As we walked by the dining room, the sounds of thirty young men chanting “Ram Yam Kham, Om Ah Hum” with their deep resonant voices came flowing through the windows. The sound went down into my heart and I stood there shaking. We three, twenty year old girls had been trying to “find” where the men hung out in this monastery. Not understanding why these gorgeous,sensitive, burley, men weren’t looking for us . They were so different and unexpected. We had no warnings to stay away from them and had no experience of men that paid us so little mind.
Invited to Odiyan by the patron to help plant an area we had never seen before even in pictures. It was already disconcerting enough to just drive the windy coastline up, seeing almost no cars. On and on we went finally getting really scared when after an hour of no cars, a jeep drives by with about six big men in it, most with guns pointing up into the sky. Where were we ? Where were we going ? Finally a glimpse of what looked like an out of this world UFO, The white Stupa over on the hillside and some views of a shiny copper roof.
This first view of there, now thirty one years later, has stayed in my mind and the sound of the men chanting has stayed in my heart. I found my roots there and a community much like what the farming communities of old knew instinctively. How to work together, how to believe in oneself and my abilities. To gain confidence from hands on work and jobs accomplished from start to finish. Moral ethics required to live in a small community with integrity . What I was looking for in my culture, a sense of place and purpose and of participation in something larger, was all found here. But I still wonder how to instill it in my world and my children’s world now.
What we have lost through the decimation of rural culture and livelihood is enormous. No wonder teenagers are tattooing themselves and piercing their entire bodies. The world of TV, video games and texting has not given them a culture to interface with, only a cloud culture and no ground. The confidence to drive tractors and do important tasks that support the family and the communities well being. The moral character to represent their family and community. The entrepreneurial experience to start small industry and the creativity and problem solving ability necessary in rural life. America has represented this spirit
and creative, innovative genius, yet now has turned it’s back on what it takes to develop it in our culture. Come back to some ground and plant some vegetables, cook most of your meals, don’t buy processed goods shipped hundreds of miles.Teach your kids to cook and use local fresh ingredients. Buy enough from your local farmer to support their efforts. Say through your actions that you want this rural culture to be alive . Maybe we can bring back a community spirit that will inspire our children and give them the roots to succeed .
