Frances Homewood - Pune Journal Week Four

Week Four

India is a culture that marries the sacred and the secular in a down to earth kind of way. From soap powders named after the great yogi Patanjali, to the sight of sacred cows sitting languidly on the pavement outside the coffee shop I visited this morning, I am constantly reminded of a set of values that are very different from the West.In this culture, although it is rapidly changing and modernizing, the sacred is still acknowledged as an essential part of everyday life. Our vegetable man from whom we buy most mornings, bears the mark on his crimson streaked forehead of his early visit to the temple to seek blessings on his business. Flowers adorn the picture of his guru amidst the rows of  potatoes and coconuts. On an earlier visit , I remember seeing a new car being driven from the garage with incense sticks burning on its bonnet to help protect it from harm.I was wondering if, for the younger generation, tech savvy and often seen in western dress, these values are losing their grip. So it was interesting to be invited by one of the teachers from the Yoga Institute to a concert of young Indian classical musicians studying at Pune University. There, before the concert began , the candles and incense were lit by students in front of a statue of Saraswati, the Goddess of arts, music and learning. Below the statue sat photos of the great music teachers from that school who had inspired the students.This honouring the lineage of learning, just as we do when we thank and acknowledge the Iyengars in our yoga classes, speaks of a kind of deep respect for those who have paved the way for us. It mirrors the kind of respect I still see young people here giving to their elders.In this spirit of respect, since Independence, India has prided itself on its secular constitution: one which gives equal rights to all citizens regardless of religion or none. So the latest government proposal to treat certain groups of Muslim refugees differently to Hindus has evoked alarm and active protests all across India. Are the values of tolerance and respect starting to break down, as we are seeing at home, I wonder?More than ever perhaps those teachers of our yoga lineage who ,many centuries ago wrote of the ethical principles that hold a society together; non violence, truthfulness, not taking more than we need, showing friendliness and compassion for all, hold a voice that we cannot allow to be lost because it is so needed now. Everywhere.As we start a new year together in Yoga, let's hold those principles dear. To me, they are sacred.Wishing you a Happy New Year.Frances[metaslider id=3067]