I have just returned from a few days at the Maha Kumbh Mela, a Hindu religious festival in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh located at the Sangam which is the confluence of the holy rivers Yamuna, Ganga, and the mythical Saraswati. The festival is said to be the largest gathering of people on the planet and occurs only once every 12 years in Allahabad. Tens of millions of pilgrims are expected to have come to the 2013 Maha Kumbh Mela over the span of the 55 day festival in order to perform a ritual bathing at the Sangam which is said to wash away the sins of a lifetime and achieve Nirvana, releasing you from the cycle of reincarnation. Along with the ritual bathing, numerous Ashrams are set up throughout the festival grounds where housing and food are provided for all free of charge.
This religious festival provides some interesting insights into humanity & the world of social enterprise. Many of the pilgrims who attend this festival have completely renounced material possessions and are more inclined to gain spiritual wealth rather than economic wealth. While this specific example of the lifestyle of the Sadhus is a bit extreme, I just want to bring attention to the fact that wealth for many people can incorporate more than just the accumulation of monetary and material resources. Wealth could be considered Health plus Peace of Mind and can incorporate a variety of things such as good relationships, a sense of community, freedom, stability, fulfillment and good health. However it has also been shown that a general sense of well-being comes from the many benefits of economic progress. In this sense social enterprises can certainly help guide people towards a greater quality of life through providing & enabling improved access to such empowering things as healthcare, energy & education. At the same time let us realize that happiness and good quality of life are complex states of being that are relative to individual circumstances and cannot be achieved through the benefits of economic progress alone. By searching for this great balance in our own lives we are able to strive towards the true wealth of being.
“Heaven is within you, seek Happiness not in the objects of sense; realize that Happiness is within yourself.” – Vedanta Quote
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