15th of August, Assumption and ... Independence…day...

15^th of August where normally as a good catholic I celebrate Assumption day… 

Here too, in India, every shop is closed, people, mostly men wearing an Indian flag pinned on their shirt, religiously, very proud!

This day has a deep meaning for me, feminine and divine assumption.

Thought it was really auspicious last year… a symbol of spontaneity, of trust, of engagement…in a strong spiritual context..

but in the end seems like it was only one-sided.

A spiritual commitment opposed to the mere attraction to folkloric aspects of wearing a shari, choosing precious stones… wearing a wetsuit…and surfing in India!

No involvement hence never any kind of engagement, and surely not trustworthy.
A few lines (a few lies),  emails to say goodbye…thank you... tschuss, felt like the real meaning, the only significance that was proposed to me!

But the result does not really matter after all…only the journey, mine.

For all I learned… for being more aware of who I am…

what I will never seek again, never get close to…
I am grateful.
And that I respected, respect.

I believe that you are what you do, you are the way you treat people, even just for fun.
You are the way you let people treat you.

So when I can, if I can, more and more now, I go away acknowledging with gratitude the good in persons that cross my path, with a respectful letter, a gift, or even a song…

the way I feel I should be generous to honor the generosity of life, of fate, to have so much in my life, the way I guess I would like people to honor the time we spent together.

I wish you well!

Well funny enough this year I was surrounded by new friends, laughter and the thriving of new… projects from the field, from villages... not high level strategies.

Irony of life.

And a funny way to get to new ventures, say goodbye again in a personal way…ukey way

and look forward just thankful for the joy of the present…

Not sad, just blessed it happened,
this time feeling deeply honest and both sides engaged in a both spiritual and humanist way!

Now here is how important that Independence day, 15th of August is for an Indian man, from a political, historical perspective. Here is what Deepak, very good friend of mine feels about it:

"Independence day morning. the unfurling of the indian flag at the main building. the rope a little knaughty and a few anxious moments :-) and the flag finally smiles. a shower of petals and a fluttering of color. and the national anthem still brings goosebumps to the flesh.

theres a speech being given, but the students at the back have - as they have always done - really really important things to talk about. things that simply must be loudly discussed right now :-) so my ears go on vacation while my eyes go back to that fluttering flag. that beautiful tricolor. so familiar to these eyes. and i gaze at it, wide eyed :-)

the deep saffron at the top. a symbol of courage. of virility. of selflessness. of sacrifice. saffron. the color of the true warriors of the spirit. or flesh. saffron. the color of a love, a passion that transcends the individual. of those willing to renounce it all for the greater good. even their lives. especially their lives.

the vibrant green at the bottom. our connection to our roots. the earth and this soil. the bountiful harvest of someone's toil. the promise of rain that makes us sing. the bliss of a perennial river or spring. this green in my eye. the earths response to an ecstatic sky. the color of nature's benevolence and a farmers happiness. the paddy fields and the vegetable farms, the emperors gardens and the orchards of succulent charms. stomachs that sleep contended at night. and the flower schools of endless delight :-)  "
.

The Flower-School

When storm-clouds rumble in the sky and June showers come down.
The moist east wind comes marching over the heath to blow its
bagpipes among the bamboos.
Then crowds of flowers come out of a sudden, from nobody knows
where, and dance upon the grass in wild glee.
Mother, I really think the flowers go to school underground.
They do their lessons with doors shut, and if they want to
come out to play before it is time, their master makes them stand
in a corner.
When the rain come they have their holidays.
Branches clash together in the forest, and the leaves rustle
in the wild wind, the thunder-clouds clap their giant hands and the
flower children rush out in dresses of pink and yellow and white.
Do you know, mother, their home is in the sky, where the stars
are.
Haven't you see how eager they are to get there? Don't you
know why they are in such a hurry?
Of course, I can guess to whom they raise their arms; they
have their mother as I have my own.

Rabindranath Tagore

"This flag fluttering so blissfully in the breeze. much has been the saffron, the green and the white that has gone into its making. its the child of untold sacrifices, much toil and the highest of human ideals. created with great love and deliberation, its the symbol of a civilization that has aspired by and large peacefully for the good of all, for a world where all men are free to search for, and discover, and live, the highest truths known to man. and today, just when everything seems to be a little less certain, nothing seems "quite right", just when the flag seems to be one country, and the india we are living in, another. its a great reminder this flag. of just who we have once been, what we have aspired to be, and who we still are. when we allow our hearts to speak clear and bright. this beautiful language of saffron, green and white. (and any other color that inspires us to the best a human might.) may we never forget. in peace or at war. what the flag really is. and who we really are :-)"