Finding My Tribe

Stanly was part of the third batch of Swadharma. At present, he is teaching at an architecture college in Kerala. He is passionate about Philosophy, Art, Travelling, Photography, Literature. Below is the story of his journey through Swadharma:

I was always a loner throughout my adulthood and It was during this that a search started within me. To know what’s the meaning of this life, Who am I, What’s this all about. I joined architecture which was not really what I wanted to do (Parents divorce and pressure to take up a professional course made me take that decision) and all this time my mind was burning with questions which none of them seem to bother about in the “Normal world” where I belonged.

Search took me through science and spirituality. And Finally to the gateway to myself. I started working as an architect then joined as a teacher in an architecture school. I have been teaching for the last 3 years and I love it. But I felt a disconnect between this Inner calling and what I was doing every day. And It was during this time I read about Swadharma on Auroville’s Website.

What Swadharma mean to me is something which I am still not able to grasp. The meaning is becoming larger and larger every day. With each encounter that I have with other co-participants and mentors over the time. The course gave me a lot of insights into what I was searching for and who I Am. The biggest of all is the conviction that I can integrate What I do for a living and inner journey into one. I am taking tiny steps to that.

I would like to think of my Inner journey so far as a solitary wandering through a desert. People alway called me a lunatic and couldn’t see what I was searching for. And coming to Swadharma was like coming to an oasis, where I met a caravan of travellers to that land. There is singing and joy here. I met people who have travelled much ahead of me who could guide me there.

Swadharma is not a program which starts and ends in 5 weeks. It’s a lifelong journey and ever since I met all of you, there is joy in my heart for this connection that I was missing the whole time … I am so grateful to be part of this amazing tribe…