Hello Manav Sadhna Family,

Through your well wishes, the Seva Café is doing well. Many people are having life enhancing experiences here. During the launch of the Seva Café, one woman was actually in tears after we brought her a meal. Last night was the third Seva Café that we have conducted. There are many more stories that I can possibly share. Every time I looked around the room, all I saw was smiles, I thought to myself that this is a place where Love resides. Last night I saw a homeless man sitting on one of the tables outside. I went up to him to see how he was doing. I explained the concept of the Seva Café and he was literally moved to tears. He said he knew all about pain and suffering because of living on the streets. We brought him his meal. Afterwards, he left 93 cents on the table to pay for a future guest’s meal, it was all the money he had on him.

Many more stories to reflect on. One of our friend’s aunt passed away last week. The funeral was yesterday, after the funeral the family decided to come and join us at the Seva Café. I placed the Share the Love box on their table and we as a group all decided to take money out of the box and do something meaningful with it in the coming days.

I can’t even begin to share how the volunteers themselves are doing. Recently a friend of ours, Sudi, washed dishes for 5 hours straight, he even had to carry dirty water from one room to another because the plumbing pipes were clogged. He must have gained something through that experience because he agreed to come and serve every single Saturday. Another friend drove 1 hour to be with us yesterday, after sitting for four minutes he decided that he was going to wash dishes for the rest of the night. Another friend of ours came by during the first week just to say hello. He kept saying that he needed to leave the entire night but ended up staying with us past midnight. You couldn’t get him away from the dish washing sink. I spoke to him afterwards and he mentioned the hard time he was having at another non-profit he works at. He was literally feeling burned-out and had decided to take a break from his non-profit work… he said that being at the Seva Café rejuvenated his spirit and he felt a new force of inspiration to do good in the world. He too has come back every single Saturday. Its hard to put into words what happens here. Watching Niyati wipe the tables down at the end of evening was one of the most peaceful experiences I had. As if somehow the universe itself was guiding every single stroke of her hands.

Thank you for providing us with the inspiration to get this started. It is already beginning to affect people in a very positive way. We know that with everything we do here, we are tied to everything you do there. Many of the local folks that have visited the Seva Café in Ahmadabad have been supporting this effort here. Please let us know how the Seva Café is doing there in Ahmedabad andzif there is anything we can do to help from here.

Some stories of the Seva Café are here and some comments from guests will be added here as well:
http://www.bethecause.org/wordpress/index.php?cat=45

With as much love as we are capable of,
Sukh

A note from Tarlok Chugh (my father) after visiting Los Angeles for 10 days.

My first day back from Los Angeles;

What has happened to me, what is happening to me, I am numb or I am intoxicated by memories or feelings of my Eleven Days in Los Angeles. I started writing about my stay starting day one. Every individual I met and tried to know them more. Knowing more about them is like knowing more about God, knowing more about qualities of God. Everyone is giving. Giving unconditionally.. like God gives HIS love unconditionally.

An airplane picked me up from Los Angeles and dropped me in Calgary. Have I come back, Yes. Physically. I have left my Heart and Soul behind…. to move forward.

I am cooking food, I am washing clothes, but these chores are unrelated to me, to my thoughts. I got engrossed in writing my feelings, my journey to Los Angeles….
I smell something burning in the kitchen. There is smoke and the vegetable I was cooking is burnt. I feel happy, there is an instant smile on my face. I am enjoying the mistakes I make while lost in the thoughts of my beloved one, BeTheCause Family.

Am I still, relaxed, calm, feel like crying, happy or sad?. I do not know. I do not want to watch TV or listen to radio. I want to feel the presence of silence or I want to hear the words, discussions…….

Seva Cafe……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. What a concept … to sow seeds of service (Seva) in the hearts of every soul entering “Seva Cafe’. When they leave cafe after delicious food, they take with them concept of seva with them as ‘food for thought’.

