The Return
I am returning home with new and powerful friendships. I take comfort in the knowledge that I will see many of these friends back on campus. As we greet each other on the paths, our encounters will colored by a commonality of experience. Only we will know what it means to meditate ESI or walk through the communities of rural Gujarat. I believe that those transformative experiences will help us connect with one another even as we grow and change in the year to come.
My eagerness to learn more about India has also increased. I am especially intrigued by the great diversity of this land. The Indian people practice more religions and speak more languages than one could possibly imagine. Clothing and cuisine can change drastically to accommodate different climates and traditions. My short time here has sparked my desire for understanding. I look forward to exploring this desire.
New habits also follow me back. My time on Niswarth has shown me the importance of reflection. I have long found writing a difficult and painful process. Niswarth has shown me that writing, however painful, is an irreplaceable means of reflection. Writing allows the mind to search itself for new feelings. It helps me to see when an experience has truly effected my thinking. While writing might remain a difficult process for me, I must make the effort to incorporate it into my habits of action. My ability to learn and grow will only benefit as a result.
Not all reflection is born to action. Reflection can also prosper in the absence of action. Niswarth has provided me with great love for silence. The moments that our group has spent in meditation have been some of the most special of the entire trip. I am not certain why meditation has meant so much to me, but I am certain that it will become part of my daily routine in the future. I will incorporate meditation into my habits both for myself and for the prospect of universal good. I cannot imagine a more Niswarthian habit than one that so beautifully balances the internal and the external. I am pleased to return home with such a habit in mind.
--John