I had so many brilliant ideas for my essential question. The role of women in society, how healthcare affects education, and the definition of school to name a few. However my thoughts have taken a different turn.
According to kireetjoshiarchives.com, “…the entire spectrum of Indian culture,—its religion, ethics, philosophy, literature, art, architecture, dance, music, and even its polity and social and economic organization,—all these have been constantly influenced and moulded by the inspiring force of a multi-sided spirituality.”
It is this multifaceted aspect of India I want to discover. My interest comes after a lifetime of pursing my own thoughts on spirituality. Like Annie Dillard in “Living like Weasels,” I’ve had that sudden connection to nature broken because my own feet were solidly planted in reality. I’m not Native American, but I’ve taken Kokopelli as my totem/symbol – delighting in our mutual love of fun and music. I've also experienced things I have come to believe may have been influenced by an ancient spirituality.
Surrounded by cement, steel, and plastic, it is hard to give up this modernity for a world where anything is possible, yet I feel compelled to seek out answers to some of the strange events which I have read about and experienced.
According to kireetjoshiarchives.com, “…the entire spectrum of Indian culture,—its religion, ethics, philosophy, literature, art, architecture, dance, music, and even its polity and social and economic organization,—all these have been constantly influenced and moulded by the inspiring force of a multi-sided spirituality.”
It is this multifaceted aspect of India I want to discover. My interest comes after a lifetime of pursing my own thoughts on spirituality. Like Annie Dillard in “Living like Weasels,” I’ve had that sudden connection to nature broken because my own feet were solidly planted in reality. I’m not Native American, but I’ve taken Kokopelli as my totem/symbol – delighting in our mutual love of fun and music. I've also experienced things I have come to believe may have been influenced by an ancient spirituality.
Surrounded by cement, steel, and plastic, it is hard to give up this modernity for a world where anything is possible, yet I feel compelled to seek out answers to some of the strange events which I have read about and experienced.
A few years ago I studied the link between mythology and history in Ireland. My research was fascinating and fruitful. You can balk at the idea of giants all you want, but I saw the physical evidence in several above ground tombs as well as in every crowded pub where there were always one or two people who stood head and shoulders above the rest.
I toured this cave, literally a hole in the ground, as part of my research.
We went here late in the day. John Willmott, Mike Croghan, and a film maker from Canada scouting out sites for a shoot. We’d spent the day touring other sites, and I’d gotten sunburned.
To get into the cave, you have to slide through a tunnel, turn left, slide some more before a short drop. It had rained the day before, so the path was a bit muddy.
We went here late in the day. John Willmott, Mike Croghan, and a film maker from Canada scouting out sites for a shoot. We’d spent the day touring other sites, and I’d gotten sunburned.
To get into the cave, you have to slide through a tunnel, turn left, slide some more before a short drop. It had rained the day before, so the path was a bit muddy.
Once we were at the bottom, Mike turned off the flashlight and we stood in the darkness. Behind me a felt a pulsing. I turned around and leaned my head against the muddy wall. My tired, aching muscles relaxed and a sense of peace came over me. I stood like that for a few minutes, straightened up, and we all left silently.
When talking to Mike about what I felt, he replied that people had the same experience. “You turned towards the mound where Queen Maeve had her throne room,” he explained. “Some believe the power of the Sidhe is strong there.”
When talking to Mike about what I felt, he replied that people had the same experience. “You turned towards the mound where Queen Maeve had her throne room,” he explained. “Some believe the power of the Sidhe is strong there.”
When I got back to the B&B where I was staying and washed off the mud, I discovered that any placed touched with mud was no longer sunburned.
I know many may be questioning how a study of spirituality, otherworldly or otherwise, will help me in my classroom. I believe knowledge of the spirituality of other cultures helps us to bridge cultures gaps and communicate more effectively.
I know that there are those whose faith compels them to turn away from thoughts such as these. Consider that faith – a belief in something you can’t see. I have the same faith – my God is the Christian God – but I am open to the idea that He created other worlds and that these worlds cannot be seen with my eyes but possibility can be experienced in other ways. My God also imbued me with a curiosity to examine the spirituality of other cultures. Spirituality is not a religion. It crosses all boundaries to connect our souls to the world.
So my trek to India is multipurpose. I long to meet the students and teachers I am destined to meet. I am also eager to continue my quest to discover how spirituality creates the people we are.
I know that there are those whose faith compels them to turn away from thoughts such as these. Consider that faith – a belief in something you can’t see. I have the same faith – my God is the Christian God – but I am open to the idea that He created other worlds and that these worlds cannot be seen with my eyes but possibility can be experienced in other ways. My God also imbued me with a curiosity to examine the spirituality of other cultures. Spirituality is not a religion. It crosses all boundaries to connect our souls to the world.
So my trek to India is multipurpose. I long to meet the students and teachers I am destined to meet. I am also eager to continue my quest to discover how spirituality creates the people we are.