WOW.. What an atmosphere at Seva Cafe. It looked like people are coming to attend a birthday or wedding party. People are ordering food from the menu with ZERO price value. They are greeted by volunteers of BeTheCause with a smile on their faces and divine light in their eyes. This is unique party. Here everybody is feeling at home. They are talking, discussing and sharing their views about God, Love, Compassion, Kindness, Meditation, Cause & Effects and Service(Seva). People want to know and learn the concept of Seva Cafe.

Godly discussions at Manuri’s place after grand success of Seva Cafe……………………………
Selfless and full of divine energy volunteers gathered at Manuri’s place around midnight to discuss the event. Was this event, with all the efforts of all the volunteers, able to touch one soul to turn to seva?. Were we able to convey the concept to the customers?. Yes. It was grand success from these measurements. All of a sudden I see wings on all the volunteers sitting in the room. They are the Angels sent by God to perform these acts of kindness and spread His message of love in the universe. My “namaskar” to all of you.

Divine discussion at the Beach Party in honor of Nirali………………………………………………
Feelings came us before the words. Words are only trying to express or match our feelings.
Nirali: You are a wonderful person and a sweet soul. You have touched every soul you met. You are brave… you survived surprise beach party… looked like ocean turned into tears. And Nirali says to all,” You have no clue how much I love You”.
“ We won’t miss you, You live in our hearts”.
Nirali: When you were standing on the beach that night, I saw all the water in the ocean came running in the form of waves to touch and wash your feet. Feet that walked all over in the ‘seva’ of humanity.

I was full with so much love and respect I received during my stay that I did not want to talk to any body on the last day of my trip for fear of bursting into tears. But Laura, The Sweetness, was there to take us to the airport. I knew a won’t be able to handle this. We were drowned in our tears. Travel from Sukh Ashram to the airport turned out to be a unique experience. It is amazing that BeTheCause volunteers from different parts of the world with diverse cultures have come together for a common cause of service to humanity. Laura, my Darling Daughter, thank you so much for Candy Garlands made with love, love which is down to the depth of the sea. And a little look of ALOHA, spirit of Healing. I need healing because I have been injured by the Arrow of Love, which came from the Bow of Kindness.
But then who wants to be healed……I wish this wound stays with me for ever ……………..

I had the opportunity to interview Maushmi regarding their latest Community Service Project in Houston. Below is a write-up on “Healing Sounds at the Houston Hospice”.

Every now and then we get the opportunity to bring comfort to others. On May 20th, a few friends got together at the Houston Hospice to play various musical instruments for the terminally ill patients.

This idea started many months ago. Maushmi, who coordinates this project on a monthly basis, was speaking to a nurse and they decided that they wanted to do something nice for the patients. Some of the patients are very sick, some are heavily sedated, and some are even in comas. Engaging in any physical activity was out of the question.

Maushmi discovered some research that mentioned how music can be a therapeutic enhancement to the healing process, soothing and comforting terminally ill patients. She decided to put this theory into action. She contacted a few friends and some co-workers and asked them to put their musical talents to use. Some brought instruments, some just their singing voices, and some only brought their hearts. It seems the love is still the most audible form of music known to exist.

The projects have become meaningful not only for the patients but also for the volunteers. Maushmi, and the rest of the gang in Houston, visit the Houston Hospice now on a monthly basis.

She recalls a story of the very first time they performed at the Hospice. They would go into the rooms of the patients on both floors of the building. Shimi, another volunteer, played the violin for a patient who it turns out did not have long to live. After Shimi’s performance they all proceeded downstairs to play for the residents on the first floor. As they entered the room of the next patient, a nurse approached them. She told the group that the person they had just performed for had just passed away. The man departed literally minutes after hearing the violin performance.

The relatives of the patient happened to be at the Hospice at that time. The daughter/niece of the man that passed away said that the violin performance was the most beautiful gift he could have received before his passing. Maushmi recalls that in that moment, she knew that what they were doing was the right thing.

The more you give, the more you receive. Maushmi who jokes that she has no musical talents gets to coordinate the activities instead. She says that she gets to go to different rooms and asks the patients if they would like to have a volunteer come and play music for them. One time Maushmi recalls that a patient actually asked to have her nails painted. Maushmi obliged. Maushmi mentioned that she feels so much peace from spending time with the patients. “Patients may be asleep but I just sit with them quietly”, says Maushmi.

