It All Comes down to the Beginning

I had recently been to Goa. Where we had visited to offer prayers to my family's Kuldaivam. When I visited, I noticed the cultural themes reflected Portuguese colonists invading Goa and forcing many of my extended ancestors to convert to Christianity, or those that didn't convert - to flee from the formers' area of control. There were also nationalist rebellions against the Portuguese colonists in the forts.

This got me thinking. It is because my ancestors fought for me, that I am here. I wouldn't have been here without their will to stand their ground or their fight to survive - for themselves, their culture and the family line.

And even those that were converted let's say, were once my family, my ancestors. The baseline was - that we were all connected to one another at some point, before we began to label and differentiate. This has been a common theme in my ponderation.

It got me thinking then. Where do we really draw the line? When do we say 'THIS is me', or 'THAT is you'? Who got us labelling, and differentiating us against one other - when in actuality, we all come from a common source? And why was this okay?

The idea of a Family Deity is new to me. But having seen and experienced expressions of divinity during a festival has truly changed my relationship with how I relate with the Divine, on what it means to me, and what it means for me.

This experience got me curious to know more about where I come from. And how the family deities are lovingly and fiercely protecting me. As much as we want to keep our beliefs as steady as we want to, I believe that these experiences challenge our illusory sense of human might - that it is all a nought.

And as much as would like to explain it, it is inexplicable, and beyond what we know.

So, where does it all begin? How are we different? When we are all the same, existing, but in ranges and contrasts. Rather than constrictive, definitive labels. 

One of my biggest re-learnings in humanity and humility was about how we all like to think that we're different from one another, but really, we all are so alike.