I feel an emptiness when I try and explain my experiences here to certain people. Like many things in life, India can't be described using words. You just have to be there to truly understand. And maybe that's why I feel so empty when I pour my heart out to people at home and the interest or true understanding isn't reciprocated. I always find that my words never do justice to the memories and the listener can't feel what I felt at that moment. So, as much as I want to depict my photographic memories to others, I've realized that some stories are better kept to myself. This way, the memories will remain untainted treasures for myself and only to those who will be able to truly cherish it.
Best to be like water
Which benefits all things
And does not contend.
It pools where humans disdain to dwell,
Close to the Tao.
Live in a good place.
Keep your mind deep.
Treat others well.
Stand by your word.
Keep good order.
Do the right thing.
Work when it's time.
Only do not contend,
And you will not go wrong.
-Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, Verse 8
It's quite strange talking to people at home. I have grown exponentially through my weeks here, while some people at home have been through similar changes and some people have remained still. Practicing non-contention and being like water. Easier said than done.
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| The motto of the Madras Theosophical Society written on a placard in front of their 300-year old banyan tree. |
so beautiful mariah. i just finished reading the book Siddartha by Herman Hesse. i think you should read it if you havent already.
ReplyDeletei love that sign and those trees! so cool
you should collect leaves from your favorite looking trees there, soak them in water, and then leave them in the windowsill to get bleached by the sun. they will turn into cool skeletons of the leaf! i have a few from the bodhi trees i saw in Nepal, and you can water color on them, use henna on them... lots of pretty things can be created! YAY TREES!
its kinda like you are in narnia.... years and years may have passed in the wardrobe world, yet when you return, only hours have passed in real world.
ReplyDeleteHaha good comparison to Narnia. You made a great point on the phone yesterday, it's just not rewarding to share the stories with people who won't understand, not that it's their fault at all. You just had to have been there. In fact, it makes me feel kind of bad. Like, I just shared this new part of my heart with you and it means so much to me but they just can't fathom it because they've never seen anything like it.
Deletethere is no reason to get down about it miah. be happy because they listened.
ReplyDeletejust remember:
what you give to the world is what it takes of you. be sure to give your heart to those who will cherish it ^_^
All imho from past experiences.
We spoke about this in the hotel a few nights ago. The first-hand experience is far more moving that a video or photograph of the event. You had a term for this experience vs. _______ (can't remember).
ReplyDeleteIt was from this TED Talk: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/daniel_kahneman_the_riddle_of_experience_vs_memory.html
DeleteUsing examples from vacations to colonoscopies, Nobel laureate and founder of behavioral economics Daniel Kahneman reveals how our "experiencing selves" and our "remembering selves" perceive happiness differently. This new insight has profound implications for economics, public policy -- and our own self-awareness.