ORIENTATION

Rusheel Nayak

            We begin each morning by attending Swadhyaya at 6:00 A. M. where we practice Surya Namaskar (sun salutations), and meditate.  Also, we began the text We Must… by H.H. Swami Chinmayanandaji.  Today, we discussed the importance of perseverance to achieve success in life, and it was an excellent discussion.

            After breakfast, we met with Narenderji, who familiarized us with the projects currently active at CORD (Chinmaya Organization for Rural Development).  The main tenet of CORD is self-empowerment, or giving power to the people so that they can support themselves and improve their lives.  Originally, CORD started as a training center in rural Sidhbari (Himachal Pradesh in North India) for nurses, but it soon expanded under the guidance of Dr. Kshama Metre to encompass all parts of village life.  In 1985, CORD Sidhbari began their most important project: the Mahila Mandal (women’s empowerment group).  Before the Mahila Mandal, women’s issues were only discussed in hushed tones in private quarters, but this program has taken great strides to achieve gender equality.  After the founding of this program, other programs such as self-help groups, micro financing, and improved agricultural techniques were installed in the villages.  This session was informative as well as interesting for all of us.  Based on our  discussions with Narenderji, we decided to work with the Mahila Mandals (women's empowerment groups), the Yuvti Samuhs (adolescent girl's groups), the Balavihar children, and the Community Based Rehabilitation sector.

            After this session, we went to Mcleodganj. Because it was our first excursion outside of the CORD center, it was fun to explore the city that is so vastly different from any American city. After fleeing from China, the Dalai Lama settled in Mcleodganj.  It was very interesting to see his residence and to get a sense of the strife he has been through since Tibet was overtaken by China. His story made me reflect on the discussion we had during Swadhyaya about the value of persistence and determination. Despite the great mountain of obstacles that stood before him (literally-Himalayas), the Dalai Lama was able to successfully remain the head of the Buddhist community.

            After seeing the monastery, we went to a Devi Temple where, according to mythology, Arjuna, from the Mahabharata, did tapas (deep meditation) in the surrounding scenery.  After an eventful day, we returned to the CORD center. 

Sonali Nayak

Today was our first official day as CORD volunteers, so it was great exploring the center and making friends among the other volunteers. I learned about the CORD’s mission to empower the villagers, which was incredibly inspiring and interesting. So much work is done by all the dedicated CORD workers, and it is hard to truly comprehend the positive affect CORD has had on the rural villages of India. Back in the flat, it was very difficult to resist succumbing to jet lag, and I enjoyed a two hour nap.

Meera Parat

Behind the temple, there was a river flowing down through the rocks. This was a beautiful sight, special to the Himalayas! The water was cool and refreshing!

Gowtham Raja

We woke up bright and early (come to think about it, it wasn’t so bright) to do Swadhyaya under the instructions of Kusum Didi. This was my first real day at CORD, so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was a delightfully enjoyable experience. We began by doing Surya Namascar, an ancient yoga technique that is performed as the sun rises. This marked the beginning of quite an intriguing day. Later, we met with Narenderji as he discussed the values that CORD embraced in their rural development programs and asked us what personally motivated us to join CORD in their mission to develop communities within India. After this session, the jetlag hit and when the group went to Mcleodganj I embraced a beautiful subtlety of human life: sleep!

The CORD Center

CORD center this way

The Dalai Lama's Residence

The entrance to the CORD center