As I tentatively strolled into the open courtyard lined with stone pathways and young children holding up their quiet signs, I noticed a rectangular cynosure set in the middle of the grounds, topped with flowers and people touching their foreheads to the marble. A man asked me gently if I knew where I was going. I looked up at him into his warm, welcoming eyes and honestly told him I did not. Like a grandfather to his favorite granddaughter, he motioned for me to remove my chappals. Then, as if telling me a secret no one else should know, he pointed me to an inner room and said, “Go sit with Mother’s bed, and open your heart to Mother where she once lay.” He made a grandeous gesture as he emphasized open while maintaing a smile that exuded his confidence in my ability to accompish such a task.
I closed my eyes and sat in the Ashram until the man touched my shoulder and told me it was time to leave. As I stood up, having realized the blood had ceased running to my legs as it churned through my brain the past few hours, I felt it in my heart and deep into my soul that I had crossed a threshold into a devoted life.
Mother commited herself to the exploration and creation of human unity. She defined guidelines as to how one should live in order to accomplish human unity, regardless of age, race, social standing, or abilities. She looked towards a future in which we live off sustainable, replicable methods that enrich humanity rather than degrade it. And although she has accomplished an incredible feat in creating Auroville, there still exists the imperative questions of impact, scale, and sustainability of such a wonderful anomaly in our chaotic country of India.
I committed myself, that day, to the exploration of education. Whether it be rich or poor, young or old, “smart” or “slow,” enthusiastic or uninterested, each human deserves a chance at a fascinating, empowering, enlightening education. Each of us deserves the lightbulb moment in which we realize our strength, what we excel at, and how we can use that to benefit the world around us. However, there will still exist the questions of our ability to scale our efforts, our knowledge, and our foresight into a brighter future.
I then realized I would search for the guiding light that would lead children to success and happiness, knowing full well I may not live to see the day come, but that I must keep my mind focussed on the road ahead of me to get to where I want to go.
As the Holy Master once said, “When you have one eye on the goal, you only have one eye on the path.”
-Shabnam
From time to time I will re-post from my other blog: www.theteachtour.com. This is one of those times.