“In the pursuance of question all our knowing lies; the one who knows, left with no question”.
Circle : Sawal-e-Safar is a co-creation of a contemplative & reflective circle to ask all those difficult questions that blocks our internal growth and fills us with sorrow.
A space to listen and understand the diverse realities to realize the sense and the essence of the ‘self’ in the larger ecosystem.
As we live in this world of multi-layered realties, its important for all of us to listen and understand the diverse perspectives of life that others share with us and bring love and harmony among all. The whole life is to learn by heart:) to be more responsible and more compassionate towards each other.
A circle to co-create the possibilities of human harmony & simplicity.
It is a journey of ‘self-growth’ in the abundance of collective wisdom, love & trust.
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The subtle inter-action of energies in our natural coherence (co-existence) has an incredible power to expand our horizon, enrich our understanding and support our holistic growth.
The TRUTH is that we all are inter-connected. Visibly, invisibly, directly or indirectly, we all are interlinked and inter-weaved in the wholistic (multi-layered & multi-dimensional) ecosystem of life. As life ordains… our consciousness expands to see what is, as is and we begin to live in the present with complete harmony.
“ONENESS is an experience of harmony among the diverse energies and ecosystem of life”.
ਸਭ ਮਹਿ ਜੋਤਿ ਜੋਤਿ ਹੈ ਸੋਇ ॥ ਤਿਸ ਦੈ ਚਾਨਣਿ ਸਭ ਮਹਿ ਚਾਨਣੁ ਹੋਇ ॥
Amongst all is the ONE Light. By its illumination, everything illuminates.
“ਮਿਲਿ ਸਤਸੰਗਤਿ ਖੋਜੁ ਦਸਾਈ ਵਿਚਿ ਸੰਗਤਿ ਹਰਿ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਵਸੈ ਜੀਉ ॥”
joining the true congregation, I searched my path..
it is where the Divine abides.
It is a collective journey to nurture compassion over conflict; equality over superiority; & receptivity over despise. Those who are willing to co-create an inclusive and harmonious learning space by re-weaving the dynamic energies together are welcome with love:).
It’s an invitation to all to co-create a safe space for fellow travelers who are struggling with some deeper conflicts & seeking a true company where they can open their hearts and ask difficult questions.
Honesty Heals us all. Its often vulnerable to witness the flaws and the weirdness that we carry within but the honest admission and openness for acceptance has an incredible power to unlock the chains of our suffering and bring peace. We invite you all to bravely speak out your triggers (that wobbles you) & share your deeper sense of being that inspires you to grow through this life play.
Love begins with acceptance. We are the drops of ONE ocean.
No matter where you are in your personal journey, we accept you.
We accept you the way you are & respect the path and pace of your learning.
ਹੁਕਮੈ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਹੁਕਮ ਨ ਕੋਇ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਹੁਕਮੈ ਜੇ ਬੁਝੈ ਤ ਹਉਮੈ ਕਹੈ ਨ ਕੋਇ ॥
Everyone is in the Natural Divine Flow; no one is out of the Divine Flow. O Nanak, one who understands the Divine Flow, does not speak in ego.
In this play of life, we are all unique & special in our ways.
We invite you to renounce all kind of hegemonies and hierarchies of system, uncover the masks of your mind, recognize your ‘energy-being’ and free yourself from all the unwanted burdens that you have been carrying.
Come, let us open ourselves for a slow reflective conversation… to listen deeply and expand our understanding of life. Sometimes the answer appears from a corner we least expect. Come, join the circle with the incredible love, light and compassion that you are carrying within.
It is a space that allows an absolute freedom of sharing.
Here we all can feel the collective sense of comfort and trust.
It is a non-judgmental space for our truth, vulnerability and honesty.
Here we all have sensitivity and respect for each other’s pain or suffering.
It is a space of deeper peace, patience, humility and empathy.
A space of inclusion, integrity & compassion.
Here, we all are journeying together…
> without hegemony or hierarchy of any kind.
> without comparison, competition, rigidity or judgmental friction.
> without inhibition, hesitation, fear, anxiety or pressure of any kind.
> without any shame, sense of threat or victimization.
> without any imposition or control.
