NEEV - The Grand Architecture
Anurag Jain
Dear Friends,
I wrote a mail to few of my old college mates yesterday. I am writing this mail as a continuation to the mail I wrote yesterday to friends whom I believe are interested in leaving the world with something beautiful before our mortal bodies depart to become a star in the sky.
At this point it would be good if you could just scroll down and read the mail I wrote yesterday to my friends living in America.
If you have finished with it just spare a few moments with me to take a journey into life and soul, which is something we should actually be doing in our lives.
Why are we here? What are we meant to do? Where are we going? Are we just a clod meant to make money, are we just a cog in a machine that keeps grinding endlessly, are we just mute spectators to the unfurling drama of life, to its beauty, to its barbarity, to its meaningless, to its sudden moments of inspiration and revelation, to its blood, tears and dust, to the laughter of children and cries of birds, to sulphurous fumes, to a clear stretch of blue sky, to the honking of cars, to the crack of dawn…………………..
I revolt. I am not a mute spectator. I am not a clod, not a cog. I am …………………………..
We can live so beautifully on this earth – green forests, sparkling waters, pine scented forests, warm relationships, walk under the blanket of stars, rise to the call of the rooster and the glowing splendour of the sun - A life of poetry, meditation, happiness and music. I have always dreamt of these. I dreamt of these as a child and after all the attacks of practicality, name, fame and money I continue dreaming. I continue my dream amidst the raging chaos in the world, amidst global warming, amidst broken relationships, rapes, nuclear reactors and dismembered bodies. Amidst the jingle of money and honks of cars, amidst corruption, jeers, sarcasm and skepticism, I continue my dream because this is what I have to offer to the world.
After having worked in the corporate sector, education, social sector and business I have realized that there is only one way to fulfill this dream – to lead a life of ethics. The world in every epoch has required the clear voice of ethics, a voice that gleams and sparkles like the clear waters, a voice that speaks of light, humility, compassion and divinity. We need a lighthouse to guide the ships in the stormy seas of passions raging in the world. It’s not theories, projects, industries or scientific inventions in themselves that can help us. Without the whispers of the soul these turn into Frankenstein monsters that gobble our earth.
Its been a long standing dream in NEEV to build a community. As we move along the details in the bare sketch of the community are filling up. The community will be a group of people who shall strive to live a life of values, in the heart of nature, with a alternate school, handicrafts, organic farming……………… Well these had been there for a long time but what I added new was an “Ethics Centre”. Yes we need to have a centre for ethics where people from all over the world can discover what ethical and spiritual living is.
What I am writing is not a new idea. Those who are familiar with Auroville in Pondicherry, Rishi Valley School – Krishnamurti Foundation and MRA – Moral Re-Armament will know what I am talking about. What will be new will be the journey, the team of people, the joy of doing it together, the meaning and satisfaction in taking this journey, the ecstasy and pain of creation. It shall be our gift for posterity.
For NEEV, I propose to build this centre in Jharkhand, nestled somewhere in its pristine forests. I share this plan with all of you so that we can join our hands in solidarity to achieve this dream.
So friends this is not just a talk meant to pep up a drowsy evening. Mark this day – the march has already begun. If you don’t want to be caught napping, put on your shirts, roll up your sleeves and join the march.
People say that the world is made of atoms. We say that it is made of dreams.
Love,
Anurag
From: Anurag Jain
[mailto:anurag...@gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2008
12:53 PM
To: Rohini
Juneja (rohini...@yahoo.com)
Cc: Manpreet
Singh; Rishi Das; Deepak Goel; Mukesh
Punhani
Subject: A Great Re-Union
Dear Friends,
Last week Manpreet called us up from the US. A week before that Rishi called us up. It is hard to describe the happiness we felt in connecting again. Career and family rearing seemed to have kept us apart for some time (10 years) but now with things a little settled I see that we have a chance to regroup again, to regroup with something we started in college.
The neev of NEEV was laid in college itself with the CHETNA magazine. I hope you guys remember how we started out with this venture with great gusto. The bond of CHETNA was no ordinary bond, at least for me when I married Shikha it became a bond of life. Though we took out just two publications of CHETNA, it contained the seeds of what Shikha and I am doing today – living our dream.
I am so glad that all of us have got together again though sitting continents across.
I also wish to introduce to all of you, two great friends of ours – Deepak Goel and Mukesh Punhani, both were one year junior to us in REC – Kurukshetra and who on their own accord are lending a tremendous support to NEEV. Mukesh has been helping Shikha with the NEEV Herbal Handmade Soaps business. Both are presently in US too.