The visits to the Houston Hospice are always a lot of fun! Sometimes they are also emotional and sad. This time, Maushmi had the opportunity to interact with a very healthy 103 year old patient.

“The nurse told me that she was refusing to eat and drink because she was ready to die. I was kind of sad. I usually never talk to patients about death, but this time I started the conversation by telling her that I was afraid of dying. She just laughed, she said there is nothing to be afraid of and I could tell that she really meant what she was saying.

I think about death a lot. I think I would be okay if I was dying, but wouldn’t know how to handle the death of others, say my family or friends. Volunteering at the hospice gives me a perspective on dying and on how to deal with the death of others.”

Maushmi coordinates community service projects on a regular basis in Houston. If you want to contact her, please email maushmi@bethecause.org.

Sukh

He wanted to know the mission of Be the Cause.  Once again I was stumped.  I looked over at Angela to rescue me.  With a shrug, we both knew that Be the Cause had no mission.  It’s been four and half years and we still haven’t quite figured out what we do.

We fumbled with our response, dropped some buzz-words like “service”, “compassion”, and “grass-roots”, but we knew that our words were not capturing the essence of it.  Ultimately, words will never be enough.  I just hoped that he understood in the way that I shook his hand.  With love.

Outside, both Angela and I felt comfortable in not knowing, and also in knowing that the secret was hidden somewhere in our hearts.  That the mission of Be the Cause was no different than the mission of our lives: to love. For four and half years we have been missionless, directionless, and objectiveless.  Somehow, it still seems to work.I think of the volunteer who stopped slitting her wrists because she found joy in serving others.  I think of Maushmi and her gang of volunteers in Houston as they played the violin for a man who died minutes later.  I think back to last year’s walk for hope as 30 cars were lined up on the side of the road at 4:30AM ready to spend the day serving others.

I think about all the Compassion Cells that Jeska has coordinated.  All the Evenings of Awareness that Michele, Mahsa and Raquel have helped create.  The Service Vacation trips that Bharti and Karuna have worked on.  The Sacred Site visits that Jason helps coordinate.  Where would we be without our website in place through the efforts of Alfred, Anshul, Stacey, Manveer, Baldeep, and Supun.  … and the foundation of Be the Cause itself, laid by folks like Muna, Barbara, Eleanor, Alex, Rebecca, Cheryl, and Shaheda.  The Change of Heart weekend coming together because of Ann.  The handling of our finances by Albert.  All the amazing graphic design work done by Nirali.  Our Google Adwords campaign by Sonali.  The online calendar being kept up-to-date without fail by Gianna and Manuri.  Melisa working on our media press releases.  And previous Walk for Hopes coordinated by many people including Thu-Trang, Ben, Kristeen, Mike, Divya, Harpal, Simoina, Larry, Brenda, Ganesh.  The list goes on and on.  The Evening in India organized by the travelers including Lanie, Carolina, Marcella, Angel, Laura.  Our mail being collected by Srini.  Srikanth and Elizabeth stepping in to take charge of the upcoming Seva Cafe.  … and there’s more. 

Where would we be without Bill and his mother Barbara biking into the Walk for Hope on accident, and immediately becoming life-long friends.  Without Aena, Hamood and her 1 year old son Mikail taking the train all the way from Ventura to spend one evening with us.  Without Thoi who drove all night from the Bay area to spend one day with us, and then drove right back in the evening.  Without Prerna threatening to move us all to Hong Kong to start a chapter there.  Without our friends at Charity Focus, Manav Sadhna, Tias Arms, ARO, Power of Love, LifeNets, and many others.

Somehow without a mission, without any structure, without any incentive plans, without stock options, without work-life balance, without hierarchy, without office spaces overlooking the ocean, without any titles, and without any clues as to where we are heading, somehow it works. 

It all came together last week when a friend left a check for $1000 without being asked.  The next day I called her to Thank her and she just said it was a gift from the universe… to the universe.  Enough said!

