"letters" Archive

Chapter: Next

June 21, 2000

Friends,

The life of every person is a diary in which he writes his own story. As such, the story is clearly etched in depths of our hearts but it just takes a lot of courage to continue listening to it.

I am going on an indefinite leave from Sun to dedicate myself to service, as you might (not) have heard. To live simply, love purely, and give like the rose gives its perfume -- unconditionally and effortlessly -- is the task that lies in front of me. Beyond that, I have no aspirations, goals, or pursuits.

I am off to write the next chapter of my life understanding one thing: your life is your message. I have learned a lot from so many of you. Thank you. Thank you for being a part of this journey.

Nipun

P.S. If you're interested, here are a few links:

*** Article in San Jose Mercury News (6/20, front page SV Life)

*** Recent talk on the 'Spirit of Service' published by AHIMSA

*** My home page, some projects that I'm involved with, etc.

by Nipun Mehta on Jun 21 '00 | add comment | permalink | more 'letters'

CNN Experience

Sep 4, 2000

Friends,

I'm glad that many of you were able to catch the CNN interview and thanks for all your encouraging comments (for those who missed it and wanna see the tape, lemme know). As you might imagine, I've been inundated with LOTS of emails, but I will try to get to the personal emails as I can. Many of you are wondering about my feedback so here it is ...

So, one random thing after another, CNN International invited me on their show. I said "sure" and agreed to go on. Of course, two mins into the show, Riz plugs his next show and mentions how the President of Rwanda will be on tomorrow's show and India's prime minister next week! I really got a good laugh, wondering how in the world I ended up here. It was my first live gig and 1/2 hour on CNN is quite a long time, as I know now. :-)

The interview went off really well, judging from the hundreds of responses from over 15 countries across the globe and a lot of your responses; it seemed like it hit a chord in many hearts. The weirdest thing was that I was in San Francisco, looking at a camera with a SF setting in the background; all the viewers could see me but I only got an audio feed! Since the show was live for South Asia, there were questions from Nepal, Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, and so forth. Some asked about what was important for me, how I got started, others asked me how I thought my brother was so inspirational for me, how my parents were taking all this, what I thought of the Silicon Valley, what I'm planning on doing now, and so on. It was actually fun and somehow I wasn't nervous at all. In the end, though, it's pointless to get a high off this stuff since it's all very transient. The joy is in the moment. :)

Oh, and another thing -- before the show they can put makeup on you (that would've been a funny first!) but fortunately, they didn't think it was necessary. And perhaps the biggest lesson was when Viral and I were driving down to the show -- the engine just sort shut off on the freeway! Murphy's law. :-) But we were both sitting there on the side of freeway, knowing very well that I could miss the show. But also knowing that life is about change, we just sort of kicked it and enjoyed the moment. Before the show, I was a bit in awe of CNN's millions of viewers but this event somehow snapped me into the moment; I was going on the show to be of service, as an instrument and not for myself ... if I didn't make it, that was fine too. As it turned out, my Dad jammed to the scene and since it was Labor Day, there was zero traffic, and we made to the CNN studio in SF in good time.

As you can imagine, we're receiving hundreds of emails from many many people wanting to volunteer, many wanting to open various chapters across the world, others who need help, ... and of course, many personal emails which will take till the end of the month, assuming they stop sometime in the next few days. Let's see ... these two emails probably give a good summary of the response:

"Most of all I was warmed to see the natural confidence and simplicity with which you expressed the importance of inner change. Wishing you ever more strength, light and peace." -- Rajni B.

"I am a complete stranger to you but in a moment of boredom I happened to switch on the telly to Riz Khan's Q&A last night and couldn't help but be deeply moved and impressed by what i saw and heard. Let me apologize at the outset for this intrusion of your private space - but I feel compelled to pen my thoughts and share them with you nonetheless. Apart from your deep sense of compassion and infectious enthusiasm, your message is a powerful one" -- Nikhil

All in all, I felt like I maintained the the spirit of service. Don't know if the outcome was good or bad but that doesn't matter, so long as efforts to be in the spirit of selfless service were sincere.

