Last week after our Wednesday meditation at BloomBars we experienced the collective joy of celebrating John Chambers’ birthday, which passed on February 26^th.
           

 John is the chief gardener of BloomBars and it’s because of BloomBars that we have been able to hold a space every Wednesday for meditation and reflection.  As a special gift of gratitude, we decided to gather wish cards for John from the Wednesdays and Service Space groups in DC, New York, and San Francisco. Wishes were expressed from his long time friends, friends he just met, and the wider circle of friends he has yet to meet. As we all opened our eyes after the hour of silence, there was a surprise vegan cake sitting in the center of the circle. The best part was seeing John’s surprise!

We were all eager to hear more about John’s journey after the Wednesday reading. At first the Wednesday reading made us all sort of laugh since upon initial reflection, it seemed to contradict the idea of celebration. 

“There is no misery when there is no want.  Desires are bound by the laws of success and failure. The great secret of true success, of true happiness, then, is this: the man who asks for no return, the perfectly unselfish man, is the most successful.” (Swami Vivekananda , “The Secret of Work”)

Silas jokingly commented, “Well, John, don’t ask for anything on your birthday!” Sujata brought up the example of Karma Kitchen, and how she has noted a subtle, yet significant shift in her interactions with people by being a core volunteer there over the past two years.  Every Sunday, the constant giving to individuals that she might never meet again has cultivated a sense of “no expectations.”  She one of the core volunteers of Karma Kitchen DC and she gives just to give but in this dance, she has received so much more in the form of humility and unconditional loving kindness. 

The conversation naturally turned to John.  He gives unconditionally every single day and I sometimes wonder whether John is a host or a guest.  He has opened the doors of BloomBars to anyone that is interested in blooming through creative expression and if you glance through the BloomBars calendar, you will see that he is constantly hosting one activity or event after another.  But John, in all of his humility and generosity, as always said that BloomBars is not his (even though he has invested his life into it). 

“I don’t own BloomBars. It’s everybody’s. It belongs to anyone who wants to take part in this experiment of giving and the deepening of our human bond through artistic expression in all of its forms.”  So, as part of the BloomBars community, he should feel like he just as much a guest as anyone else that is inspired to walk into the purple building.  In other words, shouldn’t the “you” part in the BloomBars theme, “You Bloom, We Boom,” apply to John as well? 

Reflecting on Swami Vivekananda’s writing, while we should give without any expectations of receiving, as the example of Karma Kitchen illustrated, there is this natural dance that develops as a result of not expecting anything back…in this dance, everyone is giving and receiving and we’ve lost track of who is doing what….and this is what creates the joy, this is what differentiates a gift based economy from a transaction based economy.

Silas took the initiative to ask John outright, “Have you ever felt like walking away from BloomBars for a month or two?  I’ve seen your calendar….don’t you ever feel like taking a break?”  Silas, an independent documentary film maker, noted from his own experience that art is a channel for your emotions and reflections…when the project begins to own you, it’s no longer an outlet. 

John carefully responded, “Yes and no.  I’ve wanted to take a break but I know that I can’t just leave all of this, even for a week. People have come to really rely on this space for their personal growth.  They are blooming and what would shutting this space down for some time do for their growth?  And seeing the blooming and growth of artists and the community is what brings me joy…that’s the whole point of BloomBars.”

Bela asked John, “But if you have so much faith in the seeds that are being planted by BloomBars, don’t you have faith that these seeds will continue to blossom on their own for a while?”  As a few people pointed out, maybe sometimes you have to walk away in order for something to regain not only its original energy, but also for new perspectives and directions to emerge.  Sometimes you have to trust that by walking away, the seeds you have planted will be nourished by the community that you have helped to create.  And you have to trust that when and if you decide to come back, your own revitalized energy and fresh perspective will inspire the space even more. 

In the end, Karma Ktichen, BloomBars, and all similar concepts are just spaces for experimentation.  It’s what we bring to the space that makes it come to life and it’s what we take away from the experience that contributes to our inner transformation…and isn’t this ultimately what it’s all about?  As Nipun so eloquently explained in his most recent UN presentation, inner transformation is essential for connecting with the hearts of others and bringing lasting change.  Sometimes the givers forget that they also deserve to, (and need to), take from this experimental space of abundance.