What I can learn.

A portrait above my desk.  Ganesha's birthday was celebrated this Monday.

It is my first week at Maitri, but it is already clear just how important this organization is for the people of India.  The kids, abused women, migrant workers, and widows all benefit from Maitri’s dedication to human identity, dignity, and respect.  

What is most striking to me is the sense of selflessness here, the dedication to a cause, and the validation of wisdom, enacted as pattern here at Maitri.  It is not within the ambition of the individual, but rather, how the heart relates to others, where wisdom is found, and space is made for change.  All actions have immediate and infinite consequence, and so we would all do well, and be wise, to share our hearts.  Selflessness may be the most difficult concept of social relations and responsibilities, and extending beyond responsibility is the gift of generosity.  This is a concept may be applied to all patterns of living.

The world we live in mandates improvements.  But generosity is not a concept to criticize over, and neither is selflessness.  It is the gifts of the past which enables the vision of foreseeable change.  What I have learned so far here in India is pattern; that we are all related.  I look forward to learning more about what I can do to learn more and contribute.