A Universal Civilization

Namaste! Today was the first day of orientation with CCS, and I've begun to get a bit more settled into Delhi and my lifestyle here for the next two months. The time difference is still throwing me off (India is about 9 and a half hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time in the USA), and my body clock is going insane feeling tired at the middle of the day, and wired late night, but that should soon adjust. I think another day will do the trick.

We spent the day sight seeing in Delhi, and I wore Indian clothes for the first time, which was awesome because you could wear baggy and comfortable clothes and still look totally stylish here! Haha. We visited the Lotus Temple, Humayun's Tomb, and drove past the India gate and Prime Minister's house, which was naturally phenomenal.

Lotus Temple, New Delhi - September 9, 2012

My visit to the Lotus temple, which is a Baha'i temple, was the highlight of my day, especially since Sunday is the Mormon Sabbath, or day of rest and worship, and I was not able to make it to a church. It was a beautiful structure, inside and out, and it was insightful to have to remove our shoes before entering their sacred ground and not being able to speak inside the temple in show of reverence. It was especially interesting to learn about how the Baha'i main goal is to unite the human race in one "universal civilization", which, of course, is a belief shared by most religions, but it was a unique experience to visit this temple and worship with that specific goal in mind. After all, a deeper understanding of a shared humanity is one that I'm seeking to achieve while on this trip...For those who wonder: why go to India? this is one answer I can give.

Danielle, Joyce, Me, Max and Juliana at Humayun's Tomb

I'm realizing how really great of an opportunity it is to work with volunteers who have such distinctly different backgrounds and life experiences. No matter what life we have when we are back in our "comfort zones," we've all united under a common cause of service and cultural exchange and personal growth. It's really some thing amazing, and I feel like that's what the Baha'i faith seems to advocate, a union of people in spite of race, social class, age, religious affiliation, etc. In the end, no matter what belief one holds dear, or what things may differentiate us, we all belong to the same human race, and in spite of our differences, we share this great one unifying fact.

Our very diverse group posing for a picture outside the Lotus Temple

Tomorrow we continue orientation and cultural adjustment. And, learn some more Hindi. Until then, namaste.