How Jeevan Vidya brought in the Objective Understanding of Life?

The entire batch of Jeevan Vidya Workshop — Oct 2022

After an intense two-week visit to alternative learning spaces across South India, exhausted physically and mentally, I reached the venue where a week-long JV workshop I signed up for was supposed to happen. It was at a Math (Math is a place where Sanyasis live and do their Sadhna) in Dharwad, Karnataka. The living arrangement was basic and the rooms were shared between participants. It was a very spacious and comfortable space. We were surrounded by lot of trees and a lake.

The lake inside the Math

The sense of community and belonging which I value so deeply, just came in rushing, the moment I alighted from the bus I took from Bangalore to reach Dharwad. I had booked an auto to reach the venue and to my surprise I found that an acquaintance, whom I have met once at LSUC 2020, was also a participant for JV and was sharing the ride with me. I felt a sense of knowingness simmering up in me in that unknown territory. On our way to the venue, we shared about our lives and by the time we reached, we were friends already.

As I entered the venue, a very dear friend, who I had no clue would be there, came running and gave me a tight hug. She was the one from whom I heard about Jeevan Vidya for the first time, 3 years back. She was attending the workshop for the 2nd time. Seeing her I felt at home. I also met Naman, a goofy little 13-year old, my old student and son of Vinish Gupta, the facilitator of the Jeevan Vidya workshop. Later I met a few more people I knew from before, one of them was a mother of another student of mine. It was quite a great start.

The workshop was supposed to start at 9:30 am, so I quickly got myself settled in the new space and got ready for the workshop. The organisers were very strict about the timing and made it very clear, several times in advance that entry would be denied to anyone coming post 9:30 am. I entered the hall in which the workshop was supposed to take place and got myself seated in a nice corner. I saw a thin guy, in his 50s, wearing a white Kurta, setting up the place. That’s how I saw Vinish Ji for the first time.

We started on time, discussing the structure of the days to come. We were also given the opportunity to leave in case, we were forced by any of our friends or family into this workshop, and to stay only if we want to attend it out of our own will. Of course, no one left and so we started.

The day design:

Each day was structured very thoughtfully with sufficient breaks and voluntary spaces. The morning session will start at 9:30 and will go on till 11:00. We will then break for 10-minute tea break post which the session would continue till 1 pm. An hour was allocated for lunch and cleaning. The session would start only when all participants are present in the hall. In case, someone needs to take a break in the middle of the session, everyone else will wait for that person to come back.

Open Space Technology:

Afternoons(2:00–4:00) were kept open for peer sessions. This means anyone who wants to offer any learning session, on any topic can offer a session, and people who feel interested in that offering can attend. Every day at least 3 people offered a session and people chose which one to attend as per their liking. I used that time to take a nap for the first few days. Some of the workshops that were offered by fellow participants included sculpting, spinning, natural farming, self-designed learning and sustainable-menstruation. There were also people using this time to play group games, take walks and have one-on-one conversations with each other.

Volunteering :

All the participants were also requested to volunteer every day for daily chores required to keep the place running. It included cleaning — utensils, washrooms and campus etc, helping with cooking and cutting vegetables, heating the water in the morning for baths etc. This created an excellent opportunity to not only engage in simple tasks but also a meaningful conversation with a fellow volunteer. On one occasion while washing utensils, I had a beautiful conversation with Rajat, who I knew from before, but had my assumptions about. Talking to him helped me realise that I knew very little about him and he was very different from what I thought. I think the same happened for him. I think doing things together is one of the most effective and meaningful ways to connect and know other people.

Evenings were again for the session which started at 4 pm and went on till 7:00 in the evening. There was a short tea break at 5:30. The dinner was served around 7:30 and it was also a time for conversations, music, and hanging out together. One evening we did a group singing session which went on for a full 1.5 hr.

Why did I decide to go for the Jeevan Vidya workshop?

I have always been asking myself and the world, the so-called existential questions. The questions around why we are here on the earth, what is the purpose of our lives, what are we doing, what is the right way to live, what is our role in society, and how to find happiness. I had my own answers as well as theories which I picked from others, books and my experience of life. I was also quite happy in my life and had everything that I wanted. What pulled me to the JV workshop was the hope to find a wealth of knowledge that can deepen my spiritual growth. Another reason was a dear friend, who I find very wise, and who attended JV a year back. She felt that JV brought her lot of clarity and believed that it will do the same for me. She also felt it will help me with my work and so I signed up.

I also believe that unseen powers are contributing in the happenings of our lives. As if someone or something places thoughts in our minds when something has to happen. One night, a month before this workshop, while working, I just randomly thought in my mind to check the Jeevan Vidya website. I found that there is a workshop scheduled for the next month, and registrations were open. Unfortunately, the dates were clashing with another work-related trip and a family function. Still, I felt such a deep desire in my heart to attend the workshop, that I applied for it. The workshop was oversubscribed and so I was waitlisted. But luckily, a day later, I got the confirmation. And when something is supposed to happen, everything works itself out. I reworked the dates of my other work trip such that I can take a week off for the JV workshop. There was also an event at home, clashing with the dates of the workshop, which again with the help of my spouse, I convinced our family to excuse me from.

