A familiar scene in my memory is that of Dr V sitting in his office with a large, hardbound copy of Sri Aurobindo's Savitri open on the desk in front of him. He has his black frame reading glasses on and is following the words on the page with earnest attention. To me one of the most beautiful and powerful aspects of Dr V was his commitment to cultivating his own mind, being and nature and his awareness of the bridge between the inner world of self and the outer world of service. He once explained it in his characteristically simple way, “Sri Aurobindo says the first and foremost thing is calm, quiet, equanimity within. Lots of times when we watch ourselves there is not that peace. There is some sort of an imbalance. When you bring in that peace then he says the other forces will come and work with you. I like to watch people and try to observe their consciousness. Similarly, I watch my own mental and emotional feelings and reactions. It is interesting to watch how alcohol or anger gets hold of people. Normally many of us are caught up in these lower “vibrations,” or we live in our own small, narrow worlds. (…) At Aravind we are deeply interested in getting people to pursue spiritual practices. The hospitals demonstrate that eyesight can be restored to all people irrespective of social or economic status, if we can combine modern technology and management with spiritual practice’’. For Dr V that spiritual practice began at the personal level, and his experiences informed Aravind's work in a very real way. “You feel that sometimes you get illumined or inspired. They say the higher your consciousness goes, that consciousness is able to plan out everything, set a base for you to do your work or its own work whatever you call it. With the awareness that your intentions come from a different consciousness level, you are not egoistic and you are able to work with the great confidence that comes only with that faith and realization. And so we attempt at Aravind to bring in higher levels of consciousness and to work in a different method, as an instrument in the hands of a higher force.” These are powerful words, and I think of them as a kind of guiding torch. Aravind today is involved in big change; it serves on a massive scale and affects literally millions of lives each year. But every organization is made up of individuals and it is the sincerity of intention, purity of heart and personal evolution of these individuals that allow it to grow with that touch of Grace that has set Aravind apart right from the very beginning. We are blessed to have had such a rare and shining example as Dr V touch our lives. And while each of us has his or her own path to follow in terms of service and spirituality, in remembering Dr V and honoring his life and life's work may we each in our own way deepen not just in our service to the world, but also in our commitment to going within, to cultivating that inner calm and equanimity and aligning with our highest purpose. For this too was truly a part of Dr V's vision.