We'll be in touch,

Nipun

P.S. If you're interested, here are some more quotes ...

by Nipun Mehta on Sep 4 '00 | add comment | permalink | more 'letters'

India Trip

December, 2000 (email)

Dear friends,

I am currently travelling through South India, in the spirit of service. Not knowing anyone in many these towns, it is rather amazing to see life manifest itself in so many different ways -- quite honestly, it all seems like a miracle.

In Bangalore, I had a high fever but with 5-8 meetings scheduled everyday, I decided to forget about my rest requirements. :) Right after my meetings ended, I hit 104 degree fever and couldn't go on further. Fortunately, I was staying with a very loving family and they took great care of me. They called the doctor, etc. and insisted that I cancel my plans for the next 3-4 days. However, I was fine the next morning to continue the tour of service. :)

I have visited many places and met all sorts of people. At times, it seems that an open question raised in a meeting will be answered in the following meeting. So much so, that I even met the CEO of a 22,000 person company in a car ride, we spoke for a few minutes and he insisted that we meet the next day. But as such, I don't really have any mission to accomplish or any serious question to answer. The only help one can provide to the world is to be an example of compassion in each moment. Its effects aren't really measurable and that's the beauty of it. :)

One of the places I ended up in was the city of Coimbatore. I had thought that I'd be tired and had a few days to relax but I wasn't really tired, so I decided to visit Coimbatore. Someone booked my tickets but an hour before my trip, I still had no idea where I was going to stay and/or who was going to pick me up at 3 AM! :) I was a bit worried but then realized the folly of my insecurities ... I continued to work on myself. As it turned out, in saying goodbye to a family, they insisted that I stay at their guest house and made ride arrangements. In my two days in the city, through a series of seeming coincidences, I was asked to address an assembly of MBA students ... there were lots of students there, in a huge hall, but it just didn't matter. I was just being myself, with or without the crowd, and that was all that mattered. Faculty and students are coming together to start a CharityFocus chapter there.

And one thing after another, it all continues ... many folks have started CharityFocus chapters, educational institutions are keen on using the CF model to incorporate service in their curriculums, many industry leaders have given a blank check of support and so on ... but really, these outcomes aren't of much significance. The most powerful are perhaps the personal connections, sometimes even for just a few moments and sometimes in silence. The other day, I met a random German guy and after a rather involved talk about life, I gave him a book that I was carrying as gift for another friend. Go figure. :-)

I was in a train, couple days back, and noticed that I was stationary and the world outside the window was constantly changing. My trip seems to be much the same way. I am not very fascinated by things on the outside and I feel like I am at home everywhere. Life is always renewing itself in each moment and I'm learning to let go of my goggles of self interest and enjoy the miracle as it unfolds ...

The journey continues within,

Nipun

P.S. There are many many stories that I can write about but I will try to put some in the next update and hope to toss up some daily thoughts on a website too ...

by Nipun Mehta on Dec 4 '00 | add comment | permalink | more 'letters'

Jefferson Award

Hi all,

I thought I'd throw in a random note to say hello. :) I've noticed that out-of-town trips seems to be good excuses to write, so here goes ...

Just returned from a heartfelt trip to the East Coast. As you may know I received the American Jefferson Award recently; while I wasn't the National award winner, it was a huge honor to be the California winner and to be in the company of great hearts. Things were quite exquisite/grand in D.C. and I met many "famous" folks there (some just for the photo-op :)). I also got a chance to address the crowd in my acceptance speech, which seemed to hit a chord with many folks there.

On paper, CharityFocus is about web-stuff but when people have that one-on-one interaction, they see the strength of inner-change and really grasp the value of the instrument. Had many great connections there ... I met a plumber who helps seniors with free plumbing during his free time; a 60 year-old guy volunteering with plumbing skills isn't all that "hip" but he's definitely an everyday hero who was in the spirit of service wherever he was. After our brief interaction, he put his hand on my shoulders and said, "Bless you son". I felt lucky. Met this other African American woman who started a school for underprivileged after a "vision" got her to quit her corporate job; without even discussing it, we knew what each other meant by "service" and at the end of our 15 minute conversation, she was crying. She said she was overjoyed. So was I.

