I guess there is a point where you have to look back and make sense of all this. I went to Cambodia with no idea of where it would lead. The good news is you don't have to go to another country to learn, to listen, or engage with the world around you. We have so much outside our doorstep we have no excuse but to get involved. Cambodia offered me a new perspective on life, priorities, and people I never would have had if I had gone to the local mall. I encourage everyone to push yourself to move beyond your comfort zone, to explore new worlds, and take an active role in the future of our community that is the world. Well, gee, Christopher, how do I do that? That's a good question. Here are some thoughts on how I found new ways to learn, listen, and engage.
Learn everything you can. Learn together with others. Talk with and listen to people who have seen the world before you. They know more and can offer advice and solutions you have not thought of. It should be humbling to stand by and capture thoughts and ideas from people who have studied with other extraordinary people. It is a privilege to hear them. It is a responsibility then to take the knowledge you have acquired, reflect on it, and share it with those around you. Experiential learning means nothing if it is not shared. So take the stories you have heard and use them as tools to teach others. I learned from Bob Maat the importance of silence in my life, that it was essential for me to achieve balance in my state of mind. The voices and thoughts that race through my mind have to be confronted with full attention, meditation, and reflection. I also learned a mantra to live by that "Peace is possible!" (Maha Ghosananda), which applicable to any conflict. Bob also personally learned and shared with us the following from Ghosananda:
"The suffering of Cambodia has been deep.
From this suffering comes Great Compassion.
Great Compassion makes a peaceful heart.
A Peaceful Heart makes a Peaceful Person.
A Peaceful Person makes a Peaceful Family.
A Peaceful Family makes a Peaceful Community.
A Peaceful Community makes a Peaceful Nation.
A Peaceful Nation makes a Peaceful World.
May all being live in Happiness and Peace."
-from "Maha Ghosananda's "The Buddha of the Battlefield" by Santidhammo Bhikkhu p. 83
This is truly something we could all learn from.
Learn in strange, new places. Go where it is colder than you've ever been. Live in the jungle until you sweat standing still, seeing first hand how life thrives around you while you are at your most uncomfortable. It is a humble reminder we are only part of the world around us, and we are not always masters of our domain. Discover what our ancestors built and recognize they saw the sun before we did and found a way to worship, respect, and admire the heavens by shaping earth and stone with their bare hands. What for us is a nice view at sunset is a statement to their commitment of something bigger than themselves. We can learn from that.
Learn without fear. We are not the first in the world to take risks. Those who do often are forced to because of lack of resources, finances, water, food, and technology. There is something to be said for the energy to create something from nothing, using only our bodies, minds, and a few simple tools. Taking your hands off a steering wheel is one way, but a true risk requires faith in your friends, a solid foundation of faith and belief, and people around you to catch you if you fall. The excitement comes in building up your strength, endurance, and resilience. These young people were all taken off the streets of Battambong. They had nothing. With careful training, commitment and dedication, they take risks every day performing for their local community. They hope to take their show on the road and may even perform in New York City if they can find the funding. If you are interested in supporting them, email me at christopherrall@yahoo.com and I will get more information to you.
Learn with a smile. Many in the world are unable to have classrooms, desks, books, and other items like pencils, pens and backpacks. Yet, these young people have a culture that dates back thousands of years. They became the teachers of students who come from one of the most powerful, rich nations in the world. It was us who struggled to learn their ways, but the courage to do it exists in us all. We only have to have the willingness to take direction. These young women were elegant, intelligent, and were studied not only in dance, but other subjects as well. The smiles they shared with our group reminded us we aren't always good at everything we do, and it brings a sense of equality to our relationship and community by doing so. No one is good at everything. That is why there are always others there to remind us we are only human, and a humble smile reminds us all we can always learn more. Communication in emotions, words, and gestures can all carry positive value.
