Connection between spirituality & Social action

Think about all the kindest things you have done as a result of responding to inner voice when there was smallest bit of injustice, inequality or disparity. You will soon realize the true and the most honest efforts were due to the connection of you placing in the same spot as the one who was suffering. I have to still come across a person or a medium who is truly not spiritual or compassionate and tried to work for a cause. All that superficial have often proved temporary and they dissipate before you even flutter your eyes in realization.

As Vimala Thakar says in ijourney.org "The fact of our being is that we are related, not isolated, not each a lone or lonely entity standing forlorn in this huge cosmos. We are not isolated individuals; we are organically related to the mysterious totality surrounding us."

Few things that I have tried in the past in the process to understand what it feels like to be on the receiving end of suffering. I have tried to stay hungry for couple of days. But in those struggling moments of hunger pangs I still knew that I had easy access to food whenever I felt like giving up this exercise. The thought of that ease not available is worrisome and that was a realization of my privileged life that I have and people who are forced to stay hungry.

Not buying anything for an entire year made me go through the importance of using things till they get over, recycling and reusing. I realized I have everything I need if I start looking through that I already have. There is a difference in not buying when you know you can when you want to than not able to buy even if you really need important things for survival. The whole world we have created is based on materialistic possessions and a lot of it is generated from an earnest need of that social connection. My phone, my car, my branded clothes, restaurants, movies I go to and so on. My life is a lot simpler now. I still succumb to lot of material possessions and later go through a self-questioning phase of guilt.

I have also tried staying quiet for couple of days and this was a true revelation in power I found in silence. This power enabled me to listen to my inner voice, voices of others, I was not trying to prove anything to anyone, anymore, my grudges soon disappeared, I was connecting more to people and surrounding and more importantly there was a powerful connection I found within myself and my mind.

All these that I have been experimenting have only made me realize that we need much much less than we think or are made to think from the surroundings. If we really realize all these needs and have made a conscious effort to balance amongst others as well, there will be lot more available to others. So my journey continues...

Do you trust?

Past weekend, I had an opportunity to meet with a professor, in an informal setting. Amidst a lot of din and anxious clamor, her's was the only voice that stood out in my head vividly. She made her point calmly with conviction. I have believed in expressing one's point and let people have freedom of taking or not and hence not interfering with others cognition. Somehow, thrusting or screaming one's opinion or thinking (for that matter) seems very self oriented. And, it fundamentally loses the purpose of expressing for others.

She spoke about trust and said trust essentially is an ongoing process which you are always continuously building on. So it's not a one time concretion but a dynamic combination of thinking and feeling. Human nature is to anchor amongst others with trust and faith, which however gets disturbed in the process where things do not align and the process of questioning and re-building begins. Hence, I think, need of assurance, acceptance and expressing support (at all times or from time to time) is critical. Think about it, a child is not born with mistrust and doubts. It's the process of growing up in a complex setting and assimilating social environment which can form his/her opinion in a right or not-so-right direction.

I had once shattered my faith and trust at a much deeper level and the process of restoring and healing has been hard but to what it was when the hurt was fresh, it is remarkable to see where I stand now. I surprised myself by expressing my deepest fears and insecurities to a person whom I had not even met before ever. I felt a sense of immediate trust and comfort of friendly & trustworthy bond and next thing I know I was sharing some crucial information of my life along with many other conversations that I had. Is the dark night of mistrust and broken faith over for me?