Varanasi is a town where it’s Hindi people display a level of devotion like I have never experienced. It doesn’t matter whether you are dirt poor or own a luxury home, everyone has access to the same temples, ceremonies and practices. This is unlike other religions where you must pay to become members of temples or churches in order to have access to the rituals that come along with the religion. Like in the Jewish faith that I was born into. In order to get b’nai mitzvah or married you have to belong to synagogue. In the Hindu religion there is nothing to pay, other than donations. The poor sit next to the rich and there is no separation. Everyone is the same.
I have been here in Varanasi for a week now. I have seen the luxury homes and the poor living next door. I have seen the morning and evening aarti’s where thousands of people gather to worship the Ganga River and Shiva. I have walked the streets in the daytime and the night in this very densely populated area. I have met people who do not have a home and live on their rickshaws and in their shops. And yet these people have a faith in their tradition, in themselves and for each other like I have never seen.
They also believe in karma… which means action, work or deed; it also refers to the spiritual principle of cause and effect where intent and actions of an individual (cause) influence the future of that individual (effect). People here keep up their daily rituals of bathing in the Ganges river at sunrise, praying in the temples, participating in the morning and evening aarti’s while performing their work. Whether it is being present at the cremation Ghats to educate tourists or run a clothing shop. It is clear that money and business success does not drive most here. It is the faith they keep in their belief systems, the devotional practices that keep them aligned with their personal and religious values which people believe contribute to their karma. If we have faith, and engage in our devotional practices of our belief structures, whether they are religious or not they will help dictate the direction of the goodness in our lives… and maybe even our next lives?
Being brought into this world in the Jewish faith has given me a particular view of what it means to do good in this world (mitzvah), to pray and belief in one god. When I reached my 40’s I realized there was more to religious beliefs other than the old testament… my study of the mystical traditions which brought me a way of seeing, of holding a vision of the world and each other in a positive light. We are all perfectly created god’s creatures and we need to continue that practice of seeing each other in that way. Being in India tells me that I have been on the right track all along. Even in the face of extreme poverty, human disfigurement and idolatry. Having an ongoing practice supporting own beliefs and supporting each other’s beliefs at the same time.
I would invite you to consider where your personal belief/value structure lies in the greatest good and service to the world and your fellow human and how you are supporting those beliefs in your ongoing practice(s).
People Are Beautiful! My own bliss baby taught me that back in the USA. I just didn’t get it until now.
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