Caring for Others
A Ritual
A ritual calms the mind.
Ritual, has to be continued --for a while --before its impact is experienced.
In Sanskrit, the ancient but alive Indian language, this concept is expressed in a two-word phrase, Yama-Niyama.
Yama and Niyama, are the first two limbs in the eight limbs of Yoga.
Practice of yoga on the mat, is only a fraction of Yoga (largely) practiced off the mat. To get real value from Yoga, it must be practiced both on and off the mat.
The main purpose of Yoga is to connect body and mind, open energy centers, so prana-the life force, can flow freely through us. Continued, long-term practice of Yoga makes us keenly aware of our bodies, keep us calm and helps us make better decisions.
While any one is free to practice, Yoga is deeply Hindu and is one of the many ways applied for spiritual advancement, by creating a healthy body and mind. Although like any discipline, Yoga’s impact is dependent on a confluence of factors. Merely Yoga practice on the mat or much philosophizing off the mat, does not guarantee results.
Our diet, our conduct in daily life, and equally important our connection to other species contribute towards making yoga an impactful practice.
Yama meaning moral discipline, and Niyama meaning observance(s), are the requirements for spiritual advancement. Regular observance of these practices is required for a disciplined life.
Therefore, India in its wisdom, created many ways of bringing Yama and Niyama in our mundane lives.
Here I share one such practice, which many Hindus continue even today.
We all understand, life lives on life.
Anything we eat, was once alive.
Vegetarianism is considered a higher value because it reduces the pain caused to ‘beings’ we consume. Animals feel more pain when slaughtered than a plant, when uprooted or plucked. Vegetarianism is also light on the body and mind. Better for spiritual advancement.
Other than vegetarianism, Hindus incorporate many practices that include daily care of ‘other’ species.
Hindus are to feed at least seven beings before putting even a morsel of food their mouth (do not remember the exact text, but remember reading this somewhere). There must be some truth to it, for even today, feeding at least some beings other than humans, first thing in the morning is a regular practice.
When we were growing up in Delhi, it was a common practice to feed birds and stray animals.
‘Charu, break it into pieces and throw it on the roof’
Ma taught me to offer the first chappati (flattened bread) of the day to the birds. We’d break the first cooked chappati into small bits and throw it on the low roof of our kitchen.
After the birds were taken care of, we were given a chappati to feed cows. Stray cows are easy to find on the streets of Delhi.
Believe it or not, Delhi as a bustling city is quite a new phenomenon.
Relatively speaking.
Up until the 1980s, the city was surrounded by much land and farms. As city ate into the grazing lands, cows were stranded. Since they are honored in Hindu culture, they always find kind souls that feed them. In our neighborhood, it was common for children to combine their evening walks with feeding cows. We’d go to regular hideouts of neighborhood cows with goodies prepared specially for them. Presently several temples have cowsheds that are a resting place for cows.
Another practice, more common in rural areas and small towns is drawing kolam1 (a Tamil word. Other Indian languages call the same by different names), meaning floral designs with rice flour. Women draw kolams every morning at the threshold of their houses. The designs which mimic cosmic designs served as food for ants. Since kolam provides nourishment for ants, right at the threshold, it prevents them from entering the house.
What a constructive way of keeping the ants out, while honouring their needs, and daily creation of a piece of art! Yama and Niyama! Imagine the long term impact on the mind.
Some people take bowls of milk for stray dogs and cats, who often hang around temples. Presently this has become a contentious issue because stray dogs, when unruly, can be a menace. Yet, the truth remains that they never want for food. There are always people in the neighborhood who ensure they have stomach full of food, no matter how vegetarian.
A friend sent these notes when I asked him about this practice of feeding seven beings every morning, as not just daily, but also special rituals honoring seasonal change:
The first roti is the for the cows and the last for the dogs. The grains for the birds after first harvest. The first flour after grounding for the ants and kneaded dough balls for the fishes
I have heard that in villages people leave milk even for snakes. We've given them a bad reputation. Snakes are beings too, you know! In this complex world of ours, snakes play their part. They are associated with ‘renewal’ because they shed their skin, and serve as a reminder that we should all ‘shed’ the old to continue to live anew in the present.
The reason I chose to write about this is because about 2 years ago I started a practice of started to put ‘food’ out for birds. Every spring when their chirping becomes louder, it feels like I have special visitors.
Atithi Devo Bhava, is a Sanskrit phrase that means, Guests are Gods. Indian households treat guests as such. They are always offered drinks, food, water and a place to rest.
