Hinduism reigns here in India. But it is not just a religion. It is interwoven into every aspect of society. The way people talk, think, and function is all vastly influenced by Hinduism. One of the unique qualities of the Hindu religion is the caste system. There are five main castes in India, each made up of several other small "sub-castes.". In Hinduism, you are born into a certain caste based on your previous life. If you lead a good life, then you move to a higher caste. If you are bad, then a lower you go to a lower one. Of course there are only a select few that are ever make up the highest caste. Naturally, these select few are the ones who are revered, honored, and served by all the lower caste. This may seem like a ridiculous concept, but this is so engrained into the minds of the people that they are completely devoted to this system. They really believe that this life is a reflection of your past life, and therefore should be treated accordingly.
Because of this view, several people suffer. One of the truly disheartening truths is that people have no sympathy for individuals born with mental/physical handicaps. It is believed they are being punished for their previous life. This leads the parents of these children to neglect the needs of this child and as much as possible, try to keep them out of the public eye.
One of most powerful things we have witnessed here in India, is the program called Oasis of Love, ran by the people we are staying with. On the outside, it looks just like a place for handicapped children to spend their day. But it is much more than that. Oasis of Love is taking the rejects of society, those who have been neglected, hated, and looked down upon, and showing them that they deserve better. They are giving these kids purpose, meaning ,and love. The kids are getting an education, learning skills, and being shown that they do matter.
Once a month, Oasis of Love takes the kids out on a picnic, just to get away and have fun. We got to go with them last week...and we had a blast. The kids got draw-string packs that were made of material that they could color on. They played games, got prizes, and filled their packs up with all their new stuff. It was awesome. It's easy to just get caught up in the fun. It's also humbling to realize, that for most of these kids, before Oasis of Love, they never had the chance to just color, laugh, and just be a kid.
There is a Love that has come to restore all peoples, from every tribe, every nation, every caste.
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