Intimacy and Sisterhood

The topic of Sisterhood seems to be very present for me, and others, right now, so I thought I would offer some reflections.

As you know, I recently returned from India, which was an incredible experience on so many levels.

One of the most endearing experiences was the level of intimacy and love I experienced in my relationships with my Indian sisters and brothers.

India is such an incredible country, built on a very strong social fabric and deep bonds between people.

As an example, one thing that touched me so much in India was how men and women referred to each other on the street or in shops.  In my ancestral state, Gujarat, men were referred to as “Kaka”, meaning ‘my father’s brother’ and women were referred to as “Masi” meaning ‘my mother’s sister.’

It is common throughout India that children would refer to any elder as Uncle or Auntie.

People greeting each other as family without even having met before, how beautiful is that?! [Read more...]

All Beauty Contains Darkness

I have touched down in Los Angeles. After 10 soul-filled weeks in India, I have to say that new insights and truths continue to open up to me everyday.

 

One big insight has come out of how darn confusing it has been to be back.

I was really ready to come back, but then in being back I didn’t want to be back, but I didn’t want to be in India, and then I didn’t want to feel sad to be back, but I did feel sad, but I also felt happy and grateful and then it was day here and night there, so I felt tired during the day, and I forgot how to dress here and I didn’t really like my cooking anymore (need more spices) and, and, and…

You kind of get where I’m going with this?

So out of all this THINKING, here’s the insight. I just had to BE! Oh my Goddess, I just had to BE, without judgments, without labeling my feelings, thoughts, emotions, desires, experience as ‘good’ or ‘bad’, ‘right’ or ‘wrong’. I just had to BE.

Ah….

Do you ever have experiences like that? When there is so much going on at different levels in your life that you can’t really do anything but simply be? [Read more...]

The Mother

I can’t believe it!!! I have come to the end of my trip. I feel all is coming full circle. This past week, I had the chance to visit Auroville and the Aurobindo ashram in Puducherry. Aurobindo, a political revolutionary turned spiritual master, was very influential for me in his little pocket book The Mother. Through his, and his counterpart, The Mother’s teachings, I have deepened in my understandings of the connection between personal and social transformation and devotion to the Great Mother to bring about this transformation. It’s such a great blessing that I had the opportunity to visit with my wonderful mother, a doctor turned social change maker!!

Here are some pics of Auroville, check out the most amazing banyan tree ever. All the tree trunks that you see are actually branches of the tree that have grown to the earth. It is the official center of Auroville and close to there is the big dome, called Mother’s Temple, a place to meditate and concentrate on the divine. Jai Ma!!
Keep reading for one of my favorite passages from The Mother
[Read more...]