"What can still the stirring of a soul?"

Joydeep Dey

A hot sweltering afternoon and a long list of things to do. Walking along the stretch of Gariahut Road near the market, the strong odor of katta roué catches my nose. Regardless of the smell and the heat, I have to continue, only three days left and so many errands to complete. Armed with my faithful umbrella in hand I continue down the road, trying as hard as possible to blend in with the locals to avoid being haggled by the merchants. After Gariahut, it’s off to Park Street, AC market, New market, and Sriram Arcade. It’s a never-ending job, and no matter how many hours are spent planning the day, I always manage to forget something. After completing our tasks on Gariahut we pack into the car to head over to Park Street. Both sides of the street are lined with beautifully displayed store windows, saris hang in the windows showing off their bright vivid prints and delicate handwork, each an exhibition piece. The sights and sounds of the shops, beckon you to come and explore all the fine merchandise they have to offer. My relatives have begun their Puja shopping and there is excitement in the air. All the boutiques are filled with husbands, wives, sons, and daughters; each with a smile on their face stretching from ear to ear. By now dusk has set in and the air is a little bit cooler and lighter.

Walking outside is no longer a pain; rather it has become a pleasure. I reach my final stop, Music World. I walk into the technologically advanced store, as I enter I am greeted by an attendant who helps me find what I am looking for, he offers suggestions for other new Hindi film songs and hit albums. Picking up a few more albums I pay the clerk and am finally finished with all of my "marketing". With a dozen shopping bags in hand I am very happy with all my purchases and cant wait to go home, order a pizza from Don Giovanni’s and review all that I bought. Walking toward the door, the security guard opens the door and wishes me a good evening. As I walk down the steps of the building a large bus passes by and blows its exhaust in my direction, slowly I recover from the sudden attack and continue to walk toward the car. Barely able to see above all the bags in my hands I feel a tug at my pant leg. I turn around and see no one. I continue walking and feel the tug once again. Confused as to what is happening I turn around and look again, still there is nothing and no one. Suddenly, I hear the faint voice of a child calling me, I look down and by my feet only a few feet tall a little girl is standing before me, her hair is frazzled, her clothes are torn and tattered, her body is emaciated and her skin is black and dirty. Her palms stretched out before me, her large brown eyes stare at my soul with a powerful gaze.

My bags fell to the ground beside me, in that moment nothing mattered the CDs, saris, Punjabis, clothes, shoes everything was forgotten in the moment. Beggars have stopped me on the street before but they were older and had lived most of their life, this time it was different. I had always been taught to give to the poor, to give them food, or clothing, something to help them sustain themselves. This situation was different she was only a small girl, from my guess; she was not even 5 years old. The hunger in her eyes was not for money or possessions; it was a hunger for love and compassion. Staring into the eyes of a hungry soul imparts a feeling of hunger in my own body. However it isn’t the same hunger I see in the young emaciated girl standing before me. The cause of my hunger is not a dearth of food; instead it is the craving of my soul. An unfulfilled desire to do something; to help ameliorate the situation that I see before my eyes. Her deep stare forced me too think about all that I have, and how much I can offer to others.

This is the image I faced this past summer on a trip to India. Going back to India is one of the most exciting times, the thrill of seeing family and spending time with the ones we love.

Being born and brought up in a fast paced material society it is rare to see a beggar or helpless person. However, I still try to see it as my duty to discover the power of the individual, and allow it to manifest itself into the actions of our daily life. Her deep gaze stilled the stirring of my soul. For one moment in time everything stopped and I was caught in a state of complete compassion. My heart went out to the young child. After handing her some food I had purchased, she scurried off to share it with her family. Long after she ran off, I still stood there in complete bewilderment; I kept asking myself what I could do. I have so many things that the young child does not have.

This instance lead me to question the mission of my life on earth, due to my karma I have been able to live without pain, without struggle. But how is it possible that someone’s life could be so different than mine, how is it possible for me to help her and others like her. My recent trip to India served as the backdrop for this transformation of thought, merging the two worlds and creating a place that can foster the growth and complete the mission of my life.

We all know the right thing to do, but how many of us can actually say that we do it, taking our prosperity and good fortune and applying to service of man kind. But how possible is it to help someone so far away, and how can I help so many people that are in need. I am physically restricted, without super powers; there is no way for me to help all those in need. I began to realize that the desire to help and serve others must come from within, and it must manifest itself in my thoughts, words, and actions. I have to constantly think good things, and say positive things, but most importantly I must serve with my actions.

As we join together this weekend in celebration of Durga Puja, we must thank God for all that we have and all of our good fortune. And beyond this we should pray for inner strength, the strength and the courage to make a difference. Praying for the spark of divinity within ourselves to rise and dictate our actions and help us to succeed in serving others. There are so many ways to serve the communities we live in and help those who are in need, but how can we serve all of mankind. There is only one way to do this, by implement our good thoughts into actions. As we meet during this joyous occasion, we can serve all of mankind by praying for the peace and happiness of all the beings in all the worlds. It is my request to all of you, to take a moment of time during this auspicious occasion to mention this prayer.

"Loka Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu"

"May all the Beings in all the worlds be happy."