Seva Cafe at urban ashram
What is Seva Cafe?
“Seva Cafe” as the name suggests is an experiment with service(seva).
It is built around an idea of experiment in generosity. Imagine a restaurant where you eat your meal and pay for the person who is going to have meal after you.
This experiment was started 10 years ago in Ahmedabad where seva cafe is run on the pay-forward basis through out the year. We do it in our cities once in few months to experience joy, love and compassion of the receiver and the giver. This time it happened in urban ashram, Pune. Around 70 guests and 20 volunteers joined in this lovely experience of serving and receiving abundance of love, laughter, hugs and of course food.
I was blown away by the energy of the volunteer’s and the amount of efforts they had put in from the day before. It was because of these rockstar volunteer’s the serving started on time, inspite of the scorching heat of April. Love and joy of guests, warmth of the hosts certainly took the sun heat away.
Sounds crazy & illogical? What if the amount you paid for them is more or less than their bill?
Well, the idea still does not connect with me?
Well, probably because the value is attached to the price tag of the food. Food in the restaurant has always come with a price tag. Remove the transaction part and we will see all the love behind the idea of ‘Seva cafe’. If we treat the food just as food, the money being contributed will ultimately be receipt of the happiness signed by accepting the service. If I look at this as a transaction of love and joy I will never worry about amount that I paid-forward, I will never worry about whether it will be enough to take care of the next person’s meal. That is what my take on the whole idea of seva cafe is.
Still if one needs to know, the contributions received are paid forward for hosting the next seva cafe, in a similar way as the earlier seva cafe contributions took care of this one. Losses if any, are generously taken care by anonymous kind hearts.
I am trying hard to share one instance that touched me because it wasn’t one particular instance. It was the whole experience that moved me. Why would someone from Ahmedabad (15 hrs away from Pune) come to cook and serve lunch? Why would a family drive from 200 kms away to volunteer and experience ‘Seva Cafe’. In what logical way does it make sense? Well, it does in the same logical sense when you decided to go meet your loved one just to see a smile on their face, it makes sense in the same logical way when you felt like surprising your mother on her birthday by travelling 500 kms for one day. For me, all these things are love and compassion bound and no logic or analysis can bring me joy as this does. I am grateful and thankful to everyone who made this experience an unbelievable for me! :) Thank you very much.
In the end I want to leave you all with a small piece of a conversation I was a part of during ‘seva-cafe’ with 2 guests.
Guest1 : Why is the lunch being hosted for people who have enough? Why can’t we feed the poor?
Guest2: Well, from what I understand it may not be just about food. It looks much more than it, look at the smile everyone has on their face. It’s something more than food. Its love and affection they have. I am overwhelmed by the experience and I might serve food to a stranger someday just to experience the joy.
G1 : Well, that does make sense, this does look about something more than food. I got connected to so many like minded people. What if we get connected to more and more so much so that one day the hunger for everyone is taken care of!
G2: Exactly, I think that’s the whole point!
Me : Blown Away Big Smile :D :D