What did I learn from Jeevan Vidya?

What Jeevan Vidya really did for me was tying up everything together. It helped me understand life in a very logical manner. It’s as if building a fort stone by stone. It connected all the pieces of life — our needs, our connections with each other, with society, and with nature, most importantly with ourselves. I felt as if I am learning mathematics, where once you understand the working principle, you can apply it everywhere else. It felt like I was handed over the fundamental principles of life.

And what makes it so wonderful was that it wasn’t some doctrine preached. It was more like proposals given which each participant was supposed to analyse in their mind using the scale of their understanding and lived experience.

What stayed with me long after the Jeevan Vidya workshop?

1. The Fabric of Society: everything that we see as the evils of society, all the crimes, corruption, abuse environmental and emotional, is something that is very slowly weaved into the fabric of the society. We all are an embodiment of it and are responsible for it. No one factor can be singled out as a cause for the way society is, but there is a logical sequence of actions and attitudes that lead us to where we are. And if we want a better society, we will have to tweak the fabric, and change those actions. There are multiple avenues to do that and one can pick any work, that they find interesting and have a talent for and can contribute in tweaking society.
2. Understanding — There are no programs specifically designed to build understanding (samajh). All humans are interested in Understanding and are seeking it. Everyone needs it. But we as a society didn’t create avenues that assist one in building understanding. We have created religious doctrines, philosophies, power structures, and innumerable lengthy volumes of knowledge. All this makes understanding of life seem like something that only a handful of people can have access to. If we create programs that offers understanding and allow one freedom to analyse and reflect on what is shared in the mirror of their own lived experience, there are plenty of people who would like to join. Also, building someone’s understanding is a huge piece of work and one should take up such a task very thoughtfully.
3. Absolute Confidence — A sense of confidence in self which is independent of what other people think of you. This is something really hard to achieve. We grow up surrounded by different labels. Some of them are considered good and others not so much. We end up associating ourselves very tightly with these labels and strive towards collecting all the so-called good labels. But the moment these labels are taken away, we feel like a fish out of the water. Imagine yourself stripped of all the degrees and accolades you have, and all other things that you think of as achievements in your life, how would you feel about yourself? If you can still feel happy about who you are, without any tag, without looking for any respect or recognition from anyone, that’s what is called absolute confidence. The opposite of absolute confidence is relative confidence. You can test for yourself whether your confidence is relative or absolute. Society, especially schools lay the founding stone for relative confidence and breaks absolute confidence which we all are born with. One can also test whether their lack of confidence is absolute or relative.
4. Simplicity — How things which we all need are so similar and easy to fulfil. Our body and mind have very limited needs and there are infinite ways to satisfy those needs. We in our lack of understanding complicate and mess up our lives.
5. Acceptance — We had an intergenerational group with individuals coming from different walks of life, with their own experiences, trials and tribulations. The level of understanding of each person in the cohort was very different. Proposals which seemed very obvious and instantaneously acceptable to some were not always easily acceptable for everyone. And because everyone had the freedom to ask as many questions as one has, it sometimes felt very frustrating. It felt like a waste of time when someone will continue a discussion on a concept which seems so obvious. But slowly, as the days passed, and the discussion deepened, I could see how questions, however trivial they may seem, actually aids in building the understanding of the entire group. I also learnt to accept different points of view, the confusions which people have and to keep an open mind.
6. Self- I understood what is self and how that is probably the only thing that we take with us after death. It gave me a sense of purpose, tools to design my life journey and most importantly, a clear why that dictates everything I do in life.

What got deepened?

1. A sense of community is felt when you share similar questions and struggles with others. The endeavour to find answers and opportunities to work and live together brings joy and a sense of belonging. The differences of opinion do not cause distancing of hearts when similar struggles binding one with another. Doing chores together, playing, conversations, music, OSTs, night walks, silent dining experience, each added towards people feeling like a community. And this sense of community enables people to open up, to share their deepest fears and anxieties. I had discussions as well as disagreements with so many people, but it was done with authentic intention to understand and not to prove a point, which is not a very common practice
2. Joy of Learning — I learnt to spin and sculpt. I learnt about different kinds of seeds. I learnt about the magical properties of bamboo. And I witnessed joy of sharing. The dedication and simplicity with which everyone facilitated their session made it such a lasting learning experience. Facilitation is very different from teaching where a teacher is trying to ensure that all learners reach some pre-thought milestone and is constantly evaluating their learning. Facilitation is about sharing your skills and helping someone in learning them, depending on their own pace and interest. It’s not forced and there are no fixed milestones to be achieved. It’s more focused on trying things out, knowledge creation and providing support as needed. And this makes all the difference. Then each learner supports the other, and it becomes an authentic and joyful co-learning experience.
3. Perspective — One of the most powerful gifts of an inter-generational cohort is the wide perspective it brings in. It allows you to look at an idea from the lens of diverse age groups, genders and thought processes. And if the theory stands true, after being tested through all these lenses, it proves the mettle/strength of that theory. Having striking conversations with a teenager, a 25-year-old wise woman, a 35-year-old mother, a 50-year old teacher and everything in between in a week, felt like living life at full throttle, with all vigour of life. It brought in so much perspective and social capital.
4. Spirit of Gift Culture — Another beautiful aspect of Jeevan Vidya is the way it is organised. It is organised in the spirit of the gift, which means that the opportunity to attend this workshop is a gift from the previous participants and the facilitator. There is no particular contribution required from any participant. And the facilitator of the workshop takes in no remuneration for conducting the workshop. At the end of the workshop, if you feel that you have benefited from the workshop and would like to contribute any amount so that more people can attend such a workshop, you are free to contribute in several ways as per your capacity and motivations. But you are not expected in any said or unsaid way to pay for the experience.

