Arun Dada

& US
MARCH 17 ~ MAY 11, 2019
CALIFORNIA
 Welcome to US
MARCH 17, 2019 • BANYAN GROVE

As we awaited Arun Dada and Jignasha’s arrival, there was an anticipation in me that I was about to meet an amazing, yet
humble, man. I had memorized some Gujarati — ­ “America ma svagata che” and “Tamne maline anand thaiyo.” After quite
a wait, we welcomed Arun Dada and Jignasha to the U.S. for their very first visit. They couldn’t miss us with the Earth flag
and Audrey’s “Welcome” sign in a font only she can do! After lots of pictures, some of Audrey’s homemade vegan cook-
ies, and hugs around, we were off to the car. Arun Dada was spry as a chick, as they say in the midwest. I could hardly
believe I was in the presence of someone who worked so closely with Vinoba. I had only read stories of Arun Dada. As
we walked, Arun Dada reached over and put his hand on mine as I was pushing the cart of luggage. I remember feeling
something special. It felt like a blessing, although without any forced intention. He just smiled. About that time I realized,
in all my excitement and anticipation, I completely forgot to introduce myself! We fixed that eventually. But me . . .
I’m just floating now, as I await his talk on Wednesday evening at the Kindness Temple. <3<3<3
~Bradley
With Mother Nature Awakin Circle
MARCH 19, 2019 • MARIN MARCH 20, 2019 • SANTA CLARA

Arun Dada’s gentle smile alone melted

me. He reminds me of the beauty I see
and feel when I’m out alone in nature
-- that ultimate unconditional, loving
presence and equanimity. On top of
his presence, his stories allow me to
feel the depth of devotion-led-service! I won’t forget hearing his story about asking his two-year old daughter to find out
I will forever remember his formula of “where is your fear in your body” and waiting with compassion and patience for her
service = effort divided by ego. to find it. And then having her let go of the fear into the water! ~Brinda Govindan

~Helen Kimura I’ve never been in a room with someone that embodies
fearlessness and gentleness like Arun Dada. ~Thu Nguyen
 Hugs with Pancho
MARCH 22, 2019 • OAKLAND

b st ac le s.
e all the o
will di ss olv
d re s p ect.
l LOVE ssion a n
itio na it h p a
Uncond yone equally w n R . M e hta
Serve ev
er ~Bhupe

 Circle of Sharing
MARCH 22, 2019 • BERKELEY

Thank you for sharing with us the simple insight that,

“I my life, I have learned that there is nothing to fear.”

~Colin Johnson
 River of Hope Peace Summit
MARCH 26-30, 2019 • REDDING

Vinoba said, ‘When I meet a landlord with many faults and shortcomings, his egotism
is like a wall. But he has a little door, a little goodness in his heart. When you are pre-
pared to find the door, you rise above your own egotism, and you enter his life. Don’t
worry about his faults; find the door.’ Arun Dada, what I have learned from you, just
by being in your presence, is how you see that door in each of us. And that has in-
spired me to realize: maybe I can begin doing the same.
~ Aryae Coopersmith
 Evening Before Gandhi Retreat
April 2019
APRIL 5, 2019 • BANYAN GROVE
m e. I w a s si fted and sorted
ned
a ’ s p re se n c e f o r two days refi t he didn’t say, how still he
run Dad id, but wha ried a river
Just being in A (little, humbly, simply) he sa and how true his smile. I c
t es
not just by wha nd externally, how clear his ey gs I needed to be emptied of.
a in
was, internally , and was emptied of many th
this past weeken
d
ed to b e a s I arrived at the ors.
need surviv
m e b ec o m e c loser to who I ht — to be with 700 crime r both
elped nig t fo
Arun Dada h k 2019 conference Sunday hen I held a mother who wep eyes of
ea w e
Survivors S p annel .0001% of who he is, as I looked with love into th hen he
ch e; w
I was able to d and for her incarcerated on wasn’t allowed to hug then e floor
hil I c
her murdered c w in San Quentin, someone ht in the free world, on a dan rst time
sa ig fi
someone I last , but who I could hug last n pared three survivors for their me was
re in
told me his story or crime survivors; when I p at .0001% of Arun Dada
f h
at a conference ig stage at that conference. T or a long time.
b f
speaking on the l thing I’ve felt inside myself
the most benefic
ia
en t, n o n ju d g m ental attention
ati
to A ru n D a da — for his p ay so I can be more liber-
ply grateful f my own w
And so so dee estions about how to get out o
u
to my endless q ted, of greater benefit. so
ated, more conn
ec
o d b y e f o r n o w , bowing down d.
go hea
to u c h in g h is feet as we said tation — my heart above my
emory of ul orien
Holding the m heart were in their more usef
nd
that my head a
S u ja th a Baliga
~

