Mananeeya Sri Eknathji, the founder of our Vivekananda Kendra - a spiritually oriented organization - was born on 19 November 1914. All the Kendra Kayakartas celebrate this day as the Sadhana Diwas. The work of "Man Making and Nation Building" which we have undertaken in Kendra is Sacred Sadhana for us. If we understand the dynamics involved in this work and do it accordingly then this work itself is Sadhana. The coming five years we are planning to expand our work which gives us an added opportunity to learn the Sadhana of team-building.
The very essence of Sadhana is in two aspects- reducing of ego and expansion of consciousness to one's larger layers of existence. Thus more a person advances in Sadhana, his ego is reduced further and further and at the same time he also realizes the Reality as expressed in the bigger collectivity. Such a person will not consider his personal likes and dislikes or hurts and humiliations or discomforts and difficulties as more important than the good of the bigger collectivity. For a Karyakarta, the bigger collectivities are the organization, society and the nation.
In the larger design of the organization, Karyakarta merges himself. And whatever work has come to him he takes in the Bhava of instrumentality of the Divine. Once the Bhava of instrumentality comes, then the surrender is easier. Service is the work of common good done with total surrender. Service is being an instrument of Divine work. Such Service is Sadhana. Eknathiji said in "Sadhana of Service”, “That service is the best and the noblest which is performed with the attitude of total surrender to God. ...the action must be performed without any attachment but sincerely and honestly to the best of our ability with an attitude of being a tool only. We have been called upon to execute whatever is essential and possible as willed by God. This is SERVICE. We are doing His work. Such work elevates us and leads to Self-realization, which is the supreme goal of human life."
As there are steps of progress in Sadhana, there is also the possibility of fall in Sadhana, for which one has to be more alert and aware. More a person climbs on a steep mountain more is the possibility of big fall. Thus a senior Karyakarta has far more the reason to be on his guard on this path of Sadhana than a new entrant. There are senior workers to give feedback and mould the new entrants. But as a Karyakarta grows in age and responsibility there are very few persons around to course-correct him. Therefore, the continuous self-introspection and contemplation on the three vows is essential to avoid a fal231l. The three vows are 1.Shuchita- Purity in words, thoughts and actions. 2.Aparigraha - Non-possession. Not getting attached to the place, persons, responsibility and any material acquisitions. As Mananeeya Eknathji said the Karyakarta should be free like an air, ready to go any where in any capacity to work for Kendra. 3.Anushasan - organizational discipline so as to maintain always a congenial atmosphere for growth.
The Sadhana of diminishing the ego and expansion of consciousness is best done in efforts of team-building. In the coming years our whole focus would be wielding the teams as we expand our work to new places. Mananeeya Parameswaranji during the Akhil Bharatiya Adhikari Baithak had explained this science of team-building very beautifully. The gist of it is: “We know the technique of team building at our level. Now we are thinking of the team building in wider context....While expanding the team, some problems may arise. We should know how to solve it. Our ideas are much bigger and wider."
We are planning to expand the work of Vivekananda Kendra. The celebration is not to praise Swami Vivekananda in big programs but to take the message of Swami Vivekananda to the far-flung areas and motivate the people to work for our country. Also it is not just the message but it is to be put into practice too. Our teams are not adequate for this purpose today. For that Mananeeya Sri Parameshwarnji says, "For this we will have to uplift our teams, so that they will go to society and more gifted, capable people from outside will join us. Thus for expanding our organization we have to go beyond the four walls of the organization.
From crowd, create a group and from a group, a team is to be prepared. Group is more cohesive, durable and having clearer objectives than a crowd. Group agrees to disagree. But group is not stable and durable, not equally motivated. Group can split. But Team is cohesive, integrated, identified with each other. Team is like a living organism, it grows, expands and works in unison. This kind of team is the core of the organization. Various levels of teams are to be created. ... The teams are to be sustained by intimate and regular communications and contacts. No communication gaps. Communication gap leads to misunderstanding. There is a difference between Contact and Communication. Technology is a good servant but bad master. Hence utilize technology with care. For contact, like giving information etc. use technology like mobile, e-mails etc. but maximum inter – personal, informal and intimate contacts and communications build teams. By contact through mobile you can create group but not a team. As a matter of fact in a group, relationship is formal.
