My Karmic Journey

My Karmic Journey            

 -Loveen K. Gill

When we sow the seed of an idea, we bring many lives together; and obviously with a much stronger force.

People often ask me why I did I start Amar Karma. The answer to that is- I didn’t choose it, the mission Karma rather chose me. In my 20s, I went through a relationship break-up and was devastated. Through the agitation of self-discovery - everything looked dark, uncertain and hopeless. In that phase of emotional turbulence, I had started to believe that my problems were the biggest of all that ever existed in the world.

             Incidentally, I met a woman at a bus stop who was agonizing for her son as he was on the waiting list for a liver. I had never heard of the word ‘waiting list’. I was shocked to hear her story. What could the wait actually mean when it's about a second chance at life? I thought about it on my way home, and for the remainder of the day. A few days later the conversation came about organ donation at my workplace and ignited the thought in my mind over again for quite some time. A few months later I came in contact with my old friends from British Columbia and I learned that one of our schoolmates had died of unavailability of a life-saving organ for transplant. That conversation struck in my mind. I started to research stats and information about where we stood on the subject of organ and tissue donation. The results were disturbing. Every 3 days one person dies waiting for a life-saving organ, I found. Why was it not a talk-of-the-town then? Why wasn’t that a critical issue for us? Why didn’t the ones who were waiting for organs come forward to share their stories? I had never heard of anyone on the waiting list from the people I knew. Perhaps, there weren’t any waitlisters in the South Asian community, if so, how could that be possible?. I had many questions but almost no answer. The online research gave me statistics but I needed more than the numbers and figures. I had to find out why people had to wait? That is when the journey began.

             Concurrently, I can’t remember when exactly my emotional trauma got healed, my heart had resilience and was distracted for good!

            I went into the community, talked to people at events, on streets talking about something which I realized, reminded them of death, taboos and endless fears. Then, I went and spent hours with people who were on the waiting list, witnessed processes like Dialysis- I surely had known by then that I had nothing called ‘problems’, I could only be grateful. Anyhow, something had to be done to help all these people who were suffering, and it was easy to sign up to become a donor. I had made up my mind to approach people in a more strategic manner to get the word across, for which, I had to have a plan. Apparently, there was no South Asian Organization in Canada that dealt with the subject either, hence we pioneered at it.

             Granted, that I wanted to start a small campaign to raise awareness, perhaps just distribute flyers with information, but one thing led to another- I had never pictured for Amar Karma to have become a mass movement that it has become.

             Looking back, I remember making a flyer with some basic information, then photocopying it at a small house turned into employment center- not knowing that these were the footsteps into a bigger Karma, my purpose. In between now and then, the time has been all inclusive of- triumphs, defeats, falling and rising again.

Ever since Amar Karma became part of my life, everything changed. The way I perceive, the way I am perceived; and even my personal relationships have evolved. When we give birth, we bring an individual to life, whereas, when we sow the seed of an idea, we bring many lives together; and obviously with a much stronger force. During my initial footsteps into my journey, the people who I believed would support me mocked at me, some even said such initiatives were suitable to the riches, and that I had to settle down in life instead of wasting time going nowhere with that campaign. Moreover, I had no experience with running a public campaign neither did anyone in my family. The first group of people that signed up to be donors was my family, who also volunteered to assist the Karma mission every time we needed. Amar Karma has been a path of learning for me. It has taught me to focus, to envision- more than anything, my mission has taught me to dream. I have come to believe in myself more than anyone else. Mission Karma has made me hear the echo from the universe that tells me ‘It's possible’! Undoubtedly, the universe had already placed the right people to coincide my path and to join hands in the mission- without whom we couldn’t have come this far. I have started to believe in miracles through my voyage with Karma- It could be but a miracle to have such team members that the Karma has.

           To summarize, I am not sure when exactly did we emerge from organ & tissue donation to synergy in the wellness of all- the connectedness and oneness. Health & Wellness begins at reciprocity and is a ripple effect of kindness. Organ donation is a simple act to wave the ripple, however, there’s more to it.

           Throughout this journey, I have forgotten how I had lived before I had my mission, my purpose. It has been immersed into my soul and every cell of my physical being. I dream of reaching out to every ‘corner’ of the round earth to convey the message of eternal love, that lives on forever. Until that last person gets our message, I will continue the dream….

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