We all are journeying together…
- to hold a hearty space for diverse proposals and perspectives of people
- to accept and appreciate the different pace, paths and practices of people in their life journey.
- to deeply understand and practice empathy for people growing through different causes, conditions, temperaments, behavior patterns, aspirations and effects.
- to understand the deeper longing, needs, fears and concerns of people without judgement.
- to free ourselves from strong judgements, opinions and interpretations to realize the wholeness.
- to co-create an open ground of values and virtues for all to live in the harmony.
- to support and nourish the uniqueness of all with the waves of positivity.
- to raise our ability and capability to handle conflicts or criticism calmly and compassionately.
- to express or address our feelings consciously rather defending or proving a point with ego.
- to grow through the intensity of wavering emotions without suppression, ignorance, bypass or collapse.
- to free ourselves from the wobbling triggers of anger and expand in love unconditionally.
- to free ourselves from social opinion, statement and projections about ourselves and live free.
- to pause and reflect upon our spiritual possibilities and sync ourselves with the natural rhythms of life.
- to serve selflessly and practice gratitude for everything and everyone in life.
- to grow beyond possessions, stimulations and gratifications and rise beyond the fears of survival and death.
- to realize the divine love in all and celebrate life with freedom.
I n s p i r i n g R e f l e c t i o n s
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The inquiry could be conducted by keeping uncertainty and unknown as the ground, certainty and conclusion at bay… awareness, meditation and silence as the central process. This could awaken observation, attention, awe, humility and spontaneity, the very qualities that helps us understand without set reasons.
Its okay to share more than to decide to share less. To open up and to close down again as you gather a new wisdom and perspective.
Wholeness is an immersion ‘within’, immersion brings silence, silence deepens.
Depth leads to more space, space allows progress, progress brings deepening and deepening births silence.
Silence allows self-connection, self-connection is healing and healing is wholeness. ~Moonstar
If I speak in tongues, but have no love, I am nothing.
If I have faith that can move mountains, but have no love, I am nothing.
If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have no love, I am nothing.
Lets not live in hope and let us not merely pay lip service to the idea of closeness.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
Love keeps no record of wrong.
Love is patient, Love embrace all.
Love never fails.
Fear is the glue that keeps us stuck; faith is the solvent that sets us free. ~Shannon L. Alder
“Treat those who are good with goodness, and also treat those who are not good with goodness, thus goodness is attained”. ~Lao Tzu
What we pay attention to, grows.
The moment we change the way we see things, things we see change.
To life a pure, unselfish life, one must count nothing as one’s own in the midst of abundance.
There is no place in the transcendent consciousness for any of the baggage we may still be carrying. All the should and shouldn’t that may have dominated our consciousness are to be released and left at this crossroad.
Everyone in this great world has a task to fulfil, the rest is not so important as long as you don’t forget that but if you remember everything except that, it’s as if didn’t know anything.
Go running through the street creating divine chaos, go running through the world giving love, giving love. ~Hafiz
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ABOUT THE QUESTIONS
- From where and when does question arise?
- Why do they arise?
- What a question really does?
As we grow with time and experience life.
- Does our questions remain the same?
- Do they continue to grow further or they just get dissolved with time?
- To whom do we ask questions?
- What blocks our will to know?
ABOUT THE ANSWERS
- Where do we go to find answers?
- Do answers to every question exist?
- Do we create our own illusion of answers or they really exist in reality?
- What is the right (or true) answer?
- What answers really do? How do they affects us?
> Brings clarity, peace and joy.
> Calms our mind, heals our heart and enlighten our soul.
> Creates comfort & contentment within.
> Shows us the bigger reality and the truth.
> Trigger our curiosity and excites us to seek more. - Is there any clear answer OR everything is just a clue to walk on a journey?
How does one learn..?
What does ‘complete knowing or understanding’ mean?
How does it look/feels like?
We watch… We observe… We sense… We feel… We think… We learn…
We listen… We understand… We analyze… We dream… We explore… We find…
We seek… We demand… We chase… We choose…
We live in our choice…
We do, what we need/want to do…
In our nature, in our thoughts, in our attitude and in our actions, there is an energy.
In our breath, in our growth, in our movement and in our stillness, there is an energy.
