Vedas & Puranas have fascinated me since childhood. One that I ponder upon most is the ‘Dashavtaar’ of Lord Vishnu. Each of his avtaar I feel is relevant & the more I think about it, I realise each one of us has some qualities of the avtaars. In my learning journey as a I began searching for connects between the Dashavtaars & a facilitator, what can I learn from it. So here are my thoughts on the teachings from Dashavtaars which I would like to present in 3 parts.Matsya Avtaar: The fish. Vishnu took the form of a fish to save Manu from the deluge (Pralaya), after which he took his boat to the new world along with one of every species of plant and animal, gathered in a massive cyclone.The Matsya avtaar taught me that a facilitator needs to guide the client (Manu) through the ‘Pralaya’ of problems, issues, concerns & navigate him towards the outcomes. In the boat could be the various stakeholders & participants in search of newer possibilities. Also, a facilitator needs to adapt to his surroundings the way a fish adapts to water, gliding effortlessly despite towing the heavy boat full of stakeholders & their expectations.Kurma Avtaar: the giant tortoise. When the devas and asuras were churning the Ocean of milk in order to get Amrita, the nectar of immortality, the mount Mandara they were using as the churning staff started to sink and Vishnu took the form of a tortoise to bear the weight of the mountain.The Kurma avtaar taught me that the facilitator needs to bear upon him weight of the processes, while the stakeholders churn out ideas, brainstorming, debating & discussing. Each individual has an eye on the outcomes, wanting the best for themselves. Just like the giant tortoise, he shouldn’t be visible from top. While his presence is vital for the outcomes, he needs to be non-interfering in the entire game of thing. And when this truly happens, what emerges is a treasure of valuable ideas, thoughts, nectar….a ‘Manthan’ of it’s kind !!Varaha Avtaar: the boar. Varaha carried the Earth out of the ocean between his tusks and restored it to its place in the universe after defeating the demon Hiranyaksha who had carried earth to the bottom of cosmic ocean.The Varaha avatar taught me that a facilitator should work to ensure the desired outcomes are not lost in the ocean of thoughts, ideas, expressions coming from the participants. It is for him to help bring out order from chaos. Just like Hirankaysha hid Earth, some participants try to hide the ‘Arth’ (pun intended). It is his Dharma to ensure ‘Earth’ful conversations happen, there is convergence of thoughts & the ‘Arth’ emerges as agreed by all. It is said Lord Vishnu took the form of Varaha as the demon had not included boar in his list of beings who could not kill him. Similarly, a facilitator too needs to be mindful of client’s requirements & be flexible towards taking forms that would best suit the situation.Narasimha Avtaar: the half-man/half-lion. The rakshasa (Demon) Hiranyakashipu, the elder brother of Hiranyaksha, was granted a powerful boon from Brahma that he could not be killed by man or animal, inside or outside a room, during day or night, neither on ground nor in air, with a weapon that is either living or inanimate. Hiranyakashipu persecuted everyone for their religious beliefs including his son who was a Vishnu follower.[16] Vishnu descended as an anthropomorphic incarnation from a pillar, with the body of a man and head and claws of a lion. He disemboweled Hiranyakashipu at the courtyard threshold of his house, at dusk, with his claws, while he lay on his thighs. Narasimha thus destroyed the evil demon and brought an end to the persecution of human beings including his devotee Prahlada, according to the Hindu mythology.The Narsimha avtaar taught me to make an impact while being invisible, be present everywhere in the room without being seen. He needs to hold a neutral position while being mindful of client’s requirements & yet do what is needed. Narsimha’s position, timing, his form, weapon everything when he slayed Hiranyakashipu was bang on… so very similar to what a facilitator needs to adhere to in terms of Space, Time, People & Outcome. Narsimha slayed the demon with his claws. No other weapon was used. Similarly a facilitator should be able to function with whatever resources are available keeping the outcome in mind.So that was about the 1st three avtaars of Vishnu. Coming soon with the rest .. till then Narayan ! Narayan !Ganesh DalviCertified Professional Facilitator