The ancient Chinese symbol of the Yin and Yang depicts the duality of life. It shows us how the seemingly dark aspects of our lives can contain a seed of light and when life looks to be perfect, a seed of darkness waits to manifest. This is represented by a white seed in the widest part of the dark and black seed in the widest part of the white.
This morning, as I raise my head from the pillow, in this dark moment of the Pandemic lockdown, I only hear the sound of ambulances. I only see Covid warriors in PPE suits walking around my neighbourhood, instead of morning walkers. How can our beautiful world of morning birdsong, the calling of peacocks from Humayun’s Tomb and Namaz from the nearby Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah be reduced to such morbid circumstances? What went wrong?
I put on my morning chants and do my Lotus of Gratitude. I peek into my phone and resist looking through 49 messages mostly to do with Covid 19. I put my phone aside. I close my eyes and pray for respite, I pray for all the families that are affected by the deadly virus, I pray for the healing of the world, I pray for humans to come into a conscious way of being.
I also think of collective world pain especially in times of war. Loss of lives, fear, anxiety and stress fill the air with toxic energies. When everything looks dark, gloomy, morose and helpless, a deep-rooted creative energy raises its head like a seed of light in the darkness. Countries such as Vietnam, Bosnia and Syria, all emerged as profound art centres after the pillage of war, devastation and despair. I wondered what would emerge for us in our current world.
It seems almost impossible that anything positive could come out of these dark times. Yet amidst this darkness we see a tiny seed of light in the form of Amala Earth as if arising from the ashes “sweet pain”. Amala Earth- a way of conscious living- is born on Earth Day 2021. I feel so privileged to be part of their concept team. Amala Earth is committed to supporting all earth-friendly produce as well as transformation in thought and action. It is a curated marketplace with strong parameters that will not only help the Earth heal itself but also create awareness in consumer behavioural patterns.
I can assure you from first-hand experience that once this awareness comes into your being it never leaves you. So like the symbol of the Amala Earth butterfly, I also pray for Hope Faith and Freedom for the world at large.
Mala Barua
