“We are birthed into sangha, into sacred community. It is called the world.” Adyashanti
Sometimes it takes a short journey away from home to rediscover the importance of community. Last week I went to the library as I was looking for a special book. The volunteer who helped me was kind, attentive and very present. After we found what I needed, she asked me where I was from. We talked for a while and she told me about her village in Morocco.
She didn’t miss the violence or poverty of the place but I was surprised when she told me that after all these years living in the U.S. she missed having a community. One of the customs in her village was to bring food to the sick but she didn’t know her neighbours. She was afraid to get sick and not having anybody to ask for help. “Who will take care of me?” She asked. During her short trips away she needed somebody to watch her house but she didn’t feel she could ask anybody in the neighborhood. “Now, the good thing for me is that lately,” and she flashed a big smile, “I notice that I can build a community here in the library.” After chatting for a while, I promised to go back to see her again soon and I was moved by her dilemma. A widow, and retired, she was facing some loneliness. When I lived in Kansas, years ago, I noticed more instances of people meeting each other to build community but I could see how difficult it could be in the Silicon Valley, plagued as we are with hectic schedules. I was grateful for her reminder on the importance of community and for her reaching out and service to the library.
Try this practice:
- Sit with your back straight and focus on your breathing.
- As you are breathing in and out, allow yourself to simply BE for a few minutes.
- Try to remember the moments when you have needed some support from people around you. Notice the moments when stress made you feel lonely and you didn’t know how to ask for help. Watch those moments without judgment. Just notice how, sometimes, the lack of community results in isolation and fear.
- When you finish, write down your insights. Write about the importance of community and connection in order to have fulfilled, happy lives. Notice how community (or the lack of) affects the way you see your life.
Peace,
Juan