It’s common to think of awakening as a private affair — something arranged for in caves, retreats, or long stretches of inner work away from ordinary life. Dr. Jan keeps gently pulling the conversation back from that picture.
His point is simple. If something has truly opened in a person inwardly, it shows up in how they treat others. If it doesn’t, the opening was probably an experience, not a realisation.
Why service quietens the ego
Notice what happens the moment you genuinely help someone — not to be seen helping, not to feel virtuous, just because they need it and you can. The self, for a moment, gets out of the way. That getting-out-of-the-way is what meditation has been training all along.
Small is still real
Service does not require grand projects. A phone call to a lonely neighbour. An hour with a younger colleague. Showing up — actually showing up — at a community day. These count.
If you’d like to serve alongside other students, the Foundation runs community days throughout the year. Come once.
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