Birds are guests too.
Two years ago I got into cooking special meals for our feathery friends.
Even in our snowy winters, I put special ‘meals’ on the table in the yard and run back in. It delights me to see them fly into the yard to get their share.
I even experimented with different foods. For example, rice pudding, khichri2, daal3, overnight soaked oats. But they LOVE bread. Simple and soft. White bread, most of all. Just like kids, they like fast food with no nutrition. So I blend white bread with multi-grain bread. Sometimes I cooked homemade chappatis.
But my Swedish friends Dan & Isa reminded of something I already knew.
‘The only thing that you should be feeding the birds is grains, nuts and seeds. Other things are not healthy for the birds.’ Just feed them nuts and seeds.
Seeing my error, I bought a large packet of sunflower seeds. Strangely enough they do not like seeds as much as bread and rotis. But I stick to seeds, for their benefit. Like children need to be fed food healthy for their growth.
I have tried sesame and sunflower seeds, nuts, raisins, barley and some other grains. I stick to sunflower seeds which are both softer and meatier than others.
Dan and Isa suggested using a bird feeder. But I prefer leaving seeds out every morning.
Its a ritual.
Now the birds know.
I have realized how smart our feathery friends are. They know the time. The moment they see me, they announce it to others.
The most common birds we get are, sparrows, finch and magpies.
They sit on the fence, which is closer to the plate, but the moment I walk away, they all fly to the trellis in fear. Then they wait a few seconds. After they are sure that I am not returning, nearly fifty of them make a straight dash towards the plate that I keep in the garden.
The sound of their wings is music to my ears.
On a sunny days, I wish someone were recording it because shadows of flying birds on the grass looks like a moving painting.
It is Heartwarming!
The sparrows are the same as the ones I grew up watching in India. So, I speak to them in Hindi. Even though, if they are in Sweden, I should speak to them in Swedish. But its more intimate to speak to them in Hindi.
I have seen them get bolder around me. Sometimes, when I am crumbling the bread for them, they fly over quite close to me. I have even felt their wings close to my legs.
Which means trust.
They carry eons of ‘fear of humans’ in their breast. For them to come so near is heart touching.
I have filmed them many, many times and never tire of it.
Its spring, its their season.
Things with wings are returning.
Chirping of these little ones is the most melodious spring sound!!
If I sleep in, they wake me up chirping louder.
Atithi Devo Bhava. Guests are Gods....A little water, a fist full of seeds (yes, I have switched to seeds now) and they delight you with their songs and frisky flights...
I love to get a peek as feathery friends feed on food.
Gives me a sense of peace. As if, I am taking care of my guests, with wings!! Angels, y’know!!
This is like meditation for me.
Magpies are bigger, but also smarter. One magpie can make many birds fly away. Once I saw magpie picking up large pieces in its beak. It upset me, and I grumbled ‘leave some for the little ones.’ I used to shoo magpies away so these little sparrows could get something to eat. Now, I alter. Sometimes I shoo the big birds away, other times I let them have their day.
What does all this have to do with Chitta, mind?
Well, try creating this ritual. First thing in the morning before you bathe, eat, before tea or coffee….and you will experience a level of calm.
Try it!! Non stop for a month.
Try it, as a daily ritual.
It’s an embodied experience! A live meditation!
There is no other way of experiencing the joy of connecting with feathery friends, who visit us only a certain time of the day, and more often certain seasons of the year.
Midsummer and the Return of Birds and Brightness (13:10, watch the birds return!)
Reading Suggestion:
Reading suggestion, ‘Portrait of a Lady’ By Khushwant Singh, who writes about how the birds his grandmother fed loved her so that they all came to mourn at her funeral).
A self-paced course on ritual: https://indica.courses/enroll/self-paced/rituals-well-being-exploring-the-scientific-connection/
PS: I am suggesting the course of my own accord. I have taken courses with Indica and want to share with others. I am not getting paid and no one asked me to do this.
1 Kolam, Alpana, Rangoli: are all names in different Indian languages for floral decorations. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kolam https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpana
2 Khichri: A dish of rice and lentils. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khichdi_(dish)
3 Daal: Hindi word for various kinds of legumes. The term is also used for cooked legumes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dal
This is a nice one! I have read something similar in a book where the author writes the Balinese people do the same-- they put mounds of rice in corners of their buildings for the "spirits" but its really for the ants. It struck me while reading your essay that this not only ensures that every being gets food but is also a really great way to ground your human awareness into non-human life, something sorely lacking today.