Friday, October 14, 2011

Seeing India

Poverty, Malnutrition, Child Labor, Domestic Violence, Rape, Human Trafficking, Exploitation, Inequality, Unequal distribution of wealth, etc....
These are just some of the harsh realities of the world that we live in. These are things that happen all over the world. In India (and I think Nepal), these things feel much more "in your face" (for lack of a better word). Many westerners who travel through India hate it because it makes them uncomfortable. It is so sad for them to see the examples of extreme poverty, it makes them feel guilty for the life they have, and they would much rather return to their ignorance. Where children with pot bellies, skinny arms, covered in flies only exist on their television screen. Where they can send a check to an organization and tell themselves they are not ignoring the rest of the world. It is these blatant challenges to life that I appreciate in a place like India. In India, nobody can pretend that there aren't people who need their help. It is much harder to live your life without being reminded how lucky we are. I wish these westerners would see the harsh lives of these people and realize this is reality. This is the world. Not everything is shiny. One is not necessarily better than the other. It is often the most economically desperate people who know true happiness. Whats bigger is NOT always better. Want and Desire are causes of true suffering (to borrow from buddhist philosophy). I wish people could come, see, experience, help where possible, and most of all LEARN. LEARN. LEARN. Learn from the people, learn from a different way of life, learn from the conditions, learn from your reactions to everything that comes up, learn to appreciate, learn to understand, learn to SEE.

1 comment:

Mel (and Gary too) said...

Amen sister! I like this post.