When I first arrived in Cape
Town, I was not only looking for the multicultural experience of living in a
foreign country away from anyone and anything I previously knew, but was also
in search of a fresh multi-faith community. To find such an inspiringly diverse
community that would support my spirit I began searching in all areas I would
have at Mount Holyoke.
I signed up for a religion course
(which I later dropped), explored joining a multi/inter-faith student group
(which didn’t exist, so I had to make due with a singular faith group: South
African Union of Jewish Students or SAUJS), went to Yoga class at UCT, planned
a tour of CT religious sites, PLANNED to contact the Kundalini Yoga community
in the area, and even contemplated starting a multifaith group at UCT (but that
was short-lived). Once all of these attempts fell through (with the exception
of going to Spiritfest in Stellenbosch when my dad visited to meet some of the
Kundalini community and taking a trip to St. Georges Cathedral to hear Desmond
Tutu’s prayer), I was out of ideas.
Was it possible that multifaith
just did not exist in SA? Or if it did, was it so tiny that a foreigner had no
hope of infiltrating it? Could it be that the community I was seeking was still
like it is in most of America; fragmented into individual faith groups? I
wanted the diversity that I was accustomed to from MHC. The respect of each
other and intrigue in difference that the religious community I had thrived in
for the previous two-and-a-half years nourished, only in a new setting, in a
fresh context.
Up until than I had lived my entire
life hearing all about the glory of living a “spiritual, yogic lifestyle” and
all that it entailed. I had heard this and followed this without having
experienced the alternative. I had been consistently practicing yoga/meditation
everyday for the previous 10 years, had never drunk alcohol, smoked, eaten
meat, cut my hair, and the list goes on. In essence, I was following a route
that any 3HO parent would be extremely proud of and I was proud of that. In fact,
I took so much pride in this fact that I found myself often looking down on
those who had not followed such a “straight path.”
I began this journey in SA
holding fast to these principles but alone, without any community of support
for the first time EVER in my life.
With the end of the 40-day
meditation I began on one of the first days of my arrival, the beginning of
this new reality set in. I had now officially been thrown into a fully
different setting with no life preserver and as hard as it was at times; I was
itching for an experience away from my safety net. This was the reason I wanted
to go abroad in the first place was it not? It was to experience the world and
myself under a completely new sky (I realize it was is the same sky, but lets
pretend for metaphors sake).
After the discouragement of not
finding a haven of spirituality, I set my sites on different experiences. I
began to simply enjoy what SA could offer me from a more grounded perspective.
I began to make friends in places (physically and mentally) I never would have
ventured before and embraced an attitude of being thrown out of my comfort zone
in all areas of life.
This is not to say I went
completely wild and just blew off everything I had been taught up until than (I
don’t think anyone could ever do that). I did, however, have to physically
re-evaluate why the teachings I had grown up with were so important, on a much
more personal level.
Along with that, being in Cape
Town, nestled amongst some of the best wineries in the world, there was no hope
in escaping the odd glass of this fermented beverage. The ability to go to a
bar as an under 21 year old and the culture of smoking, pool, rugby and beer
made this type of social outing a component of life that stuck. I watched
myself make some great friends this way and fell off my high horse. Suddenly I
stopped seeing any problem with this type of lifestyle. I was having fun,
making amazing friends, and was genuinely happy. How could a life that makes
you happy be bad?
As I wrestled with this duality
of lifestyles, I fell farther away from any hope of finding a spiritually
diverse, engaging community. Not to say the people I met were not engaging but
I would not expect to sit down with most of them and discuss Buddha, Muhammad,
or Amaterasu.
As much as I missed my Multifaith
community at home, I couldn’t help but become distracted with all the FUN I was
having, because fun I definitely was having. Between the beach trips, Braai’s,
nights out and nights in I really felt for the first time since entering
College that I was having a “normal” College experience. I was finally getting
the social freedom that I had previously felt was lacking.
After leaving Cape Town and
coming back into a spiritual community that I have grown so accustomed to I
feel that I can see the benefits and the shortcomings of having such a safety
net. I can evaluate on a much deeper and more personal level what the right
balance is for me. I feel that this great balancing act of life will never
fully be resolved but I am off to a much better understanding of how to attempt
it.
I come back into the space of
religious diversity and uplifting lifestyle practices that I’m used to still
trying to make sense of it all but seeing myself viewing the world in a much
more open-minded manner. The Dogma of being on the “right path” no longer
plagues my being. What is the “right path”? Can there be a single “right”? I do
not think so and I can no longer look down upon anyone for “straying from such
a designated route.”
I had always believed in the idea
that there are multiple ways set out for each human, but after living and
experiencing one so much different than what I had ever known I think I am
beginning to internalize and understand this notion much better than before.
So, even though I did not find
the multifaith community I was hoping for in SA, I was able to learn a huge
lesson. One that speaks to what I believe is the core of interfaith work, that
of seeing your journey in life as right for you but not the “one and only”
direction to take.
I leave this experience behind me
as one that was necessary. I may not make it a new lifestyle but that does not
mean it holds no value. It may not be the way my life shall be lived but that
does not mean I frown upon those who live that way. It may not be what works
for me on a regular basis but, again, life is a balancing act and I believe being
too caught up in one Dogma is worse than living in moderation.
I return to MHC with a renewed
excitement for interfaith work and a hunger to add my personal growth to the
mixing pot. I am ready to jump into my beloved multifaith community with a new
gusto that I was sure I had lost in my discouraging attempt of finding such a
group in Cape Town.
Perhaps with this larger
appreciation for the amazing support I have at MHC I can someday go back to
Cape Town and share the joys of interfaith work with the University there.
Perhaps we need to begin looking at bringing this model of multifaith awareness
to a larger global community. Perhaps re-evaluating how we experience the
multifaceted appearance of spiritually needs to be added to the mix. For one
can talk the talk and believe a belief, but words and thoughts do not actions
make. If we are truly to understand and appreciate what we tout, should we
perhaps experience all sides of the equation? Perhaps… perhaps.
