Paunar Mitra Milan

Vinobaji set up the Brahma Vidya Mandir Ashram, commonly known as the Paunar Ashram in 1959 for women to practice inner transformation. He spent the last 13 years of his life in this Ashram and initiated collective meditation practices and the practice of a self-sustainable life (Kaanchan Mukti). The Ashram is by the devotion and love of around 36 nuns.Vinobaji would often insist to celebrate his death anniversary instead of his birthdays.

Each year a 3-day gathering – Matri Milan, is organized in the same spirit around his death anniversary. The gathering hosts around 400 friends from all places who are aligned with the values of Vinoba and Gandhi. We were introduced to the

Paunar Ashram six years back by Gopal dada. This year we were given the opportunity to make the sanitation arrangements for this event. Gopal dada, a dozen volunteers and Sureshbhai marched in the space all charged with a deep sense of love and gratitude for this pure land. With the positive spirit of the volunteers we took the responsibility of the overall cleanliness of the campus and toilets; ambience with wisdom art; providing hot water for bathing etc. The volunteers worked day and night. They would jokingly say to the Gandhian elders to pardon their grown beard, as they did not have time to shave.It was a great spirit of service and our minds were sparked of with many ideas and we also got spaces to implement them.

The theme for this year was Maitri – friendship. We all volunteers were reflecting on the word – Maitri and thought that listening to each other’s stories deepens friendship. He suggested having everyone share in a circle rather than having few speakers. 400 powerhouses broke into 6 big groups forming giant circles. It was beautiful to hear each persons sharing. Powerful connections were built amongst people as everyone found out about everyone and deeper friendships were made.

Vinobaji would say to work from a mental makeup of Giftivism instead of activism. Sureshbhai set up a kindness table in the same spirit, where products were offered without a price tag and it was for the person to choose how much they wanted to offer from their heart. It was for the first time for most of the people to experience something like this. Everyone was so happy about the experiment and was received whole-heartedly. It was such a beautiful experience for the team to receive blessings from the Gandhian elders for this experiment in kindness. Not only people gave more than what we would have received if it had been only on a transaction basis but also friendships were established and so many beautiful stories were shared as the narrative changed.

Gopal dada was our constant inspiration through all these days. He was an 85 years young volunteer. Each day we would sit through circles for reflections and bring stories and values of Vinoba. He lived each day with the inspiration from Vinobaji. When someone asked him if he would want to go to the Vinoba Kutir he said that I don’t need to go there as Vinoba is in me. Gopal dada fell sick and was hospitalized. He was in constant prayers to god to delay his death by a day so that the Matri Milan gets over peacefully. He passed away on the next day early morning at 2 am. 

My self suresh had spent long years with Gopal dada’s fills his heart with so much gratitude and kindness just by his sublime remembrance.

My self sureh shared whenever he would think of Gopal dada’s sublime presence, his heart would be filled with so much kindness and gratitude.