670. Robin Chaurasiya

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

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
01:29:30 - Supporting Children in Mumbai
01:33:36 - The Value of Love and Support