Your humble grace, presence, smile, overflowing love deeply moved and
touched me to my core; such an honor and blessing to be with your
beaming deep soul. I will never be the same.
~Mark Dubois
 Gandhi Retreat
APRIL 6-7, 2019 • BANYAN GROVE

Arun Dada taught me that to serve many people is good, but to serve just one
person without ego is infinite. 1/0 = infinity. I have thought about that every
single day. A new form of infinite energy from the split atom. Arun Dada’s very
being exuded love and was a vivid reminder that each of us are ‘enough’ — if
only we can approach each interaction and task with the love, humility, presence
and simplicity by which Arun Dada chops vegetables!
~Preeta Bansal
 Gita Circle
APRIL 8, 2019 • BANYAN GROVE

Arun Da
da is Sw
Action i a
n inactio rdharma perso
n. Embo ni
died Git fied!
a.
~Naren
Kini
 Awakin Circle
APRIL 11, 2019 • BAKERSFIELD

Being in Arun Dada’s presence is a beautiful reminder of the urgency to live our values
now, in every moment. There is no difference between this moment and that, so we
need to show up 100% with all our heart and unconditional love to serve in every
moment. His radical simplicity and deep lived wisdom is truly inspiring!
~Trishna
 Orland Bishop Awakin Circle
APRIL 12, 2019 • WATTS APRIL 12, 2019 • WEST LOS ANGELES

Dialogue heard from gathering:
Question: “What gives you hope in such times?”
Arun Dada: “Children”
Another Woman: “Well, I’ve been a kindergarten teacher most of my life.
(And I’m 96!) Kids definitely give me hope. They didn’t need to be taught
love. That’s just how we’re made.”
About 50-60 of us crammed into Pranidhi’s and Komnieve’s space, meditated and held
space around the topic of inner-transformation driven social change. Some of the stories
laid out a pretty high bar — “If it was 1:13AM and Vinoba accidentally woke in the middle
of the night, he would ask himself what time is it. If he was off by one or two minutes, he
would forgive himself. Otherwise, he would be worried that he’s losing his awareness.” The
collective vibe was so strong, that by the time Dada was closing with “May all be blessed”
chant, he spontaneously, and uncharacteristically, went into a follow-up Bengali chant —
May we find the strength to be free from all our knots. It was powerful. :)
~Circle Attendee
 Hindi Circle Livingstone Live!
APRIL 13, 2019 • DIAMOND BAR APRIL 13, 2019 • PASADENA

How much joy one gets from simply loving and giving.
Dada taught us so many things like how you defeat anyone with LOVE.

~Bharati Shah
~Maya Vishwakarma
 Center for Spiritual Living
APRIL 14, 2019 • VENTURA
Arun Dada asked everyone, “If you received the grace for asking for any boon from
God, what would you ask for?” After two minutes, he sang a poem by Roman Catho-
lic mystic who responded to that very question. You can’t feel the energy in the online
video, but people were in tears without even understanding the meaning. And then he
shared the meaning, which opened it up even more. By the end, when he realized we
only had two minutes left, he held silence to see if any words needed to be said. Pin
drop silence. By the end, no one could even applaud. We just waved our hands in the
air, to harmonize with the collective vibration, with an unspoken wish to pay it forward.
Mothers Circle
APRIL 18, 2019 • OAKLAND
Quote from the Circle
I remember an incident with my daughter when she was young -- she was about
1.5 years old. We were in Asaam, moving from one camp to another, doing the
Bhoodan Movement work. She was a very happy, carefree child, and in nature,
enjoying the rivers, the birds, the rich nature and the sun.
But when we got to camp, we would be busy, getting involved in work right
away, and she would try to get us to play with her. After observing this for a
week at a time (and longer), Vinoba commented, “Running one Bhoodan
Movement and raising a child is about the same amount of work.” :)
Then he thinks and changes his comment, “Actually the Bhoodan Movement
is probably easier, because it ends at 8PM and you go to sleep, whereas for a
mother there’s no rest at 8PM.”
 Teen Circle
APRIL 20, 2019 • SAN JOSE

In your effort to capture the moment, you interrupt

the natural flow and lose the beauty of it.