Learn while living. We all sleep. We all wear clothes. We all eat. Here in a restaurant in Phnom Penh, we learned a bit more about each other, and how to cook our own meal. The pot in the middle was filled with steaming hot, yummy broth. Surrounding it was a collection of seafood, meats, and vegetables that we could cook in the hot pot. What is funny is this place looked like a Johnny Rockets. It had neon lights and booths, waiters in white shirts and black pants, and milkshakes that were in no way like ours. The smiles on the faces of my friends Son, Sophat, Paeng, and Judy were of good times and good company well deserved after a long trip into the Cambodian countryside. To share at table together is one more way we can share and reflect on our experiences, feelings, and frustrations in a comfortable and communal way. We were fortunate to dine so well in such a country. It truly made us appreciate how fortunate we really are and to value our friends and station in life.
Listen to the wheels roll. Listen to the engine. Listen to your body. No matter where you go, you will find yourself challenged by your travels. We saw so many different, emotional things. We met women who had formed an HIV/AIDS support group. We met children who sell themselves on the street. We went to a circus with acrobats and walked with Buddhist Nuns and Monks. We were happy and sad. We experienced the heights and depths of physical health, from gastrointestinal glee to gastrointestinal fail, sometimes in a matter of minutes. We climbed temples, hills, and walked in the noonday sun in one of the wonders of the world at Angkor Wat. In these trials and tribulations, you were bound to be worn out at some point whether physically or mentally. As our trip progressed, you saw the most able of us succumb to what our bodies were telling us, which was to STOP! Clearly, as seen to the left, most of us did what we were told. Don't be afraid to listen to your mind and body. Take a break!
Listen to the music. We all have a song we want to share. In our case, we saw young men in the art school in Battambong that could not only play their traditional, cultural songs, but also could rip out beats Tupac and Timbaland would have been proud of. Our far reaching culture of hip-hop has hit the smallest cities in Cambodia, and they are aware of it. What we can hear from that is what we offer and share with them has meaning and depth. The message we send to children and adults in our own country affects children and adults around the world. It is our responsibility to be aware of that message and be sure it is reflective of the best we have to offer. The principles we stand for in theory; freedom, equality, justice, and morality should be portrayed in what we export to the world. How we portray women, how we value our families, friends, and authorities is being constantly observed and recorded by mind young and old alike. They are listening, and what we tell them they will accept and believe as real. We can never forget we have an obligation to set an example to others, whether it be around the corner, or around the world. Global understanding requires we recognize what we bring and take from the world. I encourage you to be aware and share accordingly.
Listen to our own hearts. The children we met at this roadside stop were selling trinkets and palm sugar. They were dusty, dirty, and dressed in shirts with American brands traveled half way around the world. There is always a need for goods and services to young people in Cambodia. It is one of the poorest countries in the world. These children were looking for money, but their families need so much more. Education, honest work, shoes, sandals, shirts, blankets, etc. It is always a challenge to decide what and how to help. There is always a hand out looking for a handout. It is the source of debate in our own country, let alone in others. I say only this. I feel it necessary to do everything I can to assist people the best way possible. I am at peace with being altruistic, while believing people can also assist themselves. The simplest of principles I have learned is that we are all connected, and whatever I can do to help is not just my ideal, but my obligation. I can assist that by looking for best practices, the best ways to give through reputable organizations. Ask around. Ask questions. Recognize these cute little kids were singing in spite of their condition, which says to me there is always hope. Engage.
Engage with your friends and the people around you. Share your experience with them. Whether you have been around the corner or around the world, you have an opportunity to show what you have learned, what is important to you, and what you might want to change about yourself. We learned from Emma Leslie, director of the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies in Phnom Penh, the history of conflict in Cambodia, the true challenges the people face there, and is a woman who put belief in to action. She left Australia to work with the Cambodian people and has been there over 10 years. She is married to a Cambodian and has children with him. When you meet someone who believes they are in the right place doing the right thing, it reframes the idea you can be happy just making a few bucks and getting by with a job you hate, when you really want to do something else.
Engage! Take a leap of faith. I learned from Emma you can really do what you put your mind to, in spite of the challenges, as long as you work hard and DO IT! All you have to do is jump through the hoop!
Engage! Don't let anything hold you back. Don't be afraid to ask for help. You will always face barriers. Just remember you are not alone. Someone will be there to help you, to fight through. A story comes to mind, told by Leo McGary on the West Wing's "Noel" episode:
"This guy's walking down the street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can't get out.
No comments:
Post a Comment