Reaching back to the roots: Tranquility amidst confusion

So I’m back in Bangalore, India. It’s hot, crowded, polluted and yet surprisingly calming. I still love it. There’s something very mystic about the country, something that obviously reached out to various rockers and celebrities through the years like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Kevin Garnett etc. Something here seems to nurture the discovery of inner thoughts, of karma, of nirvana. The country seems to evoke a sense of meaning to life.

I can’t seem to figure out what makes this dirty, smelly country so fascinating. Is it the prevalent religious history that it has? Driving around and seeing all these massive mosques, intricately designed Hindu temples and old Anglo-Indian churches is like leafing through a coffee table book of historical marvels. All these religions, all these cultural differences and yet these simplistic people manage to live right next door to each other and make it work. We’re in a world full of division and seclusion, yet meeting some of my parent’s tenants who are devout Hindus defied these barriers. My parents own a home that they lease out, their tenants welcomed us into their homes and provided coffee and snacks to us, a bunch of foreigners that are obviously Christian. What a humbling experience. It seems like they don’t care about religious differences here, they don’t care about cultural backgrounds or socio-economic status, people here just care about friendship and relationships.

Or perhaps it’s the perfect balance of life in this chaotic country that reaches out to people. All the extremes: the rich and the poor, the traditional and the modern, the conservative and the Westernized traveller. It’s like watching the opening scene of the Lion King and seeing all these different animals from the circle of life celebrate together when they should be feasting off each other’s flesh.

I can’t comprehend how everyone gets along. It’s mind blowing. I mean can you imagine a John-Deer-clad farmer from Iowa living next door to a Puerto Rican illegal immigrant on one side and a Harlem-raised baller on the right? Not just that, can you imagine them grilling out together and baby-sitting each other’s kids on a daily basis?

Yeah not a realisitc picture huh? But it happens here in the Indian sub-continent.

I saw this sign yesterday that was really inspiring. Gandhi’s influence on mankind is still prevalent with simple slogans like this. I have a lot of thoughts on this quote and I’m sure everyone who reads it will feel inspired. Yet, it’s hard to follow.

I feel like i’m back home. My mind is constantly sifting through thoughts, emotions, memories and concerns, the traffic is insane and the poor are everywhere. But the food is great, everyone is still profoundly happy, and we met a Michael-Jackson tribute cover band who invited us to watch them at a few local bars. What a crazy country. God bless it.