. These are the sorts of notions of forward thinking, which are essential. And I will look to the leaders of My Jamat in programs and institutions, to anticipate these changes, to put forward solid recommendations so that our institutions can serve the Jamat properly.
--Nairobi, March 13, 1997
My beloved spiritual children,
During recent years, and I think, in the years ahead, many of our institutions and programs and projects have sought to address issues of the future. But I want to remind My Jamat here today, as I did in Kampala several days ago, that these institutions, these programs, exist to serve the Jamat.
The notion of service to the Jamat is a central notion, as it is for volunteers who give their excellent work in a voluntary manner for the benefit of the Jamat. And this notion of institutional service to the Jamat is one to which I attach very, very great importance. And all the leaders and all those who are working in these institutions, keep in mind that the relationship between the Jamat and these institutions must be a relationship of trust and of confidence and therefore those who are responsible for these institutions and these programs, remember that the notion is that you exist, your institutions exist to serve the Jamat.
This notion of service is a notion which changes in time, because the needs of the Jamat change and, therefore, programs and institutions must change accordingly and in so far as possible, they must anticipate change. That is, they must seek to ease and anticipate and interpret the processes of change so that the needs of the Jamat are anticipated by their own institutions. And I will give you a precise example of the sorts of issues that these institutions will need to be addressing.
The Jamat around the world has access, generally speaking, to good education and good health care. But just the notion of good education and good health care, those notions themselves are changing. Education is becoming more sophisticated and more expensive. Health care is becoming more sophisticated and more expensive. And yet it is essential that for the quality of life of the Jamat, the programs and the institutions should continue to anticipate these changes. And therefore we have to address the problem of access.
How do families in Africa, in Asia, in the Western world plan for their children to access education, when education is becoming an increasingly important part of what families spend every year for themselves and their children? This is simply one example amongst hundreds of the need to anticipate change, to plan for that change and to make sure that the Jamat is able to take advantage, either of the Jamati projects and programs or of national projects and programs. And therefore, be aware of these changes and plan for them. If My spiritual children are doing well in their worldly manner, as it is My hope and prayer that they are, plan for the future. Do not be spendthrift. Do not dispose of material resources as though there was something eternal about them. They can come and they can go. And when they are gone they are difficult to reacquire.
Keep in mind that your children's education will be increasingly expensive and therefore whereas, perhaps, in your annual income where you could pay for your children's education out of one year and without discomfort, in the future you may not be able to do that. And therefore plan for financing your children's education. These are the sorts of notions of forward thinking, which are essential. And I will look to the leaders of My Jamat in programs and institutions, to anticipate these changes, to put forward solid recommendations so that our institutions can serve the Jamat properly.
--Nairobi, March 13, 1997
Rizwan Mawani: Towards a Tradition of Service: The First Decade of the Ismaili Volunteer Corps
Since its inception in British India in 1919, the Ismaili Volunteer Corps (IVC) has grown from modest beginnings to an international body dedicated to serve the Ismaili Muslim community, its Imam and the wider societies it is part of, with discipline and humility. In its 93-year history, Ismaili volunteers have not only been an important and essential part of community activities they have also assisted and served a range of government and civil society institutions from sports and religion to education and health. Younger members also served through the aegis of the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides. Te following photo essay helps to visualize their early history through images from Ismaili magazines published in Bombay from the mid-1920s to the mid-1930s.
https://www.academia.edu/9217724/Toward ... teer_Corps
Since its inception in British India in 1919, the Ismaili Volunteer Corps (IVC) has grown from modest beginnings to an international body dedicated to serve the Ismaili Muslim community, its Imam and the wider societies it is part of, with discipline and humility. In its 93-year history, Ismaili volunteers have not only been an important and essential part of community activities they have also assisted and served a range of government and civil society institutions from sports and religion to education and health. Younger members also served through the aegis of the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides. Te following photo essay helps to visualize their early history through images from Ismaili magazines published in Bombay from the mid-1920s to the mid-1930s.
https://www.academia.edu/9217724/Toward ... teer_Corps
FARMAN ON SERVICE AND PLURALISM
My Beloved Spiritual Children,
Because ours is a brotherhood which crosses frontiers, languages, backgrounds, the notion of brotherhood is that brothers help each other, sisters help each other, and they do it to draw from the help that they offer, the satisfaction and the joy of having given generously of their time and, if possible, of their resources. This is a tradition that goes back centuries in our history. It is a tradition to which I attach the very greatest importance, and I hope that, in the years ahead, this wonderful tradition will be part of the lives of the Jamat of Afghanistan, and that it will be part of the lives of our young men and women wherever they are, because it is important to be aware that the more educated individuals are, the more capable, in principle, they are of being able to conceptualise and implement service in keeping with the needs of the time, and this is a matter of immense importance. So I hope that my Jamat in Afghanistan, my Afghan Jamat, rather, while you are living outside Afghanistan, render honorary service to yourselves, to the institutions that look after you, learn how to serve, to serve voluntarily, to serve with your hearts, with your time, with your thoughts, with your knowledge, with your wisdom.
Free time from a doctor to a patient, who cannot pay, is immensely important. Free advice to an individual, who is seeking economic improvement, but doesn't know how to achieve it, by a qualified economist, is enormously important. So, what I am saying to my spiritual children is: be generous with your time, be generous with your knowledge, that is a resource that all the Jamat should benefit from, because that is the meaning of brotherhood.