In humid New York, I stayed at a friend's house whom I had met twice before. His hospitality was touching; he did stuff that he wouldn't think I'd notice but I did and was very thankful. To top it off, he slept on the couch as he insisted I sleep on the comfortable bed in his room. What can I say? "Thank you. Nice to meet you the third time also."

On the way to a meeting one day, I ran into an old guy selling greeting cards; it seemed that no one was giving him much attention, so I stopped and said hello. He was really excited and started telling me about the cards that he had made by hand. I told him I'd buy one of his favorites, although I had no use for it. He starts pointing to a bunch of them, confusing himself, and then innocently saying, "Buy 10, it'll be cheaper". I said OK and asked him to pick 9 of them. I picked one which read "Make Today Special". While he wrote the bill, I signed the card. Right before leaving, I gave him the card. Stunned, flabbergasted and at a loss for words, he managed to say, "Oh ... Oh ... that's incredible." We parted ways. If I didn't have a meeting in 15 minutes, I would've sat on the sidewalk and cried my heart out.

So what I am up to these days? I'm practicing and learning what I wrote in the card to my old friend -- "Keep smiling" ...

If you have nowhere to go, you have everywhere to belong.

Keep smiling,

Nipun

by Nipun Mehta on Jun 4 '01 | add comment | permalink | more 'letters'

Bonjour From Geneva

Dear Friends,

In Uruguay, tribes gather in the evenings, at the beach. As the sun goes down, they clap and rejoice in the simple pleasures of their lives.

That's one of the things I learned this week, at the World Youth Conference in Geneva (Switzerland). Maybe you'd expect to pick up things like that at a gathering of folks from 80 different countries but I certainly didn't expect to hear a first hand experience of it.

So yes, once again, I'm using one of my trips as an excuse to say hello to all of you :) ... hello! Hope you are doing great. All's well here.

I started my trip with a couple days in New York. Met lots of people in a short time, experienced 100% humidity in NY, an afternoon in Central Park with some falafels and good company, and ... spent the first night with five friends in one small room, second night by the water front in Jersey, third in the airplane and fourth in a Geneva hotel. :) When traveling in the spirit of service, you go where the wind blows.

Geneva, of course, is quite a place -- home of the United Nations, Red Cross, WHO and chocolate, cheese and French speaking people. :) Things are very expensive and supermarkets have an entire floor dedicated to chocolate varieties!

After hearing Kofi Annan's message (he wasn't there, though) in the opening ceremonies of the conference, it was no surprise that we were in one of the big-whig conference rooms -- fancy chairs, personal microphones and headphones, simultaneous translations, you name it. The only problem was that I had to speak on the first day, addressing the whole crowd! :)

It was a bit intimidating at first since I was the youngest speaker and was feeling like 4AM due to my jet-lag. :) But by the time it was my turn, I reiterated to myself why I'm doing this and rolled through with a spontaneous talk. I think I woke them up so there was good applause in the room. :) Kids (16-32) asked me to teach in their schools, gave me their "best speaker" awards, insisted on taking pictures with me and so on. Kids! :) It was a good connection, actually. I didn't make any mention of CharityFocus or anything I'm involved with and that only reinforced the message of my talk -- service. All my workshops (technology, violence) were over capacity and left folks pretty inspired too. I'm glad I went.

Of course, then there's the Matrix underneath the surface. :) Got to hang out with some nuns as well as UN leaders, joined group meditations and late night chill-out sessions with youth, ran into a German mystic along with nonprofit leaders, did some random acts of kindness and was almost taken for an attempted robbery. :) Many lessons learned.

In my first workshop, I met Antonijia from Croatia. She managed to get to Geneva but her bags got lost along the way. For most of us, it's no biggie; we'll go out and get some more clothes, shoes and toothbrushes. But that wasn't an option for Antonijia. She borrowed stuff and got by. As she was describing this in her not-so-fluent English, she came to an epiphany of sorts that broke all barriers of language: "Jou know, I realize someting right now -- I'm much more dan my bags."

Indeed. Much more than our bags.

On the third day, her bags had somehow arrived. I jokingly told her, "Right on time." She smiled with a simple glowing face. I probably won't see her again but I will think of her everytime I see my 'bags'.

As the sun goes down, they clap and rejoice in the simple pleasures of life.