We are not only our mind, body, gender or skin,
Not merely our passion, memory or dreams,
We are an incomprehensibly subtle & vast energy of life.
We are, We are not.
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PROPOSAL TO INTROSPECT ‘WITHIN’
- All our fundamental questions are internal.
- We ultimately ask all real questions from inside.
- We receive all the final answers from within.
“In the pursuance of question all our knowing lies; the one who knows, left with no question”.
TRUTH IS REALLY SIMPLE.
ਮਨ ਤੂੰ ਜੋਤਿ ਸਰੂਪੁ ਹੈ ਆਪਣਾ ਮੂਲੁ ਪਛਾਣੁ ॥
O my mind, you are the embodiment of the Divine Light – recognize your own origin.
ਜੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੰਡੇ ਸੋਈ ਪਿੰਡੇ ਜੋ ਖੋਜੈ ਸੋ ਪਾਵੈ ॥
The One who pervades the Universe also dwells in the body; whoever seeks Him, finds Him there.
ਧੁਨਿ ਮਹਿ ਧਿਆਨੁ ਧਿਆਨ ਮਹਿ ਜਾਨਿਆ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਅਕਥ ਕਹਾਨੀ ॥
By meditating on the Eternal Sound Vibration, the disciple-seeker comes to know the Unspoken Story of the Existence.
ਮੰਨੈ ਸੁਰਤਿ ਹੋਵੈ ਮਨਿ ਬੁਧਿ ॥ ਮੰਨੈ ਸਗਲ ਭਵਣ ਕੀ ਸੁਧਿ ॥
The faithful receives intuitive awareness and intelligence. The faithful get to know about all the worlds and realms.
Words of True Guru are all pervading.
ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਰਹਿਆ ਸਮਾਈ ॥
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We encourage everyone to carry forward the Circle in your own environments, be it home, school, friends, or any other space you wish to. Give people the support they need.
Note: You can use this text or improve it the way you want, sharing is open (no credits required). There is no copyright on the Wisdom that we are blessed to receive from the diverse forms of life:).
The simple intention is,
‘the happiness and prosperity of all’.
Sarbatt Da Bhala
“ਸਰਬੱਤ ਦਾ ਭਲਾ”
`with love:)
`daras:)
THE ART OF FACILITATION
Things to remember for hosting a circle:
1. Self-Work: Self Growth
> Self Introspection, Exploration & Integration.
> Knowing the innate values & the self-nature.
> Observing how you connect & interact with the world outside.
> Realizing the spiritual purpose of life.
2. Understanding the group.
> Inquiry, Inclination & the Interest of people.
3. Invitation with a clear message.
> Value of space, time and energy.
> Value of co-existence, collaboration & co-creation.
> Value of knowledge & practice of thought.
4. Space preparation: Noise Reduction, Basic Comfort & Facilities.
> Collective Creation of Centre Piece; Bringing the elements of nature together.
5. Self-Grounding & Creating Conducive Energy
> Initial few minutes in silence/soothing music.
> Invite all to be completely present.
6. Welcome: Context Setting.
> Check language comfort.
> Request everyone to switch off their phone.
> Share the Intention & the purpose of circle + ways & the values of co-creation.
> Request all to respect the energy of the environment & support the feelings of people.
7. Introduction of Talking Piece (Value of True Expression & Deep Listening)
8. Check In: Collective Sign-up
> Short Introduction & Energy level
9. Explaining the Role of the Facilitator: Putting ‘self’ in service.
> To create safe, welcoming and comfortable environment for all.
> To take everyone along & journey together.
> To embrace the will of an individual and collective decisions.
> To always emphasize what is essential among the diverse persuasions.
> To accept, respect and support the uniqueness of all.
> To help people connect with the wholistic point of view & bring harmony.
> To embrace love, joy and simplicity.
10. Opening Circle with an Anchor Question
> One question at a time.
> Collective Reflections.
> Pause when required.
11. Closing Circle: Harvesting
> Overall reflection of the day/circle time.
> Sharing the meaningful takeaways.
12. Gratitude for everything and everyone.
13. Silence
> Internal realization of the oneness.
> Rhythmic Transition to an independent space.
Darshan Singh Grewal 