I guess Be the Cause is quite simply just that: a gift from the universe.  Our mission: to love.

Sukh

Five of us met at the corner of Santa Monica Blvd and Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. It was April’s Fools Day and we were to play the fool that day, giving away stuff for free to folks who think that nothing is free.

We decided that as we approached people on the streets, we would in fact approach our own fears and judgments. The goal was to penetrate through that fear, and to view the shoppers as our own brothers and sisters, so that instead of things, we would actually give a little piece of ourselves to them. … and hopefully that little piece of love would have a journey of its own.

Every time we were asked why we were doing this, we decided that we would give the honest answer that was true in that moment:
Sometimes we gave because we wished to ripple compassion out in the world.
Sometimes we gave because we wanted to face our own insecurities.
Sometimes we gave because we have received so much.
Sometimes we gave because it made sense.
Sometimes we gave because it made no sense at all.
Sometimes we give because it is the only choice we have.

– Sukh

Here is what other had to share about their experience:

From Srikanth Sridharan:
On April 1st, 2005 I had the pleasure of participating in somewhat of a social experiment with a group of compassionate individuals who share a common interest in serving others. It was a Saturday morning and the sun was out shining brightly as it usually does in Southern California. Preparing the food baskets, the feeling amongst us was that spreading compassion on Rodeo Drive was probably more of a daunting task than doing the same in a low-income downtown neighborhood. What would people say? How would they react to our shouts of “free candy!” and “random acts of kindness today!” Well, at least for the shoppers of Rodeo Drive it didn’t seem to be something that they would normally expect – an April Fool’s joke perhaps?

As Sukh and I made our way through the posh Beverly Hills locale, the reaction to our compassion was mixed at best. Many were quite polite in refusing, stating that they were on a diet and already had their fill of sugar for the morning. Some foreign tourists were quite terrified to say the least! We even had two bouncer types clad in navy-blue pinstriped suits politely pull us aside and order us to vacate the premises immediately. Interestingly enough, the job seemed to get easier as we veered off Rodeo, almost as if a huge barrier of fear had been lifted. Well, we did encounter quite a few strangers who were absolutely delighted that something like this could be happening in their neighborhood. How can I forget the writer from NY, who out of curiosity stopped to chat with us and then openly shared his views on war, helping others, and changing the world!

At the end of it all, Sukh and I were both curious to see how the girls had fared in their exploits. A social experiment within a social experiment! To no one’s surprise, they fared much better than we did. Well, through all our adventures it was a unique experience and the key was accepting the fact that even if we hadn’t always succeeded, the seed of compassion was planted in so many shoppers’ minds that morning. Maybe, just maybe they will pay it forward sometime.

From Manuri
I had a blast. I started off by meeting 2 wonderful BTCers for the first time. I was excited to give things away than ask for things. Later I realized that I am asking for something: a moment of their time to take a snack. Almost every other person we came across gave us that moment to show our kindness. I totally understood the ones who didn’t stop. I’ve been in their shoes many times.

Of course we had to use the word “free” a lot before anyone stop. Some were very skeptical. Some felt very uncomfortable to taking things for free. I realized how much people are use to living in a world of exchange of tangible items. So, some tried to force money on us. That’s when we pulled out the smile cards and said, “we are spreading smiles, it’s random acts of kindness day”. Then I saw a little relief and a smile. Some asked, “Come oooon…Really! Why?” I said what rolled out of my tongue at the moment “we are trying to show compassion, you think we can change the world with compassion?” It was amazing to hear and see the positive responses of people, a bow, invitations, donations (which we gracefully didn’t accept), stories of their experiences. The best thing was their genuine smile that came out so naturally. I think we pushed our limits by going up to security guards & cops.

Even though we crossed so many different people from all over the world, I didn’t see them any different than my own family. Not everyone’s personalities/moods are the same, some moody, some happy, some cranky, some just weird :). But I saw humanity in every single person. The difference was that some take a moment to express that side and some don’t. Those who do are the ones that make everyone’s day even more beautiful.