In simplicity of the heart,

Nipun

by Nipun Mehta on Oct 2 '02 | add comment | permalink | more 'letters'

That Time of the Year Again

It's that time of year again. My mom's birthday. :) This year, I sent out a note to a few friends:

Today, April 21, is my mom's birthday. If you'd like to say a few words, email her (Harshida, aka "CF mom") or call her up if you know her phone number. :)

Thousands and thousands have received from my mom and it's impossible to ever repay her open-ended kindness. But just knowing that someone like her exists, makes me smile.

I guess Viral and I are the luckiest ones because we've been receiving my mom's gifts from the day we were born, when sheintroduced us into the world with sacred words of the Gita.

Like my mom, may everyone find the true joy of service ...

Within minutes, my mom calls me and says, "What did you do? I am getting so many heartfelt emails ... I even cried at my work! Did you tell anyone about my birthday? You know we're not into birthdays." I told her about the email I sent but that, "It's not so much about you or your birthday. Rather, it's a way for people to express gratitude for the kindness they have received from you."

When you become conscious of what you receive, giving comes a little easier.

There were so many emails but here's one from "supa-Mark" in Iowa that capture the sentiment of thankfulness ...

Namaste Auntie-ji,

What to say, what to say... I feel so lucky to have stumbled upon your family and the spirit embodied therein. In such a simple way you point clearly to the higher possibilities inherent in selfless service and the largest possible embrace of family.

This one mostly greedy and self-centered Iowan would like to thank you from the realms of what is real, uncovered and connected in me for shining the light of love on all those who pass through the doors of your warmest of homes. Just how many folks are spread out across our planet tonight that have been blessed to sample the heavenly khanna prepared by your hands and continue to feel the deep satiation derived from true soul food? My guess is that they number in the thousands and sparkle like so many fireflies on a summer's night.

May the candles on your cake symbolize the love so many of us feel insufficient to express.

Oh, how I miss that bhel and aloo paratha, but so much more so the smiles!

Happy Birthday!

by Nipun Mehta on Apr 21 '04 | add comment | permalink | more 'letters'

First World Vs. Third World

A reader of this blog send me a nice note, urging me also to consider working in developing nations over first-world countries like the US. I responded with this:

India has a lot more need than the US, but ultimately all these things we provide help to are symptoms. In my experiments with life, to find the seed for all this grief in the world, I have noticed that a component of the cause always resides within myself. Whenever I serve, whenever I act without wanting anything in return, I liberate myself from the ignorant delusion of the ego and illuminate some of that freedom to the collective.

From that perspective, it doesn't matter where you serve but it is of paramount importance that you serve. And whenever you serve, the universe most certainly responds. I leave it to the universe to create conditions where my service may have a utilitarian purpose also.

by Nipun Mehta on Sep 8 '04 | add comment | permalink | more 'letters'

Tigers Updates

Every month that I'm running CharityFocus, I write an internal newsletter called 'Tigers Update'.

From the April Tigers Update:

Guri and I were to invited to a conference recently. It was quite fancy with many world-class speakers; at lunch, a gentleman on a wheelchair asks me, "You are a speaker? But you are so young. What are your credentials?" I don't have a graduate degree, no major awards, no high rollin' bank accounts, no books that are displayed in conference hallways. Yes, I did start an organization but you know, its annual budget is $7000 after seven years of operation! So that's exactly how I opened my talk -- "I'm just an ordinary guy, I have no original content, no letters postfixed to my name, no fancy accolades, nothing. But I stand here in front of you to dialogue with your presence."

The talk rocked for exactly the same reason that CharityFocus rocks -- we have no agenda.

And from the latest May Tigers Update:

Last month, the CEO of Google.org ($1.2 billion fund) replies to the weekly thought and asks for a paragraph describing CharityFocus. I opened with, "Three pillars of our guiding principles are: (a) we are all volunteers, (b) we don't fundraise, (c) we believe in doing small things." He tells me later on that he needed to explain CharityFocus to the Google.org Board! Why? "Just because," he says with a wry smile. :)

Just because. That could be the new CharityFocus slogan. No ifs, ands, buts, whys. Just because.

by Nipun Mehta on Jun 16 '06 | add comment | permalink | more 'letters'