It's all relative

So lucky me, looking at faith as an option vs. it being the only thing that I have.  Finished the book, The Hole in Our Gospel, and reflected on how a majority of poor people only have faith as their option to move forward in life.  Coming from the West, I have service and faith.  I am only examining strengths, weaknesses, and amounts of each--not one at the exclusion of the other.  Thank you universe for the set-up for contemplation:  coming from the West, living in the East, and reading a book about the poorest of the poor.  At home (California), I would be taking clean tap water for granted, deciding from an abundant fresh and prepackaged food supply, filling my gas tank up in a car that I own, texting/phoning/emailing on an iphone, and living in a furnished room/cottage/apartment with multiple rooms for even one person.  In India,  I am careful to only use bottled water (brushing teeth, rinsing dishes, etc.),  selecting foods that don't require refrigeration but are healthy (although, plenty of people in India have refrigerators, furniture, etc.), taking the bus/carpooling/walking, no phone but internet on my laptop (my choice again),  and living in one simple room (my choice.)  Reading about people in real states of poverty where the entire family spends hours a day making trips to a watering hole (and the water is often very unsanitary creating real severe health issues), hoping for even the most rudimentary food supply of something edible (anything...), walking long distances (maybe a bus ride if too far),  communication minimal, and a one room hut for the family to share (or homeless/sharing refugee camps.)  We all share the same planet, but my what a contrast.  So do I give everything I have to sponsor people having less and possibly gain brownie points from the Divine for being 'generous?"  Do I live within my means being responsible at least for one person and donate time and money where deemed appropriate?  Do I devote my life to service and work in some capacity to give selflessly?  Do I make money and then write checks as donations for different charitable causes?  Do I dig a hole, crawl in, and enlist an individual to throw dirt over the hole?  Lot's of options.  No one answer.  Into the faith fire.

In a general way, I have a few basic questions. As people, why don't we have basic respect for one another and the planet?  Those things don't even cost money.  When I drive from Northern California to Southern California, I am often struck by how much more garbage there is on the sides of the roads in Southern California.  Why? Is it population density?  Should that be an obstacle if each person takes personal responsibility. Being in India, one is very struck by the amount of garbage everywhere.  I watch countless people just throw their wrappers onto the ground or whatever as the package is opened. No hesitancy for littering.  Why?  Maybe in very poor countries (Rwanda, Somalia...) there isn't the packaging or the excess?  Not sure about that.  Maybe someone could comment?  Growing up in a multi ethnic, sexually diverse, and feminist oriented society would I stare if someone walked down a street in California in a Sari, had dark skin, or ankle bells?  I might notice the beauty and appreciate the differences, but I don't think I would single pointedly stare.  Or a man with a head scarf and a sheet of fabric wrapped around his body? The head scarf not so much, but the fabric wrap might get my attention.  Even in India, I am still not unaware of that attire.  Would others who haven't travelled stare more, not sure again.  Is it discriminating to have so many rules around what woman should or should not wear, what body parts are or are not exposed, where or where not to go according to your menstrual cycle?  Similarly, coming from a culture that has gotten past these points of differences and moved onto "healthier" aspects of male/female roles, BUT woman are still fighting a version of that battle with pay differences, work appropriate attire, who opens the door/pays the bill etc.  Men are working hard to find their way in this evolution/revolution as well, but at least it is on their radar screen.  Chewing on the three layers while diving deeper into the faith fire.

So this morning, starting at 3:30 am or so, there appeared to be some sort of celebration starting.  Vehicles going by with blaring music and people migrating with laughter and expressive outcries.  Bands of people drank tea and gave acknowledgement to the colorful vehicles by prayer and donation.  Is faith here so different than Catholics/Christians going to church on Sundays?  I did have a thought bubble up in my hours of morning silence:  do we only have faith and ask for help/forgiveness when we need something?  Maybe it doesn't matter and that is a way to get people herded down the spiritual pathway.  Gurudev made a few comments (in English):  he has no attachment, it is all God, and if he did, he would go downhill.  He is always commenting that he is nothing and more like a goat (stroking his beard) than a God, as one of the disciples deemed him.