670. Robin Chaurasiya

Buddha at the Gas Pump

Robin was born and raised in the US with a very religious and schizophrenic mother as well as a violent and atheist father. At 14, Robin started volunteering with various non-profits organizations and traveling the world, two lifelong passions which led her to work with dozens of NGOs and travel to nearly 100 countries. After spending several years in the US Air Force, Robin was kicked out for being lesbian which led to her new life as an activist. At 24, she started Kranti, an NGO that empowers survivors of trafficking and daughters of sex workers from Mumbai's red-light areas, where she lived and worked for a decade. In 2020, Robin moved to a mud hut at 13K feet in the Himalayas without any water, electricity or toilet. For over a year, she wasn't online, didn't read any book and didn't speak with anyone. In July 2021, she started working part time from the mountains and became a certified BatGap addict. She returned to civilization in August 2022. The spiritual routine at Kranti: Our house is a mix of girls who have been raised Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, Christian, and Jain. We are extremely mindful of integrating all of these traditions (as well as a few others like Sikhism) into our daily lives as well as our travel experiences. Just to give you an idea, some of the places we make sure to take all Kranti girls are: Golden Temple in Amritsar, Dalai Lama's temple in McLeodganj, Nizamuddin's shrine in Delhi, St. Thomas' basilica in Chennai, Haji Ali's shrine in Mumbai, as well as dozens of famous Hindu temples around India. All of the girls are required to attend 10-day Vipassana courses, either the programs specifically for teens or on their own after age 18, as well as Buddhist philosophy courses at Tushita Meditation center. We are connected to quite a few spiritual leaders here, and the Dalai Lama's translator, as well as Sri M, are regular visitors at the Kranti home. But most importantly, yoga and meditation are the first activities of the day at Kranti School, along with daily journaling and writing gratitude letters every morning. All of the girls have a therapist through a Mumbai-based organization called Inner Space where all therapists and clients are trained in mindfulness based cognitive therapy. Kranti's website: kranti-india.org Kranti's Instagram page Kranti's Facebook page Donating to Kranti: Kranti Home and School Fundraiser savethechild.org Tax exempt for US donors.) Milaap: Help the Survivors of Trafficking (India-based, doesn't deduct fee. Not tax exempt for US donors.) Donating to Happy Feet Home (hospice for terminally ill children) Contact Robin PDF with more info about Robin, her upcoming book, and Kranti Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded November 20, 2022 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:05:40 - The Motivation of Kranti 00:10:15 - Childhood Memories and Spiritual Moments 00:15:03 - Childhood Curiosity and Spiritual Exploration 00:19:28 - The Age of 12: Dreams, Stealing, and Non-Existence 00:24:21 - The Key Players in My Journey 00:29:01 - The Unstoppable Desire 00:33:48 - Overcoming Challenges and Unexpected Help 00:37:57 - A Moment of Realization and Gratitude 00:42:55 - The Impact of Extraordinary Girls and Gender Inequality in India 00:47:49 - Taking in the Kids 00:52:43 - Unexpected Meeting in Glastonbury 00:57:30 - The Neo-Advaita Movement 01:02:28 - The Beauty of Seeing People in Their Perfection 01:07:05 - The Purpose of Life and Finding Happiness 01:11:23 - From Sex Worker to Drum Circle Facilitator 01:15:57 - The Generosity of an Illiterate Sex Worker 01:20:41 - Compassion in the Red Light Area 01:25:10 - Girl's Perception and Plans for the Future