Team is informal. Without informality team can not be formed. There should be deep inter-personal relationship. Ego, formalities should not come in-between. Heart to heart communication should be there with each other. Before Mahabharat war, Sanjay was sent to meet Pandavas. On returning he told Dhritarashtra what he saw while with Pandvas. He told : I saw Arjuna lying with his legs in the lap of Sri Krishna. Seeing this informal intimate relationship between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, Dhritarashtra said, 'Pandavas are invincible'. If we keep showing our superiority, expect others to treat us with respect and decorum then intimacy cannot be developed. you want to develop a team, do not stress decorum, do not maintain distance. Make it informal. Create intimacy. Respect and love each other. Our activities should be more like a family than the organization. It means so much sharing, interacting, respecting and accepting each other should be there. This type of team building should become a second nature of workers. Agenda is not necessary to meet each other. We should meet without agenda. That does not mean there should be no agenda in meetings. Agenda is necessary in meetings but even that should be covered informally. Cementing factor that will sail the agenda through to success is this informal talking with each other. It can come only if each team member tries to eliminate ego. Sri Aurobindo says: ego may be necessary initially but at certain level, it is a stumbling block. Therefore if you suppress ego it may boomerang. Hence enlarge your ego. Embrace everyone with your ego, feel one with them, accept them as your own.”
In our work we have to bring in new persons and slowly make them identified and befitting for Kendra work. Now this is sadhana! A very great Sadhana. Generally we expect others to change. But before changing others we have to change our ways of dealing with others. Mananeeya Parameswaranji explained this very beautifully: “If we try to change anyone he/she will resist. You be the change which you want to make in others. Very few will not respond to your sincere effort and patience. Swami Vivekananda consciously expanded his ego to the entire nation. Every agony of the team member is felt by the other members like the mother feeling the agony of her child. Hence team-building is a spiritual Sadhana. Three things are necessary - Put in a conscious and sincere effort, have a great patience and start with a change in yourself.
Workers with talents, leadership quality and ready to sacrifice are required. Thus, we have to raise the level of team building effort. By the time the 50th year celebrations are over, our workers should have spread to all the places. Great work is done by the people who created great teams. No single person however great can build great work all alone, teams need to be created. Great people create teams. After Sri Ramakrishna’s mahasamadhi, disciples of Sri Ramakrishna wanted to go here and there. But Swami Vivekananda had the vision and kept them as a team together. That team of sanyasins created Sri Ramakrishna Mission. Dr. Hedgewar with 5 people started RSS. He was an angry man. But for the sake of the team he changed himself. This is the most essential quality in team building. You have to bring the desired change in yourself first. For creating teams we have to put our ego little behind, put people forward, enhance your capacity of motivating others, guide them but from behind. Credit should be given to the team and for failure leader should take the responsibility.”
In the coming years our Sadhana is creating, expanding teams at all levels. Problems would come but we have to solve them in the interest of nation. As told by Mananeeya Eknathji in 'Sadhana of Service', few injunctions we should remember – not to blow the incidents out of proportions, if any one makes mistakes talk to him directly and not to make it an item of agenda, not to generalize the mistakes of any person etc. As advised by Mananeeya Eknathji we should have large belly to swallow. The organizations are built on the capacity of the workers to digest the hurts and humiliations, and having the larger and forgiving hearts. Thus, on Sadhana Diwas let us contemplate on all these thoughts and prepare the minds of our Karyakartas from Gatapramukh onwards to undergo this Sadhana of team-building in which Mananeeya Eknathji was a master. Let us carry forward his legacy.
Nivedita Raghunath Bhide
Vice-President
Vivekananda Kendra
