Where We Stand

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Photo by myself

Flowers strewn all over my walking path feel like a definite sign and reminder of blessings on my way. They make me pause and smile – at myself, and at their short miraculous existence that brings beauty and joy on our way. That is if we happen to encounter them in different ways – either as buds, blooms or dried and fallen around undramatically returning to ground.
And we get to walk on that ground.

We get to walk on this Earth.
Sometimes with flowers strewn on our way…
And sometimes there are pebbles…

As a child growing up in a tiny home in Mumbai, I used to run out to play with my friends without any shoes or slippers. Coarse sand and tiny pebbles poked my feet but I only remember a befriended feeling of it. Staying out as much as possible was happiness and the feet stepped on and around the pebbles effortlessly.

My family later upgraded to an upstairs apartment in another town and from there into adulthood, stepping out only with shoes on became the norm. It took some decades until now to get back to appreciate going barefoot, welcoming the experience of Earth through the sands, the grass, the water. I am beginning to also venture on to some pebbled areas to test how my comfort conditioned feet now play with the tingles and the tickles.

“Wherever I Stand, I Stand on the same Earth”
Use this to stand a bit taller
Use this to soften within…

These lines posted on Jan 26, 2017 came to my mind today. They had come from my awareness of so many levels of separation we feel with others – the feelings of smallness or superiority based on innumerable definitions we have created as our markers, including where we live, what we eat, how we spend our day – literally shaping how we live our life. There was a yearning to share the feeling of Oneness and yet not much ability for how to live it. So I had reminded myself that we share the same Earth – it felt as simple and as radical.

Today, we are collectively experiencing our existence on Earth as never imagined before. The world is vaccinated and opening up where I live. Yet family and friends in India are suffering deep losses and hardship every day. I feel trust in our Oneness and in our Earth to guide us to be of support to each other.

How do you relate to these 3 lines that came back to me today? I would be honored to know what came up for you when you read them. I discovered a lot more layers in those lines today from the time that I first wrote them.

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64 thoughts on “Where We Stand”

  1. Such a beautiful post, my dear friend!!!! I absolutely love it and the purposeful message behind it! And what lovely, inspiring and powerful 3 lines. I immediately thought of how I can be standing right next to someone and be experiencing two completely different realities physically, emotionally, perceptively and mentally. Yet we are both human, we are both the Universe and we are both on this journey standing on Earth together! Thank you for sharing this thought provoking and deep piece filled with your bright and loving light! Hugs and love 🖤🤗💫

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    • Thank you so much dearest Ace for sharing the joy of your visit and your thoughts on the 3 lines – your description makes my heart dance, it is so perfect and beautiful, you speak to the essence of those words so fully and deeply. You are incredibly wise, thank you for your appreciation. Much Love to you.

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      • Awww thank YOU for being amazingly you!! I’m so happy to hear that, and you’re so kind! 🤗 Of course, it’s always a pleasure reading your deeply beautiful and soul-touching pieces!!! 🖤🤗💫

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    • Thank you so much, I loved reading it in your words what it means to feel One. It is interesting to me how those lines had felt radical to me 4 years ago and today they feel more a universal call, if that makes sense.

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  6. Life has drastically changed since day 1 of pandemic, i’ve known so many whose lives were cut short by covid, it was devastating and heartbreaking, but having people to love and support us in this trying times is something i would forever be grateful, and though we may be away from our loved ones, we know one day soon we will all be reunited- standing still and steady on the same ground

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  7. Thanks for sharing this insightful post today. These lines reminds me so many things…. We get to walk on this earth,
    sometimes with flowers strewn on our way… and sometimes there are pebbles…
    No doubt, I could relate myself to this.
    I also hope that this deadly virus will soon end and we will together stand, stand on the same earth!! ❤️❤️

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  8. When I heard your voice saying we were on one earth, my first thought was how I always think of the ocean. There is only one ocean. We share the entire creation. Always uplifting to hear from you.

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    • The ocean indeed is one inspiration of deep expansiveness. I appreciate your reminder – we share the entire creation. It is so powerful and also humbling. Thank you for your kind words 🙏🏼

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  11. Those 3 lines have layers of depth in them, Pragalbha.
    As children, we were so rooted and connected with earth. Playing bare-feet, feeling her textures, idling on her muddy bosom. We were energized and growing in a complete and holistic way. Today we have totally disconnected with Mother earth. Artificial and confined living has stunted our true growth as a complete person.
    We need to reconnect to the earth, feel her and understand that she is the same benign nurturer beyond barriers and boundaries.
    Glad that things are getting back to normal there. India is still dealing with the crisis. Hoping healing embraces the world soon.