Manpreet had expressed his earnest desire to do something for NEEV. He said that there are a number of people in America who want to donate for charitable purposes. Rishi shared the same thing with me. I am just brainstorming. Is it possible for all of us to come together and create a platform for NEEV in America? I know of one organization called ASHA which was formed by a group of Indians staying in America to collect funds for charitable organization in India. Can something like this be done for NEEV? This would definitely require some investment in terms of time and energy so I am leaving this to you all to think and discuss whether this is something you consider worth doing. Personally, I see a great opportunity here – an opportunity for tremendous creativity, satisfaction and a meaningful life. In a certain sense, each one of you is already wedded to NEEV. If we get together and organize – develop synergy, I think something really beautiful and precious will emerge. I am not just thinking of collecting funds. If you guys are willing there can be an absolute turn in your lives. (I know this will sound scary to some of you -J)
Each one of you is tremendously capable, put together you will certainly create a force.
Take your time, gather your thoughts and if you feel – write.
Love,
Anurag
P.S – Mukesh and Deepak, Rohini, Manpreet and Rishi are all my great friends and batch mates of RECK.
Gurdas Singh
Gurdas Singh
Vadodara, Gujarat, India
Mobile: +91-9426079593
Email: gur...@gurdas.com
URL: www.gurdas.com
-----------------------------------------
Rohini Zutshi
Dear Anurag
I am a born skeptic and so the thoughts.
From: Anurag Jain <anurag...@gmail.com>
To: Archana <archan...@gmail.com>; Gopikrishna <krishn...@sify.com>; Govinda <lifei...@yahoo.com>; Gurdas Singh <gur...@gurdas.com>; Harsha Sunder <harsha...@gmail.com>; Jyotsna Agrawal <jani...@rediffmail.com>; Padmesh Nair <padme...@gmail.com>; Rachna Singh <rachnas...@yahoo.com>; Rishi Das <dasr...@yahoo.com>; Ravi Kiran <ravis...@gmail.com>; Rajiv Agarwal <rajiv_...@hotmail.com>; raje...@cwsy.org; Ritu Dubey <ping...@yahoo.co.in>; Rohini Juneja <rohini...@yahoo.com>; Saikat Mitra <contac...@gmail.com>; Salil Roy <sali...@Cummins.com>; Shraddha Agrawal <jaiswal....@gmail.com>; Shweta Jain <SHW...@NDTV.COM>; suman sarkar <suman...@rediffmail.com>; Uday Dutta <uday...@yahoo.co.in>; Monimoy Sinha <monimo...@rediffmail.com>; Kirti Soni <kirt...@hotmail.com>; Akanksha Krishnan <akanksh...@yahoo.com>
Cc: NEEV <ne...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2008 8:33:48 AM
Subject: [NEEV:] NEEV - The Grand Architecture
Dear Friends,
I wrote a mail to few of my old college mates yesterday. I am writing this mail as a continuation to the mail I wrote yesterday to friends whom I believe are interested in leaving the world with something beautiful before our mortal bodies depart to become a star in the sky.
At this point it would be good if you could just scroll down and read the mail I wrote yesterday to my friends living in America .
If you have finished with it just spare a few moments with me to take a journey into life and soul, which is something we should actually be doing in our lives.
Why are we here? What are we meant to do? Where are we going? Are we just a clod meant to make money, are we just a cog in a machine that keeps grinding endlessly, are we just mute spectators to the unfurling drama of life, to its beauty, to its barbarity, to its meaningless, to its sudden moments of inspiration and revelation, to its blood, tears and dust, to the laughter of children and cries of birds, to sulphurous fumes, to a clear stretch of blue sky, to the honking of cars, to the crack of dawn…………………..
I revolt. I am not a mute spectator. I am not a clod, not a cog. I am …………………………..
We can live so beautifully on this earth – green forests, sparkling waters, pine scented forests, warm relationships, walk under the blanket of stars, rise to the call of the rooster and the glowing splendour of the sun - A life of poetry, meditation, happiness and music. I have always dreamt of these. I dreamt of these as a child and after all the attacks of practicality, name, fame and money I continue dreaming. I continue my dream amidst the raging chaos in the world, amidst global warming, amidst broken relationships, rapes, nuclear reactors and dismembered bodies. Amidst the jingle of money and honks of cars, amidst corruption, jeers, sarcasm and skepticism, I continue my dream because this is what I have to offer to the world.
After having worked in the corporate sector, education, social sector and business I have realized that there is only one way to fulfill this dream – to lead a life of ethics. The world in every epoch has required the clear voice of ethics, a voice that gleams and sparkles like the clear waters, a voice that speaks of light, humility, compassion and divinity. We need a lighthouse to guide the ships in the stormy seas of passions raging in the world. It’s not theories, projects, industries or scientific inventions in themselves that can help us. Without the whispers of the soul these turn into Frankenstein monsters that gobble our earth.
