Transmigration

The term transmigration, for the ancient Greeks, referred to the migration of the soul, a re-birth.
In Hinduism, the character of a soul from a previous life is imprinted on the new one. The recent tragedies in India remind us that our thoughts must always linger on the present in contemplation of both the past and the present.

From the new translation of The Bhagavad Gita by my friend and colleague, Laurie Patton:

I have never

not existed;

nor have you

. . . . .

Nor will we

cease to exist,

all of us,

from now onwards.

In his work Transmigration of Souls, John Adams assembled a text from brief fragments taken from missing person signs, personal reminescences, and a random list of names of victims from 9/11.

Some recent reminders of the richness of the present.

We tend to think of our country as a land of immigrants, yet we also migrate across the world to new places. As I prepare to transmigrate to a new land, here are some photos of a family gathering over the Thanksgiving weekend.

Thanksgiving

The situation in India being too horrific to fathom . . . .




. . . . we chose to celebrate Thanksgiving in the usual fashion: a feast with family and friends on an unseasonably sunny day in Atlanta.

Namaste

I'm reading Love Delhi, a specialty guide book of Rebecca's. I'm astonished by the size and complexity of Delhi, new and old.

It's a city described by Jan Morris as "unimaginably antique," continually inhabited since at least 1000 BC. More than the oft-referenced seven cities of Delhi, there are at least 16 and maybe even 20. It's also a modern day political powerhouse with over 800 babus or politicians (no comment!).

Luckily, there are many small cafes, tea houses, and shops to visit. I've already picked out Triveni Tea Terrace which is apparently a Delhi institution for radicals, artists, writers, and thinkers. In fact, it has has sign which welcomes "staff, students, artists and art lovers only. Outsiders not permitted." I expect to fit right in immediately, perhaps after a visit to The Book Shop or another place called Fact & Fiction. I can already see myself reading an Indian novel over a piping hot cup of chai.

India is calling me.

Interlude

In the midst of Thanksgiving and India preparations, the rest of life goes on. Along with loss.

I've been mourning the passing of John Stone: friend and colleague; poet and physician. The Emory Symphony Orchestra is dedicating its upcoming concert to John on December 4th, where they will be playing Ralph Vaughn Williams "A Lark Ascending." I wrote a brief reflection in memory of John's spirit and heart for that event. But there is no way to put into words the profound sense of loss so many of us are feeling.

The doctor in his poem "He Makes a House Call" reflects, "I was just beginning to learn the heart inside out." More than anything else, and even beyond his many accolades and accomplishments, it was John Stone's heart--and his knowledge of our hearts--that gave him such uncommon grace. His poetry continues to live among us.

poetry consists less of finding

what you set out to find, than in learning to live

with what you've stumbled across.

Travel Well

One way to prepare for India is to focus on body as well as mind. I went to the Travel Well Clinic this week, where I received immunizations for polio, tetanus, cholera, and hepatitis A.

And I continue to take Pilates with Joyce, my young and dedicated instructor, who is helping me "strengthen the powerhouse" to create a fusion of body and mind through breathing, centering, concentration, and control.

India Pilgrim

I recently heard this question in response to a traveler expressing her new plans: business, pleasure, or soul-searching?

In this time of Thanksgiving, as we consider the paths our forefathers and foremothers forged (and what new ideas and conditions--good and ill--sprang from their explorations), it seems to me that while the journey may be the destination, the destination is indeed a previously unexplored terrain, one that inevitably invokes and encourages the searching of the soul--and heart.

Chalo Delhi!

My daughter Rebecca will be leaving soon to spend a year in India. She will be living in Delhi most of that time. I will visit her for two weeks in December. This entry officially extends the Irish series into South Asia as I begin the process of preparing for this journey.

Creativity Conversations

I've been conducting a series of "creativity conversations" on the Emory campus. These conversations have included E. O. Wilson, Umberto Eco, Hanif Kureishi, Natasha Tretheway and Steve Everett, and Philip Glass--along with Seamus Heaney and Salman Rushdie, already noted elsewhere on this blog. Edward Albee is next in line for March!

I suppose they are also a source of ramblings for me. I'm posting a few pictures as one way to capture these ramblings. Most of these conversations have also been taped (video and/or audio). I'm not certain what to do with all of them, but I'm hoping some creative idea will emerge from this process.