Matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers – Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Prayer and Meditation, in India
I read a brief vignette about Thich Nhat Hanh, while he was in India. He was there to give retreats for the Dalit people, a people group who historically were the lowest caste in Indian society. Many Dalits have embraced the Buddhist tradition, since Buddhism has no caste system.
A Dalit man from New Delhi organized the retreat tour. While Thich Nhat Hanh visited with this man, they rode upon a New Delhi bus. Thich Nhat Hanh enjoyed the bus ride quite a bit, viewing the landscape. He noticed the Dalit man, sitting next to him, nervous and unhappy.
Even though the Dalit man had converted totally to the Buddhist belief system, he still had some residual worries and unpleasant feelings associated with being a member of the lowest caste—a caste which the majority in India looked down upon as unclean. “That tendency always to be struggling had been handed down to him by many generations. It’s not easy just to stop and recognize old habit energies.” [1]
How often do I duck back into old habits? How many times do I retreat emotionally, as well as physically and relationally? Lord, these are good words, and true. (Even if challenging words.)
Dear Lord, thank You for this excellent reading from this book, How to Sit. Help me to not only read these words, but also to digest this article and put into action a thoughtful and hopeful response. Thank You, God.
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[1] How to Sit, Thich Nhat Hanh. (Berkeley, California: Parallax Press, 2014), 64.
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