From Kristeen Singh
I definitely didn’t want to do the compassion cell on Rodeo Drive. I felt like we should give the cookies, candies, granola bars to those that really needed the food… Hmm, but then I began to realize that it was my fears and insecurities that were preventing me from giving on Rodeo Drive and I was looking for an excuse not to attend the compassion cell. But as I become open to showing generosity and to be giving without any expectation of anything in return, it was just amazing to see how inspired people were to be given to. It wasn’t even about the food, but about the act of love. We were selling the concept of giving…why? Because giving is really receiving. The greatest gift I have ever received is the one I gave away.

From Reshma Gajjar
I showed up to Rodeo Drive not really sure what to expect. I only looked forward to the comfort i knew i would find in the friends who would be joining me. We decided from a conversation at a coffeeshop that one of the obvious problems in this world is the lack of compassion. So we met up on Rodeo drive to hand out treats and offer people random acts of kindness. Why Rodeo drive? Well its not always about helping those in need…and then those who are already involved in service already get this mentality. Its about reachng out to others as a brother or sister to bring people together and hopefully the compassion would be contagious or planting a seed that would spawn thought. The reactions i got were very positive, of course there were people who rightfully assumed we were part of a business, group or need for a donation and walked a little faster by us. But the people that took time to wait just a little longer found that we wanted nothing but a smile. Overall, most were pleasantly suprised, a handful excited for the free snacks and then there were the few that thought what we were doing was wonderful and such a good idea.

(Not inspired by Dancing with the Stars)
A Compassion Cell in Orange County on March 12th.

As I wrapped my arms around this woman of 81 years, I felt right at home. We swayed from side to side, not too fast as the workers of the Center had told me that her bones were fragile. She hadn’t danced for over 20 years, but she remembers that she used to love it. Her skin was soft and warm.

She recalls stories to me about how she used to go to all the parties and knew all the latest dance steps. Now, we just move from side to side. Her life is confined to the company of other elders at the senior center, and the workers we pay to take care of our parents.

Every now and then they get some entertainment. They play bingo weekly, go for walks, and because of some random occurrence, today a volunteer group dropped by with some ballroom music.

At first everyone was apprehensive, so we decided to let the music take over. It was like boys meeting girls. Everyone wondering who was going to make the first move. This time it was youth meets concealed youth, memory meets experience, action meets values, internal meets external.

As this 81 year old woman, who lost her husband a couple of years ago, wraps her arms around me, I know that in this one dance, we both are okay.

Just as things start to quiet down, Ben pulls out his Moroccan music and actually starts Belly Dancing. Watching an adult Moroccan male with a belly dancing skirt swing his hips is an experience that passes but only once in a lifetime. Ben endures through the embarrassment just to bring joy into the lives of a few ladies. Struck by his selflessness, we all take turns wearing the belly dancing skirt. Finally one of the oldest ladies in the center takes us up on the dance-off. She throws on the skirt and shows us that 90 year old hips can still shake.

Momentary pleasure as their journey continues to plough forward towards the unknown. … but for us, the memory will live a little longer.

A Compassion Cell in Los Angeles on March 4th

Things just work out sometimes. On Saturday, we were serving lunch to 60 women at the Women’s Homeless Shelter in Los Angeles. On Friday, volunteers were coming over to prepare the lunches. On Wednesday, we had no idea where the supplies were coming from.

Wednesday afternoon, my good friend Nirali came over and asked about the supplies. Having no idea how it would work out, but knowing quite well that whatever needed to happen would happen, we decided to sit on it.

After sitting in silence for one hour we opened the front door and on the table outside we found 25 loafs of bread, just sitting there, waiting.

To this day, we do not know who left them. Not even the neighbors saw who had dropped them off.

What is powerful about this story is how the good intentions of this secret do-gooder have rippled out into so many people. I shared the bread story with another friend and she instantaneous asked me to come to her office. When I arrived she handed me a check for $100 saying that she wanted to be a part of this holy bread. Another friend said the bread had literally dropped from heaven 🙂

Hours later we were at a grocery store shopping for the remaining supplies and volunteers were literally fighting over the shopping bill.