Its been a long standing dream in NEEV to build a community. As we move along the details in the bare sketch of the community are filling up. The community will be a group of people who shall strive to live a life of values, in the heart of nature, with a alternate school, handicrafts, organic farming……………… Well these had been there for a long time but what I added new was an “Ethics Centre”. Yes we need to have a centre for ethics where people from all over the world can discover what ethical and spiritual living is.
What I am writing is not a new idea. Those who are familiar with Auroville in Pondicherry , Rishi Valley School – Krishnamurti Foundation and MRA – Moral Re-Armament will know what I am talking about. What will be new will be the journey, the team of people, the joy of doing it together, the meaning and satisfaction in taking this journey, the ecstasy and pain of creation. It shall be our gift for posterity.
For NEEV , I propose to build this centre in Jharkhand, nestled somewhere in its pristine forests. I share this plan with all of you so that we can join our hands in solidarity to achieve this dream.
So friends this is not just a talk meant to pep up a drowsy evening. Mark this day – the march has already begun. If you don’t want to be caught napping, put on your shirts, roll up your sleeves and join the march.
People say that the world is made of atoms. We say that it is made of dreams.
Love,
Anurag
From: Anurag Jain [mailto:anurag...@gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2008 12:53 PM
To: Rohini Juneja (rohini...@yahoo.com)
Cc: Manpreet Singh ; Rishi Das ; Deepak Goel ; Mukesh Punhani
Subject: A Great Re-Union
Dear Friends,
Last week Manpreet called us up from the US . A week before that Rishi called us up. It is hard to describe the happiness we felt in connecting again. Career and family rearing seemed to have kept us apart for some time (10 years) but now with things a little settled I see that we have a chance to regroup again, to regroup with something we started in college.
The neev of NEEV was laid in college itself with the CHETNA magazine. I hope you guys remember how we started out with this venture with great gusto. The bond of CHETNA was no ordinary bond, at least for me when I married Shikha it became a bond of life. Though we took out just two publications of CHETNA, it contained the seeds of what Shikha and I am doing today – living our dream.
I am so glad that all of us have got together again though sitting continents across.
I also wish to introduce to all of you, two great friends of ours – Deepak Goel and Mukesh Punhani , both were one year junior to us in REC – Kurukshetra and who on their own accord are lending a tremendous support to NEEV . Mukesh has been helping Shikha with the NEEV Herbal Handmade Soaps business. Both are presently in US too.
Manpreet had expressed his earnest desire to do something for NEEV . He said that there are a number of people in America who want to donate for charitable purposes. Rishi shared the same thing with me. I am just brainstorming. Is it possible for all of us to come together and create a platform for NEEV in America ? I know of one organization called ASHA which was formed by a group of Indians staying in America to collect funds for charitable organization in India . Can something like this be done for NEEV ? This would definitely require some investment in terms of time and energy so I am leaving this to you all to think and discuss whether this is something you consider worth doing. Personally, I see a great opportunity here – an opportunity for tremendous creativity, satisfaction and a meaningful life. In a certain sense, each one of you is already wedded to NEEV . If we get together and organize – develop synergy, I think something really beautiful and precious will emerge. I am not just thinking of collecting funds. If you guys are willing there can be an absolute turn in your lives. (I know this will sound scary to some of you -J)
Each one of you is tremendously capable, put together you will certainly create a force.
Take your time, gather your thoughts and if you feel – write.
Love,
Anurag
P.S – Mukesh and Deepak, Rohini, Manpreet and Rishi are all my great friends and batch mates of RECK.
shikha jain
Hi Rohini!
Neena...@sanofi-aventis.com
many a times I have forsaken my direction or 'milestones' due to lack of validation. Not being a complete skeptic, and not having owned the 'surrender' principle, I am in between somewhere. Recently, very recently I would say in last year or so, I have finally chosen a direction, very similar to you all. To further that commitment I have consciously started aligning myself to people with similar thoughts and ideas and goals. It is not always easy as I consciously choose and filter out each and every thought that passes though my head - thoughts that show up as a result of my being in the environment that I am... sheaf ting through words, thoughts, actions - others and more your own- making sure you are vigilant about what is impacting your sub-consciousness.
So I second Gurdas's ('hello') suggestion about a virtual community. Virtually- lets share our thoughts, lets talk about our experiences, lets learn from each other...
and then someday - God willing- we will physically say 'Hello' to each other...
Neena Desai
From: ne...@googlegroups.com [mailto:ne...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of shikha jain
Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2008 1:03 AM
To: Rohini Zutshi
Cc: ne...@googlegroups.com
Subject: [NEEV:] Re: [NEEV:] Re: [NEEV:] NEEV - The Grand Architecture