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    • Dear Radhika I appreciate your response truly and deeply. I loved reading in your beautiful way of words what we are feeling. So true – Artificial and confined living has stunted our true growth as a complete person. I am having a hard time conveying this to my screen-struck sons. Though they understand I have been limited in my ability to nurture the earthy experience for them. I don’t worry still and trust that each one will find their way. I only need to walk mine and just that is enough – for the healing and the growing collectively. I love – We need to reconnect to earth, nurturer beyond barriers and boundaries – it is so expansive, powerful and comforting to have this reminder.

      Our waking minds and hearts are deeply connected to India from here and trust for things to shift for the better soon and whole.

      Thank you very much dear friend for your thoughtful response 💛✨✨

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  13. We are all standing on this beautiful Mother Earth together and we are all connected. Let us all remain humble and soft and be loving and kind to people who are going thru a lot of unwanted crisis in their lives especially in India. All this shall soon pass and we may live a better life of abundance and joy. Thanks a lot for your marvelous share, Pragalbha.

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  16. First of all, every time I hear of India’s death toll, I’m saddened. My condolences and heartfelt sympathy go out to you and your home country.

    When I read those lines, I immediately thought we think we’re all so different because we’re in different places, but we’re not. We’re the same human being just having different experiences (which sometimes aren’t that different either). With that said, what India is going through, we all are.

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    • Thank you very much for your heartfelt thoughtful words 🙏🏼💛

      I agree with all you say so beautifully. I wrote those lines 4 years ago and today they feel deeply relevant – thank you very much, it was so good to read your reflection of the lines.

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  18. What a beautiful post! Thank you for sharing this. When I think of these lines I think of being connected to the environment, our natural world. This alone can give us great confidence, and yes healing. It can also help us to look inward, to break up the jagged within or smoothen it out, and become a more loving person. We can allow so much healing to work in us and through us to our world.

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  19. I am deeply saddened by the suffering in India and pray for a swift change in circumstances and for the well-being of your friends and family.🙏🏻 Walking barefoot on grass is deeply grounding for me and something I do regularly – at home, at the park, or anywhere else that looks inviting. One of the dance forms I practice is also done in bare feet. Also very grounding. Otherwise I always have at least flip-flops on. 😆

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  21. A powerful post. On this same earth we stand. But in India the cyclone and covid. In the middle east war. In the UK vaccines, variant, a falling health services that can’t seem to help non covid issues. And there must be so much more. The homeless, the poor, the refugee camps on this earth we stand the same, different experiences. A broken world. United in covid and pain. Selfish still , in many ways.

    Let me be at least a flower on this earth and radiate peace and Compassion on this earth. That those in pain are Comforted .

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  22. Beautiful, Pragalbha. What comes up for me is that at the core of all of our mutual existence, we are connected in so many ways, and in fact are one, yet, as you write, we are conditioned to separate and then further categorize ourselves from each other and the earth. It takes work, and guidance, to inquire within, yet when we do, we get back so much more, some of which, for me at least, is the understanding about just how one we all are. With this understanding comes more love and compassion, for ourselves, and everyone else. A lovely post, my friend. 🙏❤️

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  23. Beautiful lines Pragalbha that make one think. But what made me think is the line ‘we’re on so many levels of separation with others.’ When I first read the line I thought, ‘No way. I’m at peace with others. I’m busy doing my thing.’ And then I thought, ‘ I’m keeping myself busy because of the layers of separation I feel with others.’

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  25. It reminds me of my Vipassana meditation course. Since we had to take off our slippers outside the hall, some people, especially the foreigners took to walking barefoot in the breaks. There were gardens, grass, dried up leaves, and initially I felt the irritation trying to walk without slippers. But the 10th day I was so comfortable I could hardly bear walk wearing it. It felt so natural, as if some long lost connection had clicked alive again. Take care Pragalbha…:)

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    • long lost connection had clicked alive again – so beautifully said, I can totally relate to that. Thank you very much for sharing this with me, it reminds me the value of taking retreats from everyday life – I will make sure that I walk out barefoot in the sun today.

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  27. a lovely reflection of where you’ve come from to where you are now! Mindful walking, being aware of all the sensations is such a wondrous meditation practice … I’ve been reading your posts even though I didn’t comment 🙂

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  28. “Wherever I Stand, I Stand on the same Earth”
    Use this to stand a bit taller
    Use this to soften within…

    These lines are so deep and meaningful… You have given a great message in this post, the message of togetherness with sharing your life experience, from Mumbai to present and at the same time concerned about the current situation… The feeling of walking barefoot on sands and pebbles is pleasant experience… Great post.

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