© Smile with Knowledge
I have been raised in the land of one of the most ancient civilizations which has been the cradle of Spiritualism for time immemorial. Ancient India has been known to be a land of holy sages who preached and practiced austerity, where scholarly inquisitions and debates were encouraged regularly along with the study of mathematics, science, politics, philosophy, and engineering. I grew up in this land of philosophical quests, the land of Yoga (meaning to connect, referring to the union of the mind, body, and spirit), and Ayurveda (meaning life science or the knowledge to maintain balance of bodily systems through diet, natural treatments, exercise, and meditation). I grew up in this ancient land of astrology, astronomy, physics, and mathematics, alongside the strong cultural heritage of celebrating festivals surrounding the worship of natural elements (sun, moon, stars, plants, animals etc.), and the immense focus on homestead living with natural farming and agriculture (currently popularized as permaculture).
My generation has grown up with specks of all the above in this land that has undergone several transformations with every invasion and cultural fusion, but the most significant of these changes is reflected in the recent decades of globalization and perceived progress. As expected, the Indian subcontinent has become a rapidly developing economy in the recent past bringing with it all the perils of human intrusion on nature that is conveniently ignored by the long starving huge population that has no qualms in sacrificing spiritualism and ethics for a more comfortable materialistic life. We are surrounded by people who want to be blind to the uncomfortable realities of life, and frantically try to find solace in living in denial lest they will have to sacrifice their pleasures. Everything has become a business; education, health, spiritualism, and even the concept of sustainability.
Many youngsters today are confused and lost, their families pushing them towards material success while their worldview nags them to break away and do something meaningful. In still developing countries like India where a majority of the population still struggles for the basic necessities of life, it is considered a luxury to pursue any spiritual quest on their own. Unfortunately, pursuing one’s own spiritual journey would mean breaking away from the family, not undertaking the responsibility of parents and siblings, escaping the social expectations, and in a nutshell, becoming selfish. The more difficult thing to do would be to stay in the society and fulfill all the family responsibilities without violating ethical values and yet maintaining one’s own spiritual sanctity. In a place like India, and within Indian traditional family structures, this can mean spiritual suicide, but that would depend on the individual perspective and their worldview of life as a whole. For those unsung people in India who are pursuing a spiritual life amidst the responsibilities of family life, I salute their spirit and pray each day to strengthen their resilience. Only when we can practice order within chaos can we progress towards a sustainable life.