Long Walks On Leafy Streets

5/20/2014 Peabody Street NW, Washington, DC
The past week was a difficult week filled with disappointments. There were some unpleasant developments at work. Although not directly related to me things did not turn out the way I was hoping they would. On friday the results from the elections in India were announced. The new party that campaigned with little money and a lot of hope came up almost empty and the group that I think panders to the worst instincts among the people won in a landslide. It really makes me worried about the future of India and the world.
So I was feeling a little down last week. On friday I couldn't get much work done because I spent a considerable amount of time going through the results and arguing with people about it. It helped that Nicole arrived from Philadelphia on saturday after spending a week with her family over Mother's Day.
Also thanks to all the meditation, walking, gardening and other activities it did not affect me like it might have in younger days. I try not to dwell on things too much these days. In this my mother is a great inspiration to me. She has a very strict routine and she always focuses on her work and does not bother with politics and other things too much. On friday morning when I came downstairs after looking at the election results I saw her eating breakfast. When I asked her about it she said in a matter of fact way, "He should have been more patient." She was talking about the leader of the new party that I had so much hope for. Yes, they were young and inexperienced and made many mistakes. Hopefully they will learn from their mistakes and do better next time. I really believe that they are the best hope for India if it were to remain true to Gandhi.
It can be difficult and frustrating if you are concerned about the world and really want to make a change in the world and bring about more peace and justice and harmony with nature. So many things are happening that are taking us away from those ideals. People seem to be more concerned with acquiring material things for themselves and not too worried about the plight of the poor or the minorities or the environment.
Yet it is important to remember that the world has come a long way. As Martin Luther King said, the moral arc of the universe bends towards justice. We have endured many wars and much destruction and with more effort we can bring people together and create a more peaceful, just world where everyone has the opportunity for a better life.
When you connect with the deepest and the true nature of yourself you see that you are connected with everything else in the universe. When you stay connected like that and live true to yourself then you help others also realize their true nature.
When you contemplate the true nature of the world you also become less attached to your own notions of what is good and bad. You realize that it is all a big dance, everything that happens is God's will. Both the person who is causing suffering and the one who is suffering are part of the same universe. With love, even the one who causes suffering will be able to wake up and realize the God in everyone. This is the basic idea behind Gandhi's non-violent approach. He did not want to defeat anyone, but rather to awaken the better angels in his adversaries, and that can only be done through non-violence in thought, speech and deed.
It is a very difficult path to walk on, one that requires constant mindfulness. I find myself often giving in to anger and the desire to win the argument rather than listen and understand and help the other person understand. So it helps to take a little breather now and then, either by going for a walk or just sitting for a while doing nothing. I found myself doing that several times during the past week.
On friday evening I went for a long walk to calm myself down. I passed by a specialty bike shop on Carroll Ave called "The Green Commuter." I had been interested in designing a bike with a solar panel canopy that would be affordable to everyone. So I went in and looked at the different configurations they had on display. They had bikes with a stroller in front and others with a motor run by a battery. It gave me some further ideas on how to develop my idea for a solar bike. Thinking of what I can do helps me to reduce some of the frustration that I feel with the developments in the world. But what brings real peace is to realize that we are all connected, every living and non-living being in the universe, in fact that the universe is just one being.

Directory Previous