"More Humble than a Blade of Grass"
As you may be aware Elizabeth and I are still in India at the ashram we have been living at since March 5. As "lockdowns" and "stay-at-homes" begin to end and the world starts to open back up again we want to share with you one of the lessons we have been studying here at the ashram and have learned through direct experience in our lives as guides.
One of the "slokas" (Hindi for quote/phrase) that has been taught here is to "act in a way that is more humble than a blade of grass...". This phrase has really resonated with us. Humbleness is a word that is not seen or discussed much in our society while here in India it is a major part of the culture.
When meeting someone on the street or in passing it is common practice here to give them "dandevat." Dandevat means to get down onto your hands and knees and place your head on the ground in their direction. This literal bowing to each other shows respect and humbleness toward one another.
Humbleness can be interpreted and applied in many different ways in daily life. One of our favorite ways to apply humbleness is to acknowledge that my way may not be the best way and be willing to say "I don't know." This can be difficult to do since in the US we are often engaged in conversations where we are forced to defend our ideas and opinions and taught that not knowing the answer means failure.
However our society is being reformed and is moving into new uncharted waters. As we begin to re-shape how life will look moving forward perhaps incorporating a bit of humbleness into our culture could do go a long way in creating a wonderful new world.
It is easy to look outside for the answer to our problems and speak to what others "should do." By practicing a bit of humbleness in our daily life we could start a movement from the ground up for a better world.
What do you think? Drop us a line and let us know. Do you like the idea or think it is useless? How can you see humbleness being beneficial in your daily life and the world at large? What small moments of humbleness can you practice in our life?
Elizabeth and I want to re-assure those of you who are following our story that we are healthy, happy and safe here in India. Be sure to follow along with our current journey at facebook.com/inbodyexpeditions. We wish you all healthy bodies and peaceful minds during this important time.
