Three cardinal rules

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There are three cardinal rules of driving in Delhi, and the same applies to towns and cities across India. 

First, occupy any available space you find. Do not give space to others if you can avoid it. Second, do not look back or around. Some drivers even close their side view mirrors and rearview mirrors to focus solely on their forward path. Your time and destination are of utmost importance; others are not. Third, break any barriers or boundaries that can be broken. Dividing walls are to be opened up, and lanes are merely suggestions to be ignored. Do not give space to others; run alone and break boundaries if possible. This is what the daily traffic teaches me.

However, there are also three cardinal rules for living. Give space to others. Life is not about racing and winning, but about journeying together. If life is about these principles, you will look back and see those who are moving slowly and offer them encouragement and space. You will also notice those around you who can be inspired to run alongside you. Barriers and boundaries exist for our safety and the well-being of all. Respect and follow them. They contribute to a harmonious life of shared journeying. These are the challenges that my soul presents to me each day. Give space, run with the pack, live within boundaries.

But it's a catch-22 situation. On the road, I am expected to follow rules that contradict what my soul tells me. It creates a division between what my soul desires and how my life on the road operates. It's a conflict between soul and role.

 

In the book "A Hidden Wholeness" by Parker J Palmer, I came across this insight: 


"It is not easy work, rejoining soul and role... As adults, we must achieve a complex integration that spans the contradictions between inner and outer reality, supporting both personal integrity and the common good."


Palmer quotes a verse by the poet Rilke, who wrote about the "winged energy of delight" in childhood:

 "Take your practiced powers and stretch them out, Until they span the chasm between two contradictions... For the god wants to know himself in you." 


Palmer goes on to say, "Living integrated lives is not easy work. But by doing it, we offer what is sacred within us to the world."

 

Oh not to be a Delhi driver! 

 

 

 

 

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