I shared all of this with our tax accountant, and he too was baffled. He now considers us the anti-thesis of every organization he has ever come into contact with. Most organizations fight to keep money coming in. An anonymous gift of bread is forcing us to give more away.

The ripple effect of this one person’s generosity continues to expand every time this story is shared. I can’t imagine the goodness that this one person carried in their heart to have their one simple action touch so many people. It is impacting me again, as I am writing this.

Friday night came, we celebrated the bread and all the goodness that surrounded it. As we chopped up vegetables and sliced onions, there was joy in the room. The dance of receiving and giving overwhelmed us completely.

Saturday afternoon, we finally served lunch to the women of the shelter. They were grateful to have had a nutritious meal, we were grateful to have had the opportunity to serve. The magic of service became a part of us all.

As my friend, Nirali, sat down to share a meal with the residents of the shelter, she was taken back by the hostility of one of the women. Living on the streets can impact people in many ways. Sometimes it seems like a systematic break down of one own human-ness. I guess Nirali did the only thing she could, remain human. After a few moments, the woman actually thanked Nirali for what she was doing, and expressed that the world needed more people like Nirali out there. Maybe goodness exists in everyone, or maybe it was just the bread talking.

Sukh

On December 17th, sixteen of us will embark on a 2 1/2 week journey to discover India. We go to understand ourselves and to witness the capability of our collective humanity. We will be volunteering at an organization called Manav Sadhna, which literally translated from Sanskrit means: Service to Humanity. Hopefully the journey will lead us inward.

What Manav Sadhna does to its community is virtually impossible. Housed at the Mahatma Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, they coordinate hundreds of projects and provide relief to thousands of people. Their projects include Education, Health, Welfare for Women, Earthquake Rehabilitation and even a theatrical production that allowed children from the slums to perform all over the world. They do this with so much humility that it becomes difficult to fathom that it even happens at all. With Gandhian principles in mind, I guess somehow, someway, the love from Manav Sadhna finds a way to make it all come together.

One week before we depart, we got together to ask ourselves what it all means. One thing is apparant, our original plans of service have already been thwarted. We thought we were going to do service for Manav Sadhna, instead they are already doing service for us. They have lined up many projects and many opportunites for us to grow and learn in the coming weeks. By taking time to prepare for our trip, they are showing us that service doesn’t begin when you land in another country, it can begin in any moment, as long as we allow our minds and hearts to remain open.

Most of us are still unsure of what is in store. Partly because with any adventure you can never know the journey that lies ahead, but mostly because our friend Nirali, who is organizing our activities there, is keeping everything a secret. 🙂 (although me and Bharti have had a sneak peak at what’s coming)

From what we know so far, there will be a lot of love, a lot of laughter, and a lot of work!!!

We will keep this blog updated with news, information, and inights as they become apparant to us. For more information on our itenirary visit our wiki page:
http://www.bethecause.org/wiki/index.php?title=India_Plans

— Read about last year’s trip to South Africa
— … and see the pictures

On Saturday, June 18th, the Baha’is of Aliso Viejo presented Be the Cause with an award for its work on uniting individuals in the common goal of service. It was a most awkward feeling.

I stood with a crystal award in my hand, smiling like a little boy at the podium. Faces stared back at me waiting for a recollection of our four year journey. But that did not happen. Instead, I stated as proudly as I could that none of this had anything to do with us.

The true recipient of this award was neither an organization, nor an individual, but rather a silent emotion that moves us all to action. It is that compassion within us that forces us to create new organizations, inspires us to help others and calls us back to our true nature. Compassion exists in all of us.

So we accepted the award, not only on behalf of Be the Cause volunteers, but also on behalf of everyone in that room, and everyone reading this newsletter. Thank you to all of you for having Compassion in your hearts and to the Baha’is for their continued dedication to make the world a better place.

May you and I truly unite in our love for humanity and in our compassion for each other.

See pictures from the event

Sukh