My Experience at the Parliament of the World’s Religions: Build the Bubble by Caryn MacGrandle

Mid August I went to the Parliament of World’s Religions.  It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life:  7,500 people from all over the world coming together in love.  Christians, Pagans, Sikhs, Jains, Hindus.  All different religions and cultures.  All with the same intention to find common ground and peace between us while respecting our individual rights, religions, preferences, etc.

The Sikhs fed us with their Guru Ka Langar lunch.  ‘Langar’ started about 550 years ago with a simple, but gigantic act by Guru Nanak the founder of the Sikh faith.  He was given funds to start his business.  Instead, he bought food and served the hungry.  This tradition is carried on by Gurdwaras all around the world to this day.

Love emanated through that tent.  You took off your shoes.  You covered your head.  And you just felt the love and wellbeing reverberating through the tent as you ate an incredible vegetarian meal. 

The entire Parliament experience was quite overwhelming.  Especially after several years of ‘not peopling’ to be surrounded by so many, even if they were of similar intentions, it still was quite a lot of stimuli for my introverted body to handle.

Midweek, I was headed towards a workshop hosted by a friend of mine when I heard music.  My body drifted towards the doorway, and I listened.  I remembered.

I entered.

It was a Universal Dance of Peace offering, and I spent the next hour in this calm, soothing bubble of music, chanting and dancing.  It was exactly what I needed.

Ten years ago, I was drawn to Women’s Circles when my friend Genis led a dance of Universal Peace Circle under a full moon in my backyard. 

Ten years ago, I wrote this article in Elephant Journal  about ‘My Everybody Loves Everybody Feel Good Bubble’ that I was born into and then popped like pretty much everyone’s does and then how I was working on  finding my way back to it.

Finding my way back to it.

You see the thing about the Universal Dances of Peace is that like the Spiral Dance that Starhawk created, you most likely end up holding hands and going in circles while a circle next to you is going the other way.

And you stare into the eyes of the people going by.

It’s not something everyone can do.  Seriously.  I’ve had to learn my way into this.  No judgement.  No flirting.  Just giving and receiving love. 

Again and again and again.

Realizing that each person you pass faces the same human tribulations and challenges some more some less but casting all of that aside for the moment that you pass them, saying “I see you.  I honor you.  I respect you.  I love you.”

The feeling that results from this.  Think tsunami.  A gigantic tsunami of love.

I spent a lot of time at the Parliament thinking about the 1%. 

You and me, we are the 1%.

We are the ones who are going to change the world.

I’m not being all Kumbaya here.  Really.

On Wednesday of the week, I found myself with my partner at a restaurant on Michigan avenue after doing an errand for a friend.  It had been a silent lunch, as we were both exhausted and in the midst of a misunderstanding.  I don’t even remember at the moment what it was about, but the point was that it was not one of those feel good moments.

As I left the lunch, a homeless woman approached me asking for money and saying that she was hungry.

My answer should have been to give her some money, but I was spending an astronomical amount of money on the Parliament, and I’m still figuring out my way from after my second divorce.  It’s stressful.  And I know that I will navigate my way out of these waters, but it is not always easy having this faith. 

So my first thought was no.  Plus I did not have any cash on me.  I briefly thought about ordering something from the restaurant for her but then thought it would be tiring and expensive and I just wanted to get back to my AirBNB.  I nicely told her no and watched her move on. 

And then I remembered.

I remembered the Sikhs and their tent and serving all of us food, and a huge wave of shame washed over me. 

I ran after her, because I had a large bag of trail mix in my purse that I wanted to give her. 

My feet were blistered from wearing shoes they are not used to, and I’m sorry to say that I was not able to catch her.

I’m sorry to say that because I fully realize that in the face of love and generosity and connection, how can you not pass it on?

These are trying and turbulent challenging times but in the face of that, the only decision we have is to keep dancing and keep loving, to keep staring into each others faces and recognizing our shared divinity despite our exhaustion and our fear.

To keep rebuilding that bubble.

Because as I wrote in that article ten years ago:

“….if you keep blowing and believing, maybe one day, we can all step inside.

Bismallah to you.”