CREATING a better world for the future and adding value to the world have been a priority for Dr Keshnie Pillay, the new president of the Mohanji Foundation in South Africa.
"I am a servant of the people. I started from the grassroots level and until today, I’m not afraid to pick up a broom and sweep the floor of our Mohanji Centre of Benevolence in Nonoti," said Pillay, a medical doctor specialising in emergency medicine.
The 37 year old was inducted at the Mohanji Foundation South Africa's annual general meeting on July 13.
The Mohanji Foundation was founded by Mohanji, a spiritual master, guru and humanitarian, committed to raise the awareness of generations from selfishness to selflessness.
"However, if you ask him, he considers himself more of a friend to the world and humanitarian than a guru," added Pillay, of Mount Edgecombe.
"The vision of the organisation is to take people to a liberated existence; free from the bindings of the mind through awareness and self-acceptance, and nurturing the universal values of truth, purity, compassion, non-violence and unconditional love.
“With the goal of creating a better world for the future, all our activities are united by a simple motto 'adding value to the world'. Today, the Mohanji Foundations are formally registered in 15 countries across five continents, while activities are conducted in more than 80 countries. The Mohanji International Foundation is headquartered in Switzerland under the direct supervision of the Swiss federal government.
“The foundation itself focuses on 'making masters'. This encompasses a number of spiritual practices, which include yoga and meditation as well as community-based activities such as service to humanity. The core values of the organisation focus on bringing stability into the lives of the people that follow them.”
Pillay said she was chosen as president because she had been connected to Mohanji for 12 years and she had been involved in Mohanji Foundation South Africa since its inception.
"The foundation was registered as a non-profit organisation in South Africa in 2014. Since then, I have served many roles, including treasurer, secretary and vice chairperson. Our foundation believes in creating responsible leadership that can be both visionary and committed.
"As a doctor and training specialist, I have to lead teams, resolve conflict and be decisive in critical situations every day. These situations often have the pressure of little time and high acuity. It therefore requires astute clinical deduction and reasoning skills. Leadership also requires the ability to forward plan."
Pillay said society "made us believe" that these qualities made a good leader.
"I believe I was chosen as a leader in this organisation for other reasons as well. In the Mohanji Foundation, I am a servant of the people. To become responsible leaders, it is imperative to move away from attribute-based leadership to collaborative leadership. We need leaders that understand the lived experience of the people they serve."
She added that the Mohanji Foundation was a registered NPO and as such she had the fiduciary responsibility in South Africa to ensure compliance with good governance.
“I am also tasked to uphold the tenets of our foundation, which include respect, responsibility, sustainability, non-violence and acceptance. I believe our organisation has a lot to contribute to the South African climate in terms of bringing practical spirituality to the people of South Africa.
"My particular focus is on propagation of the spiritual practices taught by Mohanji and spreading his messages across South Africa. These practices are not just revolutionary for individuals, they are really the basics of building a more conscious and sustainable society."
She added: “I don’t think I am unique in any way for this position. We gravitate easily to the unique but usually lasting change requires something far more dull and mundane. It requires a consistency and persistence that is becoming increasingly rare in our society. There are many visionaries out there today. However, there is a lack of execution of these exceptional ideas. It is my hope that the foundation will take people back to the basics of nation building.”
Pillay added that the Mohanji Foundation placed emphasis on responsibility for oneself and one's own actions.
"It also focuses on responsibility for all that is in our care. We have many activities that resonate with these values and form pillars for holistic development of people and communities. We want to live Mohanji’s vision of creating future leaders that contribute to the upliftment of society and sustainability of our respective environments."
The Mohanji Foundation has various centres around South Africa but the headquarters are currently in Nonoti,north of KwaDukuza, at the Mohanji Centre of Benevolence.
“The centre is a shining example of the tangible difference that can be made in a society. The community around the centre is fairly rural and basic resources such as water and electricity are scarce. Since the centre was inaugurated there in 2022, there has been significant change to the climate of the area. Mohanji’s lineage follows the Datta tradition of Gurus, which include among them masters such as Shirdi Sai Baba.
"In 2022 Mohanji conducted the installation and Prana prathista (a consecration ceremony of a spiritual deity done by a spiritual authority in the field) of the Shirdi Sai, Ganesha and Dattatreya deities at centre. It is customary in this tradition to provide Anadhaan (food seva) to communities around it. Every Sunday, Anadhaan is performed and the entire community is fed - down to the last child.
"The seva going on via the centre has seen the donation of food items, school books, school uniforms, walking sticks, glasses and innumerous essential items. The preservation of land and the planting of fruit trees along with permaculture farming seeks to make a difference to the natural environment."
She added that due to the numerous poverty alleviation activities that happened at the centre, a community hall and borehole were donated to them.
“The Mohanji Foundation intends on further developing the community to provide sustainability both in an environmental and economic sense. The centre hopes to perform skills development, so that households can have a renewable income. In the words of Shirdi Sai Baba 'God is not attained on an empty stomach'. Until we are able to serve the people and environment around us, we should not be hypocritical and believe we are serving god.
“In tandem, there are many spiritual activities happening across South Africa. These include meditations and guided practices. Our international foundation has many subsidiaries including the Himalayan School of Traditional Yoga, Himalayan School of Traditional Dance, World Consciousness Alliance, etc. We hope to have more South African youth involved in these programmes and to really see them spread across the length and breadth of the country.”
Pillay said Mohanji would visit South Africa in September.
"We are hosting many events, including a retreat with our beloved master."