INDIAN EXPERIENCES BY SIP STUDENTS 2008

[Guest guest]

INDIAN EXPERIENCES BY SIP STUDENTS 2008

 

Having grown up in the West and knowing its religious and philosophical traditions well enough, I have become quite familiar with the complexities that the culture has to offer. Since the age of fifteen, I began to realize these complexities and the false certainties that they project. At that age, I decided I was interested in getting to know other traditions and cultures so that I may at least begin to understand their complexities. If I could begin to understand another tradition and the culture that has resulted from it, I could maybe expand my understanding of how the fragile human operates in this uncertain world in which he dwells.

My time in India has been a great start to this ambition. Although my classes were not as intense or as informative as I necessarily would have liked, the mere experience of how and state university in India operates was plenty for me to take in. The attitude of the professors, the way the professors treated me, as a foreign student, the assignments, the way the other Indian students acted, and so on have all led to an understanding of the Indian culture of today. My experiences at school in addition to my day to day experiences have led to an appreciation for the Indian way of life; that is, the acceptance of the chaos that surrounds you.

There have been several times during my stay in India that plans have not unfolded as intended. Whether that was because the bank on campus was randomly closed or a professor did not show up for class, I quickly learned not to approach anything in my day with certainty. Nothing could ever really surpass a "perhaps" or a "maybe" in regard to the possibility of it actually occurring.

In addition to this generic description of day to day life in India, I also became aware of the complex situation that is imbedded in the land of Tamil Nadu. Had I not studied in this area, I would have not been aware of the Tamil-pride that resonates in the area. I would not have been aware of the way that Tamil is derived from Dravidian roots, an ancient language that spread from southeastern India to Sri Lanka into some of Far East Asia, like Singapore and Malaysia.

Moreover, while my studies of Indian thought prior to my coming to India did introduce me already to Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and even Aurobindo, my understanding of Hinduism and Aurobindo have certainly expanded. For Hinduism, visiting temples and reading the few texts given my a professor have and learning about yoga and its true intention have surely expanded an understanding of Hindu thought. Furthermore, although I used to dismiss Aurobindo as overly optimistic and idealistic, living near and often spending time in Auroville has at least made me consider his thoughts twice. I am now able to see how grounded his thought is in Indian thought, but also how it incorporates the experiences of an existential being. While his thought did not necessarily sink in when

reading some excerpts a year and a half ago, I am now at a point where I can comfortably compare and contrast his thought with some of his comtemporaries, like other existential thinkers like Martin Heidegger and Martin Buber.

Alas, although many of my experiences in India were not what I expected, like an organized university, the unexpected has proved to be quite beneficial. After all, I came to expand my understanding, which is done best by jumping into a world that you do not understand.

 

 

 

I arrived in India having some expectations as to what I would find. I visited India for a short time last January. I visited the North and the South has been a completely different experience. I find the climate and the people to be much more suitable for me. These past four months have been characterized by reflection and a new understanding of self. Before I came to India I was standing with one foot in either stream: one pre-professional and the other academic. The time to decide was rapidly approaching and it was causing me great stress. The slow pace of India allowed me to decide which would make me happiest once I was adequately distanced from my responsibilities to both fields.

So here I have undertaken to have more regularity of mind, to be more self-motivated and to commitment myself to my own understanding of the world, no matter how little I know about it now. One cannot be happy, I have discovered, living under the belief systems or material expectations of others, whether that be a person, a society, or a religion. I cannot live within the system but this means I have to be independent enough o live outside of it, materially and spiritually. I have no priests to direct me to the right action, no Hail Marys to absolve sins I have committed. I have no one to provide me with welfare if my own abilities prove insufficient. So I must be by own guide, my own mentor, I must avoid sin because there is no one to absolve me of it once it is incurred. I can't fail materially, I am all I have to support myself and that

responsibility is not a burden, it is simply a need that I am perfectly capable of fulfilling if only I endeavor to rise up to the challenge.

I will return to the US with a different view of life and the world. It is important to me to enjoy everyday because everyday is a blessing and in everything there exists the divine. To go slow and reflect to avoid anger or fear. To have a clean mind and body so that I am ready to participate in my life fully and to learn from my studies as much as possible. When I return to the US I plan to work will resuming school sooner than I thought so that I can begin the path toward becoming a professor. I can think of nothing better than to try to illuminate the darkness that exists within so many hearts and minds due to ignorance. This is the goal of my life, the eradication of blindness for myself and others.

 

 

Overall, I have had a wonderful experience in India. Being an American-born daughter of Indians, a practicing Hindu, has made this journey somewhat of a "search for my roots" type of experience. I have learned things about my own culture that have made me proud, and also some that have shocked me. Seeing the Mahashivratri pooja, learning Sanskrit under Dr. Krishnan, and seeing such amazing monuments on travels are some of the highlights of my stay in India. I was shocked by the level of casteism and sexism that plainly still exists in this society, how difficult it was for me to walk around the streets with a white male friend without being stared at and occasionally harassed.

More specifically, the SIP program itself had some very positive as well as negative aspects. The hostel was lovely, aside from frequent internet problems. The food was disappointing, but manageable. The university education was not nearly as flexible or organized as advertised, and I was on the whole unsatisfied with the instruction I ended up receiving. I do think that my Bharatnatyam class at the ICYER Ashram was a saving grace of the SIP program – it was excellent! I learned so much, had classes regularly, was given the full attention of the instructor. Pondicherry as a city is a great location, and the beginning trip around South India was wonderful.

 

I think my largest frustration with SIP was with the disorganization and lack of communication between the facilitators of the program and the teachers at the university. Aside from that, I had a wonderful time.

 

India, India ... what's in a name?

 

Last month I had the opportunity to travel to the Andaman Islands fora week. They were so magnificent, that simply seeing the picturesquepalm-lined white sand beaches who constantly flirt with the shimmeringgentle aquamarine surf expanded my definition of beauty. Oneafternoon on the beach I met an eight year old British girl with acharming crocked smile, and a contagious zest for life. She sat downnext to me, one fist held tightly closed, concealing the prizedposition that lie in her palm