This week in Jaipur flew by with preparations for Diwali. As mentioned below, Diwali celebrates the victory of good over evil. According to the Ramayana, the fascinating Hindu epic, we celebrate the day when Rama and Sita return from their 14 year exile in the jungle after killing Ravana, the evil 10-headed demon. The festival consists of 5 days with different traditions, but Saturday is when most of the festivities take place. We lit diyas (candle wicks in oil and clay pots) and put them outside and around the house. MJ and PJ did "puja"- prayers to Ganesh, the god of wisdom, and Laxmi, the goddess of wealth. Fireworks continuously rumbled and lit up the sky as pretty much every neighborhood put on a spectacular show. My extended host family gathered together and from the balcony and rooftop we watched the shows. Some of the fireworks might qualify as bombs or nuclear warheads- my ears are still recovering. My host sister also let me borrow a maroon and gold sari, which was beautiful and exciting. We also have a lot of sweets, nuts, and dried fruit ready to welcome visitors to our home. Indian sweets are so delicious.
On Wednesday we will depart in different groups for a one-week workshop/internship. My group is going to Oghna, a rural village outside of Udaipur in Rajasthan. All my group knows is that we will be doing some farming. Yesss. Also, riding the train for the first time will be an adventure!
But this week I just wanted to share a reflection: A lot of my time here in India has pushed me to strive for deeper self-awareness. Not just to try and understand who I am and where I want to go, but how I can then understand other people. Whether it is the Greek aphorism "Know Thyself," or Mufasa in the Lion King rumbling from the clouds, "Remember...who you are," it seems like a pretty important journey. As a student I am just trying to open myself to as much diversity as possible, because only when I see how others live and what they value can I begin to use my life and work to understand and serve them. When I was reading Gandhi Ji's "The Story of My Life," I was struck by the following scene: Gandhi's wife is refusing to clean the chamber pot of an "untouchable," and they get into a big fight. Gandhi writes, "I forgot myself, and the spring of compassion dried up in me." Gasp. I hadn't thought about what happens when we forget ourselves!! Now my endeavor for self-knowledge has even more weight: I hope I never forget who I am. Or let situations push me from who I am, or make me act as another, because ultimately that is just not real. I have been thinking about how to respond to someone who is acting abrasively, and maybe this would be a good response: This isn't who you are- you're better than this. Reminding them of their humanity, their sense of self, is a way to build up instead of bring down. Gandhi's concept of Satyagraha, the term he coined for non-violent resistance, can be applied to all sorts of everyday situations. He writes, "Truth (satya) implies love, and firmness (agraha) brings about and therefore serves as a synonym for force." Firmness in love. It is a process of self-purification. His strategy also challenges us to "invite suffering on oneself for the sake of converting the opponent." This could lead to a whole other discussion, so back to Diwali: we light candles to signify the victory of good over evil within ourselves.
I invite any thoughts you have!!
On Wednesday we will depart in different groups for a one-week workshop/internship. My group is going to Oghna, a rural village outside of Udaipur in Rajasthan. All my group knows is that we will be doing some farming. Yesss. Also, riding the train for the first time will be an adventure!
But this week I just wanted to share a reflection: A lot of my time here in India has pushed me to strive for deeper self-awareness. Not just to try and understand who I am and where I want to go, but how I can then understand other people. Whether it is the Greek aphorism "Know Thyself," or Mufasa in the Lion King rumbling from the clouds, "Remember...who you are," it seems like a pretty important journey. As a student I am just trying to open myself to as much diversity as possible, because only when I see how others live and what they value can I begin to use my life and work to understand and serve them. When I was reading Gandhi Ji's "The Story of My Life," I was struck by the following scene: Gandhi's wife is refusing to clean the chamber pot of an "untouchable," and they get into a big fight. Gandhi writes, "I forgot myself, and the spring of compassion dried up in me." Gasp. I hadn't thought about what happens when we forget ourselves!! Now my endeavor for self-knowledge has even more weight: I hope I never forget who I am. Or let situations push me from who I am, or make me act as another, because ultimately that is just not real. I have been thinking about how to respond to someone who is acting abrasively, and maybe this would be a good response: This isn't who you are- you're better than this. Reminding them of their humanity, their sense of self, is a way to build up instead of bring down. Gandhi's concept of Satyagraha, the term he coined for non-violent resistance, can be applied to all sorts of everyday situations. He writes, "Truth (satya) implies love, and firmness (agraha) brings about and therefore serves as a synonym for force." Firmness in love. It is a process of self-purification. His strategy also challenges us to "invite suffering on oneself for the sake of converting the opponent." This could lead to a whole other discussion, so back to Diwali: we light candles to signify the victory of good over evil within ourselves.
I invite any thoughts you have!!
that is so interesting, sar! I think that your idea of a response toward abrasively acting people is a good one. please use it on me when i act abrasively. it's actually so nice to think about these things...because it's so hard to confront people without hurting them at the same time. in this situation, it makes them feel lifted up, as you said. i like it a lot. and also while speaking of the "victory of good" within ourselves, we can say the same thing back to ourselves: instead of beating ourselves up for something stupid we have done, something we regret, we can simply say: this is not who i am. this is not who i am meant to be.
ReplyDeleteyeah...i may have just repeated everything you just said, but i guess that has pressed it even more into my mind. i'm a fan! i will be calling you, i'm just a little low on the dough this week. but soon.
Hey Sweetie: This is so profound and so YOU! You bless those around you (and those far away!). I wholeheartedly agree with everything you have written! An additional challenge is dealing with abrasive behavior in a non-judgmental way. Wow is that ever hard. Many eastern thinkers help us still and settle our own emotions, distancing ourselves from our attachment to them, so that we can truly experience the suffering that people who act abrasively often live with--in a way that does not feel threatening to us. Because when we feel threatened, we lash out, and/or we judge. So right on, right on, o wise one! See you next week! :-)
ReplyDeleteI think there is a paradox here somewhere. It is only when I have a core self that I can actually love am I capable of forgetting it - letting it go - the compassion for others. It is impossible to deny or forget the self if there is no solid self with boundaries and a sense of integrity.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy India. What a great adventure. My niece has been treking there and in Nepal for nine months.