November 17, 2008
The weekend was all about self-assessment and self-exploration at a place called Peace Village (http://www.peacevillage.com/) in Haines Falls, in the Catskills area in upstate New York south of Albany. When one connects with Nature in a pristine setting like the Peace Village's, one is bound to be in touch with the real and the unsullied.
Because it was already dark when we drove up to the Village, we missed the area's beauty of the gorge and the valley, the streams and the brooks and of course totally missed the several water falls on Route 23A, a narrow, winding, hairline-curved road. On our way back on Sunday afternoon, we caught up on all the missed breathtaking sights.
One time, when I witnessed Sunrise that took my breath away at the Grand Canyon, I felt that indeed there must be a God. Something about Nature has this effect on even atheists perhaps. The beauty of Haines Falls has the same effect.
Nestled amidst this is Peace Village where year-long retreats like the one (Confluence: Roots and Wings) we went to take place led by the Brahma Kumaris, an order of women primarily and some men who have embraced a spiritual life, some of them straddling successfully between both the commercially driven market place and the order. The theme of the retreat was the exploration of the confluence of various contradictions at this particular time in history.
For instance, the confluence of extreme material wealth in the world and the gradual awareness of the havoc it can create (however, not once was any of the problems of the world around us like the current financial meltdown was mentioned). The underlying theme as reflected in the title Roots and Wings was how tradition (roots) gives us the grounding to soar into unexplored territories. The stronger one's roots are the sturdier one's wings!
What amazes one about the whole philosophy of the order of the Brahma Kumaris is how they in their every action project abundance. This morning's TV news is dominated by nothing but scarcity (Citigroup is laying off 53, 000 employees cutting down its workforce from 350, 000 to 300, 000), a Saudi Oil Tanker has been hijacked off of Somalia and the speculation is the 25 crew members would be pawns in the demand for ransom money by the hijackers, disaster capitalism (reference: Best Selling Author, Naomi Klein), et al. and I can't stop wondering how the BK's run over 8,500 centres in 100 countires and territories strictly based on volunteerism? Does this story of abundance have something to do with its female leadership and the story of the world of capitalism to do with male leadership? After I wrote this line, I happened to read: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/16/weekinreview/16dobrzynski.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Maybe+the+meltdown%27s+a+guy+thing&st=nyt
I was right on the money! Amazing how it's women's hormonal imbalance that gets blamed for their "oh-that-time-of-the-month" behavior. I think that now hormone-related havoc created by men can join the gallery of rogues, too.
For some, when they return home such retreats might make them feel depressed as the contrast between the experience in this almost other worldly setting and their real world demands could be stark. But by the same token the retreat also serves as the place where one could pick up the right tools to manage one's worldly affairs smartly. A confluence of the right tools and the life's daily challenges.
Those who have not yet experienced what Peace Village has to offer, they must experience it at least once to see what they are missing. I've been fortunate to have been associated with this group (I'm the kind who's open to learning from all over) for a long time and hope to continue benefiting from my association. The awareness and constant reminder that life could be lived with a sense of abundance as exemplified by the BK's is worth learning. They are waiting to show others how one could. The smart ones among us will take advantage of their generosity.
Ciao!
Ro
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