Left — Head Massage Express Right — Sculpting with Khaju

Post Jeevan Vidya — Back to the world

Shifts:

There are lots of shifts — tangible and intangible that came into my life after Jeevan Vidya. I started a square-foot-garden on my balcony, I started to cook our daily meals, I stopped eating packaged food, and I started making my bio-enzyme for cleaning. We also transitioned to wholesome and organic food. It has been quite interesting, but at the same time, there are a lot of gaps, quite a long path to still cover. But I see it as a beginning.

I could see my behaviour more objectively. I got more clarity on how I want to live my life and what work I want to do. Jeevan Vidya in a way drew the complete picture of the world, connecting the pieces of the puzzle, life seems to be. Thus, helped me see the game of life and brought in more excitement to play it.

Another interesting thing that happened was, I learnt to see myself somewhat as an outsider. And I could see how even after theoretically understanding a few things, I couldn’t practice them. For example compassion for people who throw you off, trying to keep a non-judgemental approach towards people, or balance in one’s emotions. And this realisation was so powerful, that it motivated me to bring in the practice of meditation in my life. I learnt Vipassana, which is a meditation practice that focuses on looking inside. It’s taught me to turn my vision inwards and to know through my own experience, the secrets of the universe. So what Jeevan Vidya gave was an objective understanding of life and Vipassana gave me a way to internalise that understanding.

Conflicts

There were also quite a few small tiffs that occurred after JV between me and my spouse. We couldn’t see them coming and thus couldn’t prevent them. They felt very trivial but they did impact us. We both felt not understood by each other. He felt that I have become too rigid. And I felt that I am being so flexible and still he is not seeing that. It was like what I would say and what he would hear were two different things. What was happening was we were seeing the world through different lenses. Both doing our best, but not being able to understand the ways of another.

In the longer run, it added to our growth. It created avenues for both of us to introspect. I realised that I need to bring in more listening and acceptance in me. I realised that the only thing I need to fix is myself. I was unknowingly doing something that all participants were very strongly warned against. I was trying to impose my understanding on both of us. We were told to apply what we learnt only to ourselves and not others. And even though verbally I never shared much about JV with my spouse, I was expecting him to understand all my actions and the changes I brought into our lives.

I was also finding it hard to internalise my learning. I thought doing meditation regularly might help and I signed up for an upcoming Vipassna course. And as I said before, the universe has its way of doing things, another Jeevan Vidya workshop was announced around the dates of my Vipassana workshop. My spouse felt like attending it and so I did my Vipassana and he did JV.

I was not sure if he would find JV as meaningful as I did. But to my surprise, he enjoyed it immensely. He also understood my past actions and we felt more aligned than ever before. For me, Vipassana helped me see my faults. One thing I realised is that we do a lot of emotional violence towards the people we love the most. With words, with innocent little comments, in our need to be heard, unknowingly we hurt our loved ones the most. I resolved to be more mindful of that.

It has been 8 months since I did my Jeevan Vidya. I have been meaning to write this piece for so long. There is so much we are applying in our lives every day, there is so much more we are not able to. But what has truly changed is understanding. There are still moments of despair, irritation at the state of the world, a sense of helplessness, conflicts and insecurities coming up time and again. I give up on my cravings for junk food at times. But I see my resolve getting stronger and my acceptance towards myself increasing.

Jeevan Vidya is one of the most meaningful things I did in my life. And I feel anyone and everyone looking for an objective understanding of the world should attend Jeevan Vidya workshop.

P.S 1 — There are several Jeevan Vidya facilitators across India and there is no one central body coordinating all the workshops. Each facilitator has their style and duration of the course. I did my Jeevan Vidya with Vinish Gupta.

P.S. 2 — To attend the Jeevan Vidya workshop by Vinish ji, you need to be referred by some previous participant. If you are reading this blog and would need a reference, do reach out to me.