Our Spiritual Ancestry

Tags

ancestry, inheritance, remembrance, spirituality

The two week period between the full moon in September and the next new moon (October 9) are observed as Mahalaya (the great wave or rhythm) – the fortnight which honors the gifts of our ancestors and our ancestry at large. I was scarcely aware of my ancestors until my father passed away and I spent some time traveling to the Ganges for the visarjan – the final letting-go of the physical remains.

The current family priest, whose generation was the holder of our family records, unrolled the biggest handwritten book I had ever seen, full of double-sized legal sheets of paper with names of our antecedents – records that must have gone back tens of generations. It was a humbling awareness, to realize that my name would become a part of that record some day.

Beyond our physical ancestry, whose records are often susceptible to be lost to our awareness, there is our spiritual ancestry. Like the DNA that is given to us, the record of our spiritual ancestry is less susceptible to be lost over time. In Indian culture, spiritual inheritance comes in two forms – smriti (oral word) and shruti (written word). Both forms have their significance, but the former is less susceptible to being lost (or destroyed) as it is preserved in the heart’s and minds of families of the preservers.

In honoring our spiritual ancestry, the first step is to remember that we actually do have one. The books, the music, the art, the festivals, the traditions, are all the physical manifestations of our spiritual ancestry. But, it goes beyond that. The greater manifestation is the pull towards self-realization through spiritual practice. Whether it be through the path of selfless, loving action, through deep inner contemplation (yoga), through deep devotion evolving through purity, or through seeking of knowledge – all the paths eventually honor our spiritual ancestry when we walk them with a spirit of open-heartedness and joy.

On the final day of the fortnight of Mahalaya, the day before the new moon, a simple offering of water (tarpan) is made to honor all our ancestors. In making an offering of water, we honor life itself. We honor our spiritual ancestry by re-aligning our heartbeat with the great rhythm – the very rhythm that we feel in the silence and the stillness of sitting on the great ocean-shore of love.

Kumud @AjmaniK

What is your spiritual ancestry? Are you aware of it? How does it influence your daily life, and the lives of those who connect with you? Share with us in our weekly twitter chat, Sunday Oct 8 at 9amET / 630pm India in #SpiritChat. Namaste.

Spiritual Ancestry through shruti

Spiritual Ancestry serves as a bridge…

Spiritual Origins – Where am I from?

Tags

ancestry, legacy, origins

Their first assignment in social-studies and language-arts class this school year was to write a poem titled “I’m From…”. The purpose was to examine their own identity and culture, and perhaps make them aware of their unique place in the world. On reading her beautiful poem, I was so inspired that I asked myself the same question – where am I from?

I share with you the result, which is a work in progress.. and I invite you to ask the same question – and maybe even write a similar poem and share a bit of your story of origin with us.

—

I am from Shiva and Shakti…
From temple bells ringing through the night in celebration
And walking barefoot up mountain trails to pay homage to Devi.

I am from Vijay of Rawalpindi and Ruma of Lahore…
From flying over the himalayas in transport planes to plateaus of Ladakh in summers
And three-day long train trips across the Gangetic plains and Assam to Arunachal in winters.

I am from so many brothers and sisters…
From envelopes stuffed with threads of love traveling across continents.
And crying tears in farewell and welcoming at airport terminals across the world.

I am from the friendship of the five…
From the four Ks and the one M that represent fire, water, earth, wind and space
And the bond that transcends space and time to connect us three decades hence.

I am from the One who has taught me to love…
From She who knows beyond knowing the meaning of giving
And the Cecilia who taught me how to celebrate the beaches and Cataratas.

I am from Westlake and Haridwar…
From the joy in hospital rooms where Joia emerged with light
And immersions in rivers where loved ones were released to their final journey.

I am from the song eternal sung in the Bhagavad Gita…
From Vivekananda and the call to “Arise, Awake and Stop Not!” in Kanyakumari
And the heart-filling presence of Joy in stillness created daily by the Masters.

I am from That. And That is my Truth.

—-

What are your origin(s)? Where are You From?

– Kumud @AjmaniK

P.S. Join us Sunday, Septemeber 3rd at 9amET/1pmUTC for our weekly chat on twitter in #SpiritChat. We will ask some questions about our (spiritual) origin(s) – where are we from? what is the truth of our existence? what makes us ‘work’? what makes us cry and laugh? Namaste.