February 26, 2013
A Day Of Devotion
One of the most beloved and well-known figures of Kolkata is Mother Teresa, the Catholic nun who created “The Home For The Dying and Destitute”. We visited one of her care centers, her residence and the original home for the dying. To think that her sole mission was to care for the poorest and most marginalized of people-homeless, maimed, starving and dying-is a true testament to purpose. It’s impressive to see that her order of nuns and original intention are still flourishing. It hits you in the guts to walk through one of these places and see mentally disabled children contracted with muscle spasticity or the elderly in hospice care connected to an IV as they make their transition. But I also felt a such a strong sense of compassion by those offering service to this most outcast population and being face to face with their work took my admiration to another level.
We visited the Mother Teresa gift shop on our way out which had the anticipated memorabilia of rosary, postcards and books of her life’s work, but also included chocolates, fridge magnets and figurines. You just never know what will appeal to the masses…
Moving to another point along the spiritual spectrum, we stopped at the Bilar Krishna Temple. A newly built (1971) building with giant statues of Krishna & Radha, Durga, Shiva, Ganesha, Vishnu and Hanuman. The marble and stone structure had places for puja (offerings) which if you made a small donation, were given a tikka (powdered dot on the forehead), pradam (sweet to eat) and a scoop of sacred water. The ritual is to receive the water, sip and brush along the top of the head, then to eat the sweet. A couple of us, being fully in the moment of offering, forgot that this is India (i.e., don’t drink anything but bottled or boiled water) tossed some of the sacred water into our mouths before cleansing the head. Oops. Upon realizing the potential for ingesting any unwelcome bacteria, we said an extra prayer for good luck and healthy digestion. Of course the power of suggestion began to feel real…on the bus I found myself wondering, “is my stomach gurgling? Do I feel a bit nauseated?”. Let’s just say that all is well and the lesson has been learned.
I have found that India is a place of open devotion. Small altars are spread along roadsides, people make puja rituals part of their daily practices and wear their religion almost literally on their sleeves. Hindus with dots on the forehead, Muslims with skull caps and heads covered. It all seems to flow into the natural rhythm of the culture. Not that it hasn’t been without its major conflicts, but my limited time here has me thinking that all of us could be in the practice of acceptance more fully.
A day of devotion and lessons learned.
Om Shanti and amen to that!