~Komal Desai
 Devotional Music Circle Talk at Heartfulness
APRIL 20, 2019 • CUPERTINO APRIL 21, 2019 • FREMONT

What stayed with me is Arun Dada’s consistency of practice Once we walked together in a narrow pathway, I asked him “after you” with respect,
of values. I will always remember the homework he gave me — Arun Dada said “together”. I witnessed his profound reverence on earth.
to be able to love like Sri Radha.
~Radha Ivaturi ~Jamie Kwak

The soulful music rendered by Arun Dada silenced my mind.

~Harini Senthilvasan
Gandhi & Social Change
APRIL 21, 2019 • PALO ALTO
Arun Dada really helped me to forgive. A criminal (or such
with whom we put labels) is only a criminal during the act
of a crime. With each passing moment, he/she is changing,
just like all of us. In that regard, we’re all the same.
~Helen Kimura
Wildlife Sanctuary
APRIL 25, 2019 • HALF MOON BAY
When asked whether people gave their land to Vinoba
because he was good or they were good, Arun Dada said,
“both were good... but Vinoba had faith that they were.”
~Michelle Long
 Deep U Retreat
APRIL 27-28, 2019 • BANYAN GROVE

Arun Dada’s wisdom is transparent in his kind eyes, beautiful smile and
gentle songs that carry energy to us. It is incredible, his power of love.

~Taria & “Coffee Man”

 City of Ten Thousand Buddhas
APRIL 29, 2019 • UKIAH

A memorable insight was: “You are only fearless when you

are not afraid of no one and no one is afraid of you.”

~Sophie Xue
11th grade, Developing Virtue Secondary School
at City of Ten Thousand Buddhas
 The Pollination Project Salon
APRIL 30, 2019 • MARIN
What I’ve learned from Arun Dada —
­
if fame finds you, surrender it.
If fortune finds you, share it.
If love finds you, embrace it.
If truth finds you, live in it.
~Harini Senthilvasan
Impromptu Circle
MAY 1, 2019 • SANTA CLARA
In Arun Dada, we see what emerges when we don’t think of accumulating,
transacting, or scaling — we arrive deeply in the present, serve with profound
simplicity, and smile in wisdom. You then don’t aim to change a country with
the power of law but by the law of love. You don’t sell your labor, but walk 6
kilometers to the nearest farm, give away your labor and walk back home for
another 6 kilometers. Life transcends greed and fear, and intellectualization of
meaning, purpose, or impact. You simply live, and such a life is a gift.
~Nipun Mehta
Stillness at the Pacific
MAY 2, 2019 • MARIN HEADLANDS

Sitting w
ith Arun
Pacific O Dada in
cean, w s
him say hile sun ilence on a cliff
ing, “Do , wind, w overloo
n’t resist, a aves, birds, king
ssist!” I remem the
ber
~Ari Ne
ssel
 Rachel Naomi Remen Circle
MAY 3, 2019 • CONCORD

How did you grow in virtue, someone asked him. And he replied, “Unknowingly.”
Mic Drop. And it was in English, with an American accent!
~Birju Pandya

When you investigate the nature of fear, you see that it is hollow. Nothing is there.

~Richard Whitaker
 One tim
e when s
and sha aying by
ring a h e
to Arun u g
Redding Dada ‘W , I said
again so e’l
on’. He r l meet
Ukiah ‘Inshalla ep
h’ — we lied
want an c
Nor Cal North Bay ything b an
happen ut
• Banyan Grove only if it it will
• Marin by God’s abides
will.

Nor Cal East Bay ~Payal K
• Berkeley hatwani
• Concord
• Fremont
• Oakland

Half Moon Bay

Nor Cal South Bay

• Cupertino
• Palo Alto
• San Jose
• Santa Clara

Bakersfield

Southern California
• Diamond Bar
• Pasadena
• Ventura
• Watts
• West Los Angeles

Arun Dada & US