By Kevin Maloney, SVA Business Manager

I spent two decades in corporate operations before joining the Ashram as Business Manager one year ago. As I contrast that experience with what I have witnessed since I came on board at SVA, some thoughts rise to the surface. Any organization needs to be responsible, meet its financial obligations, take care of the day-to-day requirements of operating in this day and age, set goals, and overcome obstacles. In many respects, the operations of this organization are no different from the operations of any corporate organization. Where the big contrast enters is in the areas of motivation and vision.

As for motivation, why do staff members come to work at SVA for less money than they could make somewhere else? Why do so many community members volunteer so much of their precious time and resources to help this organization operate? What is that motivation? Can you put a finger on it? Or is it a gentle, mysterious feeling deep inside that moves you and moves them?
As for vision, how can an organization use finances, not to generate more finances, but to further the vision of helping people experience Reality? How can we function efficiently and within the constraints of today’s world, and still carry the thread of our vision through everything we do?  How can we operate in a way that we can sustain the organization and yet also have just one goal of helping the people in our community deepen their experience of yoga, meditation, and the Divine?

As you ponder the questions about motivation, we here at SVA ponder the questions about acting out the vision. Thus, there is something happening here at SVA. This motivation and vision have yielded the practical results of a beautiful environment for programs and for deepening. We call it Lokananda. This Place of Bliss, which is what Lokananda means, is a physical building about 130 years old. It brings with it practical realities of renovation and maintenance in the tangible world. It brings the practical reality of finances, which means SVA still needs funding to complete what has been started (with stunning results to date!).

I am honored to give voice to our administrative team. They are truly dedicated to our vision and have that motivation I mention above. We are poised as an operation, and as a community, to flourish. We hope you join the effort to complete the Lokananda make-over and truly make her into our (your!) home for the long run. Join the 62 Svaroopis who have contributed so far.  Take this renewed opportunity to donate. We need your help.  Be generous.

Click here to donate or phone us at 610.644.7555.