The ASHA, the Jains and the Sheiks: Beginning a lifelong spiritual journey
I can not believe I have already been in India one month! This past week I really started to feel like Manipal was a home away from home and felt at peace with my surroundings. I love the shops and restaurants in both Manipal; many of which are small specialty shops and very personable. There is nothing like getting your coconut juice, fresh fruit, or organic peanut butter from the same vendor each time. In addition, it is always exciting to explore and discover new shops and hidden treasures. For example, today I went to the watch shop and had my battery replaced by a lovely gentleman for 40 rupees. I am not sure how that works considering batteries in the US are ~$16 and 40 rupees is less than $1 but I didn't protest. It is not suprising that living in a location with shops such as this is more community based and friendly. I have found that you form relationships with people that you come in contact with on a regular basis and can easily find comfort in a familiar face.
On Friday 30/08/13 we traveled to a Community Health Center where we learned about the importance of national health programs at the community level. This experience was very beneficial in helping me to put the theories and policies I have learned about into context. Some of the policies that we talked about included maternal and child health policies, DOTS, and Vaccination policies.
This particular Community Health Center was well established and had a relatively high autonomy however, there were still a number of things that could be improved. At both centers that have we visited I have been shocked at the level of technology available in the lab for diagnostic testing. I am interested in learning more about how work is conducted in these labs that seem so vastly different from american diagnostic laboratories.
We also learned about the role of accredited social health activists (ASHA) in the community. ASHA are community members that have been trained in basic medical practices and diagnosis. They act similarly to a community health worker in that they are mainly supposed to provide emotional support and guidance to members of the community. In addition, they act as a bridge between the community healthcare clinic and the citizens.
On Saturday 31/08/13 we traveled to the main Jainism Temple in the state of Karnataka. Jainism is a religion that is based on the philosophy of the individual being in coordination with the environment. The philosophy states there are two types of being; living and nonliving and that living beings can be classified into 5 groups based on the senses they poses. The first order in the taxonomy is of beings that only have the sense of touch such as earth, water, fire, and air bodies. This class includes microorganisms and plants. The second order includes organisms that have a sense of taste in addition to touch and includes worms, leeches, oysters, and snails. The third order introduces smell. Some examples of organisms in this class are insects and spiders. The fourth order introduces sight and includes butterflies, flies, and bees. The final class includes all beings that can hear including birds, reptiles, mammals, and humans. All the living beings contain jiva (consciousness, energy, and bliss). The nonliving properties are flow of time, space, and karma.
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| Location of idol and holy place in the Jain house. |
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| Entrance to the Jain House. |
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| This pillar, located outside of the temple, served as a symbol of caste in previous eras. Pillars such as this one were often built outside of temples so that people of lower castes, who were not allowed into the temple itself, could participate in spiritual rituals. |
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| The Temple |
Although I do not fully comprehend or believe in many of the rituals associated with Jainism, I do like many of their philosophies and layman practices. One example of a theory that I identify with is that a loss of intimacy with oneself leads to indifference to the natural world. People today are often too busy for self reflection or understanding, a flaw that harms more than just the individual.
On Satuday afternoon, we went to a pineapple farm where we had a picnic lunch, fresh pineapple juice, and went on a tour of the facility. The farm not only had pineapples but it also had a number of other fruits including: mangosteen, dragon fruit, and snake fruit; as well as spices such as: all spice, cinnamon, and pepper.
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| Learning from the Jains and watching where i'm stepping... |
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| Greenery at the Pineapple farm where herbs and new plants are kept. |
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| The sea of coconuts (in forefront) and discarded coconut shells (in background). |
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| Bamboo Tree Forest |
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| The infamous pineapple fields! Not a single pineapple tree in sight. |
Finally, Saturday Evening we went to a presentation by Grad Students on Sheikism at the Guardara (place of worship). Sheikism is a religion that was established around the same time period as Buddhism and Jainism. Its main philosophies are based on the equality of all men and its traditions aim to maintain equality in every day life. There are 5 symbols that can be used to identify a Sheik; uncut hair or "kes", a wooden comb "manga", a pair of "kacchas" or boxer briefs, a turban "keshki", a bracelet "kada", and a "kirpan" a small to 3ft long dagger carried around the waist. The formal language of the Sheiks, which I have used in quotations, is Punjabi. Historically the 5 symbols were established during times of war as protection and weaponry; today, they are more of a ritual and tradition and hold different meaning.
"To define another being as an inert or passive object is to deny its ability to actively engage us and to provoke our senses…"
(Thomas Berry)
~Engage with the world in search of thy true self.
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