November 9th. Ammucare is 7 years old. While our memory gently takes us back to the beginning of Ammucare, in Delhi, right now – our annual blanket distribution is happening in full swing. Ammucare began in 2003 even though the thoughts behind Ammucare began in 2001. I had no plan to set up any charity organisations. This was not part of my conscious agenda. Nature made it happen. Nature nourished it. Nature keeps it alive.
It was one lazy evening. I was sitting in the banks of Ganga in the Himalayas, along with Swami Govindananda. We were silent, lost in our own world. Suddenly, Swamiji’s words jerked me back into the present. “What do you do for a living?” As I was enjoying my silence and non-compulsion for any speech, I almost brushed off that question with minimal words. I said, “Business”. He was staring into my eyes. He said, “You will be successful in whatever you do. But, do something for the children of mother earth…You will have eternal peace”. Now I was fully in the present. Those words hooked into me just like a hook pierces the inside of the fish. It remained as a task. This was like a thorn that got stuck into my flesh as a task. It ached. It was unclear for me. In fact, everything was unclear. What am I supposed to do? What can I actually do at all? As night fell, we parted.
While walking back to the ashram, the words “children of mother earth” kept ringing in my mind. Ammu passed away, leaving a big vacuum in my life, on August 23rd, 2000. As soon as I came back to Dubai after this incident, I lost my job. I got another one and I relocated myself to Oman. I was still under the influence of the deep sorrow and vacuum which Ammu left behind. I kept pondering… “children of mother earth”…. There are many organisations doing so many things for children. Many in the world. The world does not need another one. Should I associate with some existing organisation and do something for the children? Nothing seemed complete. There was something missing. I could not find what I was looking for. What exactly was I looking for?
I started communicating about these aspects with my close friends, through a Yahoo Group called Mohans Friends. many suggested forming a new one. I was wondering how to go about it. I do not have much money in hand. The existence was more or less hand to mouth. I did not have enough support to start a new set up. All my friends were working people, like me. Our time was limited. What can we do?
At this point in time, two realizations happened to me. One was that – children of mother earth mean, all the beings that mother earth delivers and nurtures; and human beings are just one of them. We should take care of all the plants, birds, animals, humans and the environment. All that is moving and not moving are part of the mother earth. They are all her children. This was a big eye-opener. The second realization was that most of the organisations have a vested interest. They amass huge funds and use them for private causes. Some are bound by religions and some are bound by powerful people of the society. In both cases, it is not unconditional. I realized that charity that creates dependency is not charity at all. Our aim should be to liberate people. Our efforts should nullify guilt and fear in people and eradicate dependency. My thoughts and aim started becoming clear and loud.
I decided to form an organisation that needs no membership fees and no compulsory payments of any kind. We decided that nothing should bind anyone to anything. We are born free. We should not allow our mind to imprison ourselves. Thus, Ammucare was launched on Diwali day in 2003. Many well-wishers said that without any payments, it will not survive. It survived. Ammucare worked as a platform for expressing compassion. Many people got benefited. Many people came forward and used this platform. Yet, none were bound to it. Ammucare survived many storms over the years. Many people came and left, as is common with any organisation. Many stayed. All were benefited. Everyone took home fond memories. Everyone’s life got enhanced, one way or the other. Ammucare elevated all. Every year, we distributed blankets to the poor old in slums of New Delhi and suburbs. The joy of giving was felt and inhaled by men, women, and children. The joy of purity of action was also inhaled deeply by all. Thus, Ammucare became a global family.
In 2003, ACT Foundation was also registered in Dubai. This was an expression of commitment by Anand Nair, Shankarji, Jay, Jyothi, Ramdas, Anup, and others. They did a lot of charity over the years. Starting from providing aid to a burnt up labor camp, till Lebanon war, ACT was one of the most organised and effective charity platforms ever existed in Dubai. The recession and the associated relocation of many people brought its activity to a minimum level. This was also because all the ACT members were serving voluntarily. There was no paid staff to run the show.
Now, ACT Foundation is gearing to go global. It is looking for a base in Europe to establish and branch out. Biljana and team are working hard for that. Everything that ACT does is free of cost. Everything is charity. From the meditations to elevate the consciousness of people to the physical assistance to the poor and helpless, every act is completely selfless. ACT is operating on various levels. It is touching many souls positively. We say “At least one positive ACT a day” will help cleanse our accumulated karma and make us lighter. We do not believe in caste, creed, country barriers, community barriers, color barriers, and any other man-made barriers. We believe in the children of mother earth and stand to help the helpless. We are visitors of earth. Earth is a temporary home for us. We are liable to pay the rent. The only rent possible is the sincere expression of compassion and love – through helping the helpless children of mother earth. Unless we pay the rent, a smooth exit from here is impossible.
The soul behind ACT is AMMU, the kind soul that walked the earth for only a few months less than 5 years. The potential and power of a soul can only be recognized when that soul continues to exist and serve and elevate the children of mother earth, through many other bodies, after it leaves its original body. Ammu continues to express tangible love and compassion through all the activities of ACT. This is the sure sign of a high and elevated soul.
ACT will grow because you will grow and evolve. ACT has to grow. The world needs ACT. The world needs you. You are ACT. ACT is you. There is no difference. ACT is the external expression of your inherent compassion. ACT is LOVE. You are LOVE. Understand that our true nature is unconditional love. We cannot hurt anyone. Hurting anyone is not our true nature. Our very nature is that of delivering spontaneous assistance without expectations. This is you and this is ACT. ACT your true nature – you will attain everlasting peace. ACT is not an organisation. It is the third level in the chronology of creation – thought, word and action. You cannot live without action. Lack of action is equal to death. All living beings do ACT. So, ACT out compassion. ACT out unconditional LOVE. Do more for the children of mother earth. With the support of an organisation or without, be spontaneously kind and compassionate. Express yourself fully and completely. You are expressions of the Lord Almighty, and you are embodiments of kindness and love.
Lets ACT….. at least one positive ACT a DAY. Do it for yourself, not for anyone else. No ACT of compassion is sufficient in today’s world. Do more. You will reach the highest bliss state.
God bless all
Love
M
