...
yet another disappointment = Gandhi Remixed event.
& by extension, the entire Parliament of World Religions.
YEA, interfaith dialogue! dialogue! dialogue! woooo.
I kept hearing this word. dialogue. That's just the problem. it's all about talking, and not about doing. it's not about experience for these people, it's about talking about their experiences. it's glorified (show and ) tell, minus the show. Our workshop went the same way. It was about talking out these giant problems of global intolerance" but the irony is that just last week, these same people were talking about how pluralism to them is just that surface idea of tolerance.
I still think that my going to TCF's meetings and connecting with that whole group, Christian or not, we agree that there's a higher power. And through them, I can find yet another way to connect with it. I have been feeling so tired, stressed, and lost lately. Nishat Khan's musical performance last night just made me miss Massachusetts and my grandmother and my great grandmother, and my extended family. It just tug on all that which I hadn't been getting from living here in California. And meeting Manoj, Aishu, and Teju for the first time didn't help: they reinforced the missing elements of my puzzle here. But it was great that I met them, for now I can connect with a piece of "home" whenever I want. And so I have. I came home last night, and I think I just listened to dance music and read. This morning, I listened to Kurai Ondrum Illai, Hanuman Chalisa, and all these other MS Subbhalaksmi songs--reminding me of times I would belt them out in the car with mom, dad, and Adi. Then I took my iPod downstairs and danced a bit, and then went out to icecream, to clear my head before my midterm. Still tired, downtrodden, and just coming off another stressful phone call from my mother, I found the prayer couch.
Literally, it was like God knew what I needed. Just talking it out with Jonathan helped me so much to figure out what I need and just deal with what's going on right now. It felt good just to get those uncomfortable and scary feelings I've been having about being here at USC out and also realize that it would all be okay eventually. I feel like I tell myself that constantly, but it's true. it's about where you end up, not where you start or the bumps along the way. I came back here, and danced it out until I was ready to tackle that bio midterm!
And I did! .. I was out at like 1:30pm, after checking and rechecking my work. The only things I knew for sure I messed up were the fungal definitions and possibly the order of derived characters of chordates. but other than that, I am confident. I even am POSITIVE i got the extra credit correct!
And I think I owe that to the gods. it's about actions. normal, hindu/muslim/pagan/whatever-nonChristians would NOT take that risk and sit on that prayer couch, at least I don't think so. but they may talk about interfaith issues all day and night. They may even be the president of interfaith council, but not ever consider taking a leap of faith in such a direction. if I hadn't taken that action today, and just kept on boarding in my confounded, scared, stressed state, I don't know how I would've handled that biology midterm. I wouldn't have had this calm and feeling of peace that I attribute as a direct result of my actions this morning. Praying, listening, dancing, talking it out on that couch.
Actions speak louder than words for a reason. They say more than just idea, they show feeling, emotion, they show the missing elements that make up a human being.
Even in "Fear of Diversity" today, we talked of this melting pot culture and homogeny. And I firmly believe that though culturally, it's about balance and harmony, spirtually and by faith --we need to be more openminded. We need to see the similarities we all offer. We desperately need to just plunge into another's faith for only a moment to understand how much we all are striving for the same goals. Jews and Christians and Muslims and Hindus and Buddhists and on and on. We all are just trying to know the same power better. That power that lies within us, that created us, that makes us all motivated to go on.
So while TALKING is wonderful, it doesn't establish anything. it doesn't get anything done. while the Parliament convening in Melbourne is a lovely idea, what will actually BECOME of that week in Australia? absolutely, bloody nothing. whatever ideas that they establish will only change the perspectives of those there. they will not outreach and change the lives of others who did not make that expensive and fruitless journey to Australia. and the facts stand that I have singlehandedly learned more about Christianity than I ever knew by spending quality time communicating with their faith and my friends who believe in Christ than any non-Christian at Gandhi Remixed especially from USC. I feel like projects that actually accomplish action prove interfaith relations more than just mere chatting about the "importance of pluralism in today's global climate" . Action like Gandhi's or King's. Movements. or even smaller actions, like simply reaching out to help someone, anyone, whenever that opportunity arises. Those small, almost miniscule actions add up. Every smile created from a warm heart changes that receiver for ages. Hawthorne from Overflow is the prime example of this... we have a power we don't recognize, but just talking it to death is not a good use of it. We must think, act, and change this world. Actively engage in spirtual acts that may be different from those which we are used to while maintaining our spirtual ties. I'm still Hindu, though I do participate actively in TCF. I still believe in the many avatarams of that higher Brahman, because for me that makes it easier to understand Him. And for me, it's easy to see that Jesus is just another one of those emanations and deserves just as much praise. For me, it's easy to see this hierarchy, where Brahman, this ultimate power and reality flows above the Devas and Avatarams, and prophets--where the God which the Christians speak to is that very Brahman.
I find that deep spiritual teaching I gain through Intervarsity is applicable in any faith. Those stories exist in Hinduism too. We even have five virgin births in the epic, Mahabharata: the Pandavas are all bestowed upon Kunti and King Pandu. Arjuna, the hero, has a conversation with Krishna, an avataram of Vishnu, who is also an emanation of Brahman--the infinite, immanent, transcendent reality of all things. Namely, the supreme. He also deals with right and wrong and morality and these deep questions with deep answers. And from these teachings of Krishna emerge the Bhagavad Gita. The scripture that is of much authority in Hinduism (sidenote: why couldn't they just compile all the Vedas, Upanishads, and shlokas, and Gita into one book and make it like THE authoritative source of all things Hindu? I know that the personal preferences and the Vaishnaivism and Shaivism thing and the caste / dharma bit all overshadow and color that, but it would just help everyone FIND what they're looking for...).
I think that another of the many reasons I appreciate and love TCF is that they actually get out and HELP the community. they don't sit there and talk about how great they are and how open minded the world could be, and how the world, you know, would just be a better place if everyone talked about these issues, like interfaith does... but THEY ACTUALLY CARE. AND THEY SHOW IT. they shower love on all those on campus. they become one with the god within themselves. [In Hinduism, god is present in every thing and object and person and creature.]
It's not just talk to them--it's talk, understanding, then ACTION.
but yeah. so recap:
gandhi remixed = epic fail [for the purpose of actually REACHING pluralism and nonviolence in today's world... for the purpose of TALKING AROUND those ideas? accomplished 5 times over!]
nishat khan = amazing musician. makes you feel things you didn't think music could reach. eyeopening and made me homesick for all 3 of my homes: india, singapore, burlington.
prayer couch FTW! <3 just when i needed it, and just what I needed.
so--in conclusion: while talking is great for reaching understanding, actually experiencing and actually taking part in these traditions and actions and reaching out to those unlike yourself-- therein lies the path to pluralism and nonviolence and a better world.
[if the above made little sense, it was written very stream of consciousness with little to no break.]
xoxo,
maithreyi
[still missing how mommy says my name correctly. even if she's yelling/concerned from the other side of the country. <3]
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