SC Musings for Nitya Gurukula

Openness and Flow

May 23, 2025

Dear Readers, Welcome to SC Musings, Blog 37

I have been pondering on Openness for a while, because quite often, we hear phrases like ‘be open to change etc.’. From its surface level meaning, I delved into its various features and characteristics. In this Blog 37, we begin with an exploration of Openness and its relevance to us.

Openness brings images of gates, doors and windows, presented below in Figures 37.1,2.3. as Openings to diverse worlds.

Physical manifestations of openness shown in the images above have clearly defined structure and functions, opening different worlds.

However, nature provides us with the primal meaning of openness, through pulsating life. All organisms, from single celled to more complex ones, pulsate; they open and close, to absorb energy in different forms.

These mechanisms work in our body, continuously, beginning in the womb and ending at death. It is also evident that Openness is followed by Closing, and the pulsation goes on.

The NG Holistic Model of a system will now be used to understand the implications of Openness in us humans. We have now named this NG model as the Holistic Model of a system, extending its scope beyond human beings to include systems like organisations, institutions and enterprises. Thus, the levels and dimensions contained in systems are revealed, providing micro, macro and meta perspectives. Detailed description of this model is presented in SC Musings, Blog 7 (March, 2024), so here I am using it to refer to openness in human systems.

A recent systemic change in Nitya Gurukula due to the exiting of one of our senior Resources sent the entire team into a vortex of shock and heaviness. Uncertainty and the urgent need to create new structures stunned us. This stilling of all the layers and dimensions, namely the physical, psychological, cognitive, behavioral, social and spiritual landed us in a state of numbness.

As I slowly began attending to essentials in the system needing care and sustenance, energy began flowing in me, in NG Operations and in NG Teamers. A new vibrance, a becoming happened with meaning making, carving out visions, and moving to realise them.

Fused layers within began separating and individuating, supplying energy to new ways of being and functioning.

We are now preparing for NG Retreat, a yearly Nitya Gurukula event held to facilitate NG Team to come together for assessing ourselves and our peers personally, professionally and organisationally and carve a path for a sustainable NG. While getting ready to travel to a resort on the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border, a face-book insertion reminded me that today is the 1st death anniversary of my cousin B. Krishnakumar. NG Team has spent glorious, memorable days in his resort ‘The Nest’ in Dhimbam, and it is significant that we begin our journey at this time.

I herewith present a tribute I had keyed last year on his passing:

Prince of the Hills- King of Hearts A Tribute

Tall ’n alone- you stood, creating

Step by step, stage by stage-

An empire on the hills.

Nourishing food-kindling taste buds,

Care and concern you offered which

Seeped into everything you touched and provided

Tall ’n alone- you stood, drawing

Persons, from near and far,

Yearning for a break.

Your warmth ’n reaching out

Unsurpassed, magnetic, genuine,

Seeped into everything you touched and provided

Tall ’n alone- you stood, developing

Not only your farms and fields,

But also, the people around.

Shunning crowds and limelight

Quality, growth ‘n progress

Seeped into everything you touched and provided

Tall ’n alone- you stood, But

Took off too soon, leaving us

Simmering in deep loss.

The charm of the hills lost,

Missing your warmth which

Seeped into everything you touched and provided

Thambu, you have touched me deeply, opening me to possibilities which will be a guiding light for all our endeavours.

Dear Readers,

As I sign off, the thought surfaced that individuals who touch us deeply due to their selfless dedication to the larger good open up pathways for growth and evolution. We need openness to perceive and receive this gift from them.

References

https://www.nityagurukula.org/sc-musings/boundaries-psycho-social-boundaries/