Filed under: The Fast
I went to Jaina 2007 this year and had the distinct pleasure of seeing Sri Sri Ravi Shankar speak. For those of you who aren’t in the know, this is an amazingly cool person -
1. He leads an incredible course on meditation, breathing, and life. (To wit, it made me relaxed, improved meditation, and weirdly shaved about 15 seconds off of my mile-time-splits on distance runs. Now that is a guru!)
2. He really embodies the hopes and ambitions of anyone who believes in Ahimsa. To wit, he went to Iraq to espouse peace and he meant it. He genuinely believes there’s a possibility for peace and love to win out there. You can call him crazy, but he was willing to stand outside of the Green Zone and get his message accross.
Anyway, at Jaina, I had the opportunity to hear him speak twice and I was able to ask a few questions of him. My main focus was on this issue of the survival instinct versus peace and love. His belief was that through demonstrations of compassion and conviction, love will always win.
Call me a skeptic, but I’m not sure. My cousin sent me a comment about a man who fasted to end horrible conditions in a prison in India. Gandhiji underwent many struggles of deprivation to show his passion for love and peace. Yet, Gandhiji failed to stop the horror and anarchy of the partition of India and Pakistan. What does that mean? Did he not do enough? Was the violence inevitable? Or do we need a hybridized solution of compassion and pragmatism to deal with these quagmires?
I think of the US anti-war movement. Around 40 years ago, several people were so convicted of their anger of the war and its implications that they set themselves on fire. It was stirring, heartrending, and completely ineffective.
You may be a bit confused by my point here. In theory, Aththai is not designed to achieve an end. And I have no illusions that this little experiment of mine could ever achieve anything outside of my own head. That said, it is about making me open up to understanding the nature of reality. And heretofore, most of the religious/theological/philosophical scholars have come down on the side of truth, peace, liberty, and all that jazz. The transcendentalists gave us tools and claimed that if we live with love in heart, obey only just laws and disobey the unjust, we might perish but it won’t be in vain. And Gandhi walked with that message and so did Martin Luther King, Jr. and at times Nelson Mandela. And does it amount to anything?
Would the war in Iraq be any different if protestors set themselves on fire? Or are we too tuned out to care anymore? And were we then? Is it ever possible to convince someone who is possessed of hate and fear that they should abandon those notions?
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Dear Sameer
Comment by Dad & Mom September 14, 2007 @ 10:00 pm>
> Jaya Jinendra
>
> We are very happy to note about your atthai and with other vows of maun etc. Our anumodana (appreciation with wish to do the same some day soon) for your penance. I liked that you did not want any Aadambar or show. That is true spirit. Unfortunately, when we live in the society, we bend our own views for accommodating others’ wishes just slightly. I understand that your parents are worried about your health after paarana. It would be okay if at least one of them could care for you in the initial few days but ultimately they also like to honor your wish. It is difficult since it is occuring so fast and they are not able to talk to you. My personal view was that if they come with low key while honoring your non-aadambar view, it should be okay. After all, you are not a monk yet and parents feel some responsibility.
>
> Whatever the outcome, it will be pleasant. Such is my feeling. You will also be a good example for many young and old alike.
>
> Best wishes. I bow to your tapasya and shudh aatma.
>
> Shanti Mohnot Uncle
>
> Pittsburgh
On 9/13/07, Shrutpragya Swami ji wrote:
om arham Ramesh bhai and Meenaben
Samir is right that there is no meaning to visit and fly all the way to CA. Bhavthij jya chho tya rahine parna ane mangal kamana kari levathi kaam thai jashe..I know that parents love to do parna face to face But we have to think in a realistic approch too.
next time in 2008,when we do camp for young adult,we should arrange Samir talk in Siddhacham.I will talk with Champaben about this matter and let you know.
Shrutpragyaji Swamiji
Comment by Dad & Mom September 14, 2007 @ 10:02 pmAhimsa-Anekant-Aprigrha
http://www.peaceofmindyogiccenter.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shrutpragyaji/
Dear Meena Ben and Ramesh Bhai,
Thanks for sharing this special proud moment and news with us. I certainly will send this message to swamiji and also to the participants of Young Adult Shibir for last 2 years. It is incredible to want to and to be able to do what he is doing. You both must have ingrained some strong values in his upbringing. Congratulations. Yes we will miss you at the shibir.
Bid Family.
Comment by Dad & Mom September 14, 2007 @ 10:10 pmSamir…
Jai Jinendra…
I sent you a comment today and i’ve been keeping up with your blogs….you won’t get this email until after your parna, but regardless, as you already know, everyone is proud of you, i definitely am and we only met at past jain conventions. This is one amazing feat for sure! btw, i am a part of the whole art of living org; i just took an advanced course this past labor day weekend and it was great! what i wanted to say was that is that doing these penances and things that people do (my cousin fasted for 50 days in india 2 years ago), it does make a difference in the world. it might not change the world as what we see it, and we might not see the action change right away, or we might not see it all at once, but this change does happen. gandhiji was able to use the truest form of ahimsa to promote peace and bear off the british from expanding their rule. see people’s hearts and minds changed in the 40s. people saw an alternative!!!!! I think this is very important that they saw another way out — others like martin luther king jr learned from people like gandhiji….and yes, pakistan and india spilt off, and yes millions of people died crossing borders, etc…but i guess i like to look at the ankantavad point of view in that things could have been much worse. Can you imagine a world with out Mahavir Bhagvans and Gandhji, or Mother Teresa’s….so i think the change happens slowly. I do believe in love and compassion and that love does solve so many issues. love and understanding and acceptance is so important for this world. Accepting differences between people makes a huge impact on our human lives! Call me an optimist, but i think the world is better off having these fine people giving their lives for society…i know you believe the same — i just think that HUGE changes of peace an tranquility will come when the time is right, and more and more people will see that there is an alternative way to live and feel more alive than all this senseless killing and temporary addiction to material things which makes us blame outside things, instead of looking from within to see what is our strength inside!
well i’ve said enough, but stay in good health and hope to hear about your amazing week in your blog!
cheers,
Comment by Shail Shah September 14, 2007 @ 11:50 pmShail Shah