Why Im Lighting a Candle and Deeyas for Tibet

I could have researched this topic to blog about it...gotten my facts straight...but I decided instead to write from my heart, my memories and my feelings. Yep I will check out the notes on the web for spelling of places so everyone will be on the same page and perhaps the year so when I reference my memory it will have a time frame. But here's what I remember sometime when I was in high school abouts...(I've referenced the year and it is 1989 so I was about 3 years or so into high school.) Something was etched into my mind that I still do not forget...and for years have off and on recalled it and wondered why or how could we live in a world where things like that happen to others and no one else in the world says anything else. Ive reconciled with: 'People just think bout themselves and also people will do anything for money.' I mean people just 'friending' as Trinis would say with China cause it is economically sensible to do so. Plus as I became older I also cautioned myself against idealism and reminded myself and was often reminded by others to- 'Live in the real world!'. So I thought less and less about 1989 and the Tiananmen Square Massacre after all perhaps it was the world's way of sacrificing a few for the greater good. After all communist China everyone says is doing so well. And really they had to control those kids and idealists in the Square in 1989 else the world would have been even more crazy and even more ruled by one super power! So as I became older other such atrocities across the world bothered me less...be real I said...be real...also it's their battles not yours and all of that...what do you mean it's one world? And even if is one world just look around you everyone is fending for themselves even on the micro scale who cares much bout anyone else barring a few loved ones? Why you think people hoard and fight and compete- in school, on the roads, in the market and on the job...some people even compete for love...or their version of it! SO be real be real Babita be real!

But really deep down I never forgot about the Tiananmen Square thing cause some how as a youth, at the time, it touched me, what happened. It was the natural flow of things for one thing to lead to another at the time that caused the collapse of the Berlin wall (which was bound to happen sooner or later since it was a man made structure blocking people who were connected by spirit) to be followed by the collapse of the Soviet Union. Interestingly the Tiananmen Square uprising was in Apr to Jun 1989 and the collapse of the Berlin wall was later on closer to the end of that year. So really the East can't say that the West was corrupting its children with its culture of mass unruliness and rebellion or slack morals and indiscipline could they? In fact had the Tiananmen Square uprising been successful well the East would have here taken the lead...But it was not meant to be...but at least the joy of human spirit prevailed with the collapse of the Berlin wall on Novemeber 9th 1989! Oh what joy!- the freeing of human spirit for families to be free to see one another once again...Berlin for Berliners...one Germany...perhaps one day, one world...and one universe...

But what about East...as in China...well I grew older and years passed by and I more and more was reminded to live in the real world. I learned bout more and more sufferring and this and that...and I learned more about my religion given to me by my ancestors-Hinduism and I also embraced other thought out there including the teachings of the Buddha, who some Hindus like to think of as the 9th incarnation of Vishnu, pushing the still to come, Kalki avatar, spoken about in the Gita to number 10 position. I fully agreed with many others that the Buddha in his time never wanted a religion around him but more for people to learn to be more like him as in that he became enlightened so for people not to worship him but to learn from him like a guru so they too could become more enlightened but of course no man's path is another's so there was only so much he could teach. In terms of my religious journey I'm now somewhere at the stage of being a Shiv Bhakt or Shiv devotee, but in the sense of again (as with Buddha) I worship or focus and meditate on Shiv so that I can learn to become more Shiv like. I also have come upon the talks of the hip and famous swami of the 70s called OSHO and I find them to make sense. So I am currently pulled between whether becoming more Shiv like is ideal for this time...after all according to Hinduism we do live in Kal Yug-the age of darkness (as in heavy materialism less spirituality blah blah) or perhaps given the age, OSHO's claim of the ideal, which is to strive to be like Zorba the Buddha is best. OSHO believing that Zorba the Buddha is a mix between Zorba the Greek and Buddha ...a mix of materialistic pleasure balanced with ascetic's search for englightenment. I don't know but I like to think bout Shiv in meditation so I'm there...Shiv Bhakt is me these days. And Shiv for me represents so much but I'd have to write a separate blog on that!

So back to China...I rarely watch TV or read the newspapers but sometime in spring 2008 I happen to be flipping channels and I cant believe my eyes....monks?!...Buddhist monks?!...bleeding and being beaten?! I couldn't bare to watch...time passed...and I no longer follow sports much either or their events...but realised wait the Olympics is on! And what in China!? How can the Olympics be in China?! I wondered how come none of my friends or colleagues were the least bothered. I even put up my status on Facebook to read about how appauled I was...then I realised when I got into the news again that OK people did bother too just like me...and there was support all over. But then I said was I worrying meaninglessly about something not too important? Is it true what others were saying that we were all a bunch ah hippies who didnt know what we were talking about?! But then I rememebered bout Tibet... the monks and freedom and what the Olympic spirit is...But Im not against the Chinese? Or people of Chinese origin?! I'm not jealous that China is doing well financially or industrially or whatever although it doesn't augur well for the environment that the developing world plans to become just like the so called developed! And for sure the whole world is to be blamed for that scenario not just the developing world in which I live. But again another blog! But yea I find China is cool in terms of many things but why do they feel this need to control and what do they have with Tibet?! So forward to June 2008 and I meet a man at a technology workshop who is from China originally but lives in the UK and I ask him how he feels bout this whole protest on China for the Olympics...and like most Chinamen you ask he is on about how Tibet was really China's and well you had to have control in T Square cause if they didn't everything would have gone out of control and China is large and a lot of poverty so you need controls and how we just get the western point of view and things are getting so much better in China and on and on. Well thing is I agreed I can only have the western media view and so I was happy to talk to him. But then he lives in the UK and why? I give him that too it is about his person...I mean again he is looking out for himself and family...escaping poverty and all and good for him! But really I don't know who owned Tibet(and does anyone own anywhere?) first but if the people want to be able to pray a certain way, live a certain way ...why won't the Chinese let them!? Isn't that common sense! I'm sorry I don't understand China and it doesn't mean I'm antiChinese people or antiChina otherwise. I love lots of things about Chinese culture...their food, clothes, their work ethic (which helps to produce many things most of us own) and yes their discipline. And I can even tell you I was born in the Chinese year of the Tiger! But well don't the Tibetan people deserve their freedom and rights too?! Oh come on now China?! Plus my understanding is the Dalai Lama is not even asking for independence just freedom of expression for their way or life, religion, culture etc.

So on Thus 7 Aug 2008 I will be lighting candles and deeyas for Tibet (and I'm thankful to David Califa and candle4tibet for coming up with this lovely idea)...for freedom...freedom from a mindset...and I will remember my local crises too and ask the people on my island to reflect on the situation we have here with crime because you can't be truly free in a nation where you are afraid to be kidnapped, murdered or for that matter killed on the roadways. So as Trinis we need to free our minds and reflect within as to why we have to act in such a manner to one another in such a small island when we have so much physical freedom unlike the people in Tibet. And one of the ways to do this is to show empathy for the people in Tibet that are not as physically free or allowed to express themselves. Maybe as we show empathy and compassion for them in their cause it might bring about the change in us that is needed to heal our own land. But lands aside it is one earth...one world and really we should all be free!

And on this day, July 27th which marks the 18th anniversary of a freakish (as very abnormal for this island nation) and thankfully unsuccessful coup d'etat by the Imam (who imagine himself runs free!) we Trinis should be thankful for our freedom and use it wisely and hope it remains this way forever.

May God Bless Us All!

Candle4Tibet public lighting in Trinidad is being organised by www.meadysmusings.com and is to be held at the field in front of Couva South MP Office (Opp the Couva Medical Facility) Main Rd, Couva.