These principles of generosity, of help, of helping others, they also go across frontiers, which means the Jamats from various parts of the world can assist the Jamats from Afghanistan, but the Jamat from Afghanistan also has qualities, and it can make those qualities available to other Jamats from its knowledge, its traditions, its inherited historic memory.
So it is important to me that our Jamats should be genuinely, genuinely, a world-wide brotherhood. That is the meaning of belonging to our tariqah in Islam. That is an immense strength. We must consider that pluralism in our Jamat is a magnificent blessing from Allah, and we must make pluralism work for the benefit of the Jamat world-wide, drawing knowledge, imagination, creative thought, from all sources, wherever it may come from, to the benefit of the Jamat. These are concepts which may be new for some members of the Jamat here present, but they are solid concepts that have made their proof over history and, Inshallah, they will carry many years forwards into the future.
FARMAN MUBARAK OF MAWLANA HAZAR IMAM
MADE IN DARKHANA JAMATKHANA, KARACHI, PAKISTAN
DATED OCTOBER 23, 2000
My Beloved Spiritual Children,
Because ours is a brotherhood which crosses frontiers, languages, backgrounds, the notion of brotherhood is that brothers help each other, sisters help each other, and they do it to draw from the help that they offer, the satisfaction and the joy of having given generously of their time and, if possible, of their resources. This is a tradition that goes back centuries in our history. It is a tradition to which I attach the very greatest importance, and I hope that, in the years ahead, this wonderful tradition will be part of the lives of the Jamat of Afghanistan, and that it will be part of the lives of our young men and women wherever they are, because it is important to be aware that the more educated individuals are, the more capable, in principle, they are of being able to conceptualise and implement service in keeping with the needs of the time, and this is a matter of immense importance. So I hope that my Jamat in Afghanistan, my Afghan Jamat, rather, while you are living outside Afghanistan, render honorary service to yourselves, to the institutions that look after you, learn how to serve, to serve voluntarily, to serve with your hearts, with your time, with your thoughts, with your knowledge, with your wisdom.
Free time from a doctor to a patient, who cannot pay, is immensely important. Free advice to an individual, who is seeking economic improvement, but doesn't know how to achieve it, by a qualified economist, is enormously important. So, what I am saying to my spiritual children is: be generous with your time, be generous with your knowledge, that is a resource that all the Jamat should benefit from, because that is the meaning of brotherhood.
These principles of generosity, of help, of helping others, they also go across frontiers, which means the Jamats from various parts of the world can assist the Jamats from Afghanistan, but the Jamat from Afghanistan also has qualities, and it can make those qualities available to other Jamats from its knowledge, its traditions, its inherited historic memory.
So it is important to me that our Jamats should be genuinely, genuinely, a world-wide brotherhood. That is the meaning of belonging to our tariqah in Islam. That is an immense strength. We must consider that pluralism in our Jamat is a magnificent blessing from Allah, and we must make pluralism work for the benefit of the Jamat world-wide, drawing knowledge, imagination, creative thought, from all sources, wherever it may come from, to the benefit of the Jamat. These are concepts which may be new for some members of the Jamat here present, but they are solid concepts that have made their proof over history and, Inshallah, they will carry many years forwards into the future.
FARMAN MUBARAK OF MAWLANA HAZAR IMAM
MADE IN DARKHANA JAMATKHANA, KARACHI, PAKISTAN
DATED OCTOBER 23, 2000
FARMAN ON GENEROSITY AND CIVIL SOCIETY INSTITUTIONS
My beloved spiritual children,
As time evolves, I hope, it is My hope, it is My prayer, that the Jamat in the United States, in the Western World, will share its competencies, its
knowledge, its capacities with Jamats around the world. And today I want to say here, My deep, deep gratitude to the Jamat of the United States and in the Western World for your generosity of time, your generosity of knowledge, your generosity of means which are making it possible for the
Imamat to construct strong institutions for the Jamat in other parts of the world. This generosity is absolutely in keeping with the brotherhood of Islam, with the notion that those who have capacities should share with those who are less privileged, so that in due course all Murids may have a good quality of life.
This generosity which I have seen now for a number of years, has enabled and is enabling institutions in a number of countries, to position themselves in a way in which they can serve the Jamat in those countries better, but equally important, they are becoming role models for the way in which institutional capacity must be developed in civil society in those countries. And, therefore, your support is very, very meaningful for the Jamats around the world. And building institutional capacity is one of the ways in which you and I, can best protect the Jamat, help the Jamat in other countries.(Houston, June 24, 2002)
My beloved spiritual children,
As time evolves, I hope, it is My hope, it is My prayer, that the Jamat in the United States, in the Western World, will share its competencies, its
knowledge, its capacities with Jamats around the world. And today I want to say here, My deep, deep gratitude to the Jamat of the United States and in the Western World for your generosity of time, your generosity of knowledge, your generosity of means which are making it possible for the
Imamat to construct strong institutions for the Jamat in other parts of the world. This generosity is absolutely in keeping with the brotherhood of Islam, with the notion that those who have capacities should share with those who are less privileged, so that in due course all Murids may have a good quality of life.
This generosity which I have seen now for a number of years, has enabled and is enabling institutions in a number of countries, to position themselves in a way in which they can serve the Jamat in those countries better, but equally important, they are becoming role models for the way in which institutional capacity must be developed in civil society in those countries. And, therefore, your support is very, very meaningful for the Jamats around the world. And building institutional capacity is one of the ways in which you and I, can best protect the Jamat, help the Jamat in other countries.(Houston, June 24, 2002)