street. You know, you just sort of take it forgranted. You throw the crust away, you forget about it. But in reality, all our food comes from the earth. And therefore we are completely bonded to the earth and its production and its life. Our lives are completely intertwined.
Prakash: I can feel that reverence and gratitude for this gift we receive with every single morsel.
Carolyn: You know, it occurs to me, when I was in my late twenties, we lived in North India for a year, and worked there. I learned more in that year than I had in all the years before that about the reality of hunger and food. I grew up a relatively privileged kid in New York City, where I never saw food grown. Food came from the grocery store. In India, everything is right there on the ground. And I began to understand that you can’t take anything forgranted. You can’t take life forgranted. That everything is dependent upon everything and everyone. That we’re all in this together, whether we think so or not. And therefore, self-interest really is the same thing as interest for the whole. Because if the whole is suffering, we are suffering. And if the whole is sad—in all the different ways of being sad—then we are sad. And otherwise not.
Amit: You’ve said everything you do is meant as a spiritual practice. Often, that involves the question of “Who am I?” or “What is my purpose in life?” How have you found or sought answers in that direction?
Carolyn: I was born Jewish and I tried to go that route. That wasn’t big enough. I then went and studied medieval art history in the 12th century in Europe, and sort of went the Catholic route. Somewhere in there, I became a Zen student. I did the Buddhist route. I then sang in a Black church in the Gospel choir, seeking that route. And then I realized all of those routes were trying to say the same thing. But they also, for me, have the downside of being in these clunky organizations. And the organizations didn’t satisfy me. So I figured out that I had a way of getting into that same ecstatic state—and it was through singing and dancing. So that was what I was going to do. So my spiritual practice is to dance everyday. To sing everyday. To meditate everyday. And to have others join me however and whenever and in whatever ways they are interested in doing so.
Prakash: I can feel that reverence and gratitude for this gift we receive with every single morsel.
Carolyn: You know, it occurs to me, when I was in my late twenties, we lived in North India for a year, and worked there. I learned more in that year than I had in all the years before that about the reality of hunger and food. I grew up a relatively privileged kid in New York City, where I never saw food grown. Food came from the grocery store. In India, everything is right there on the ground. And I began to understand that you can’t take anything forgranted. You can’t take life forgranted. That everything is dependent upon everything and everyone. That we’re all in this together, whether we think so or not. And therefore, self-interest really is the same thing as interest for the whole. Because if the whole is suffering, we are suffering. And if the whole is sad—in all the different ways of being sad—then we are sad. And otherwise not.
Amit: You’ve said everything you do is meant as a spiritual practice. Often, that involves the question of “Who am I?” or “What is my purpose in life?” How have you found or sought answers in that direction?
Carolyn: I was born Jewish and I tried to go that route. That wasn’t big enough. I then went and studied medieval art history in the 12th century in Europe, and sort of went the Catholic route. Somewhere in there, I became a Zen student. I did the Buddhist route. I then sang in a Black church in the Gospel choir, seeking that route. And then I realized all of those routes were trying to say the same thing. But they also, for me, have the downside of being in these clunky organizations. And the organizations didn’t satisfy me. So I figured out that I had a way of getting into that same ecstatic state—and it was through singing and dancing. So that was what I was going to do. So my spiritual practice is to dance everyday. To sing everyday. To meditate everyday. And to have others join me however and whenever and in whatever ways they are interested in doing so.
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I am going to post this for the members of a women's organization that I advocate for. Women's Federation for World Peace wfwp.us
Thank you for sharing a Beautiful example of how simple it can be to make a difference and continue making a difference with daily/weekly practice. Thank you Carolyn North for sharing your heart, wisdom and insight. HUGS from my heart to yours!