It is a blessing and a privilege to be with you today to share information about the Unitarians in India. I first heard about them almost 10 years ago after reading an article in the UU World magazine — I was hooked! A few years later, Bob Tripp who was in charge of the Partner Church committee at Fairfax asked my husband and I if we would consider making a journey there to explore the possibility of a second partner church for Fairfax.
In August of 2004, my husband (who grew up in India) and I went on our first adventure to Khasi Hills. I had no way of knowing that this trip would be the greatest experience of my lifetime. I had been to India 30 years before, and had been so overwhelmed with the poverty I experienced, there. I never wanted to go back. I sensed that this time would be different — this time there was an opportunity to make a difference.
Khasi Hills in the state of Meghalaya is a beautiful, lush area right above Bangladesh and below Bhutan. It is in the remote north east portion of India, far removed from the rest of the country. (show map)
There are approximately 10,000 Unitarian there. Unitarianism started in the mid 1800's by a man named Hajom Kissor Singh who had been converted to Christianity as a teenager, by Welsh missionaries. The missionaries had come into this land of pre-literate people to save souls. According to Reverend John Bruhens, the following conversation took place between Singh and the missionaries, "Thank you for introducing us to the profound moral and spiritual teachings of Jesus, Just one question: why, instead of just trying to follow these teachings, do you want us to believe so many incredible things about the teacher? Didn't he just want us all to treat one another as sisters and brothers? As children of the One God? The one he called Father, that our tribal religion calls Mother, that the Muslims call Allah, and that the Hindus have so many names for?" "We know your kind back in Whales," said the missionaries. "You're a Unitarian heretic!" "Thank you for that too!" said Hajom Singh. "It's always good to know one isn't alone. Tell me more about these Unitarians."
Singh questioned much of what the missionaries presented. He declared that the message of selection, damnation and salvation by belonging to a certain church, and profession of a certain creed was not compatible with his idea of God. At age 22, he was informed of an American Unitarian minister in Calcutta — Charles Dall. It was in this exchange of information that Singh realized that there were many others in the world with his beliefs. He was not alone! From that time on, he called his religion Ka Niam Mane Wei Blei (the Unitarian religion).
In 1887, he held the first Unitarian service in Khasi Hills. Today, they are the third largest Unitarian community in the world.
One of the first things that he did was to create his own hymnal/ prayer book and to rewrite the Lord's Prayer that is recited at the beginning of every Unitarian service. Translated from Khasi it reads:
Our father in heaven
May your holy name be honored.
May your kingdom come.
May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today the food we need.
Forgive us the wrongs we have done.
As we forgive the wrongs others have done to us.
Do not bring us to hard testing.
For yours is the Kingdom, and the power and glory, forever.
Amen
You probably noticed that Singh changed the words of the prayer — he believed that God would not lead us into temptation — the original Lord's Prayer taught to him by the missionaries made no sense! Reverend Eva Cameron point out that, "Lead us not into temptation" is a very anti- Khasi concept. To Khasis, God is an ever-loving parent who will never lead his children into temptation.
Eva explains, "one of the primary aspects of the Khasi Unitarian faith is love of God. This is not our western, Judeo/Christian God. This God which they speak of, comes out of their own original tribal understandings of God — like what most modern UU's might call goddess: the creative, nurturing, ever-present force of love in their world. In fact the Khasis speak of father-mother God in their hymnal."
Eva points out, "that the Khasis have a love affair with God. God is just so important in their lives. This is true of all the Khasis, Christians, traditional tribal believers, and Unitarians alike. And so, although like us, they don't have any creed to become a Unitarian, they all do believe in God. They can't even conceive of a person who couldn't or wouldn't believe."
It is important to mention that this group of Unitarians is not the oldest in India. In fact, over 200 years ago, the first Unitarian church was started in the city of Madras, now called Chennai. The church was started by an Indian man from a low caste who went to England as a slave where he attended Unitarian churches. When he returned to India as a free man in 1795, he started the first church. This small Unitarian movement in Chennai survives as one, continuous church to the present day with a small number of congregants — about 300. It wasn't until 1987 that the Unitarians in the Khasi Hills area and Madras Unitarians made contact and united into an organization called the Indian Council of Unitarian Churches. They meet every two years.
Hal Fuller (a 2005 visitor) and eloquent writer, describes the Khasi Hills area as "a land of rolling green hills and verdant valleys with the mighty Himalayas dominating the distant horizon; hillsides spotted with groves of pine trees and tree-like banana plants; tangled undergrowth filled in places with a plethora of wild flowers that include both orchids and roses; valleys filled with rice paddies, potato fields and vegetable gardens; tumbling streams of water racing over rocky precipices and falling hundreds of feet to the plains below. He describes seeing hump-backed cattle grazing quietly along the highways and byways, watched over by small boys and old men; villages and small towns filled with for the most part a gentle, peaceful people whose faces reflect an aura of contentment and joy rarely seen in our own country. Hal goes on to point out that "not all is peaceful and tranquil in the Khasi Hills, despite the idyllic setting and its beautiful people. Poverty of the spirit may be rare, but economic poverty is all too common. The vast majority of the Khasi people live well below the global poverty level of one dollar a day."
While we were there on that first trip, we visited many different Unitarian churches and their villages. The people, mostly farmers live very simple lives, and by our standards the conditions are often times shocking. — We were late arriving to one of the Unitarian village schools on our list. Instead of having a tour first, we went straight into a meeting with church members from the village of Puriang. The principal started describing the Unitarian school there — almost 300 students — elementary and secondary classes — over crowded classrooms. I asked what needs the school had at that time. He explained that there was no library, no computer and no labs. When I repeated his words — "no library and no labs", he corrected me — he did not mean science labs — he said no lavs or latrines. At the time, there was no bathroom or outhouse of any kind at that school! Then, we proceeded to learn that this remarkable Unitarian school serves children (the poorest of the poor) from 7 different villages. Some children walk up to 2 hours each way to get there. There is no bus. The school cannot charge tuition — it would discourage attendance and many children would have to drop out and work in the fields. Three times a year, the principal asks the parents to pay a school supply fee of 200 rupees that is less than $4, and many of the parents have to pay in installments. As we toured the school, we realized the extent of the poverty. Most of the students wore the mandatory uniforms, although some looked like they had been passed down many times, and some of the children had no shoes. The school started at 9:00, and many of the students arrived early to get the school ready for the day — carrying water in jugs, with baskets they wear on their backs. There was, and still is no running water in the school or village. And yet, in spite of all of these things that we take for granted in this country, the children were learning, happy, involved and quite proud of their work. This was just one of the many village schools and churches that we visited on that first trip and continue to visit as we travel there each year.
Today, there are 37 Unitarian churches and fellowships in the states of Meghalaya and Assam; 11 of these are partnered with churches in the US. Most churches run primary schools, and the majority of these schools are free and open to all children regardless of their religion. This is their social justice outreach to the community. The churches and schools run hand in hand.
The 37 churches are united with an organization like our UUA called the Unitarian Union of North East India. It is basically a volunteer-run organization. The many hardworking ministers and church visitors who each serve several congregations are only reimbursed for their travel expenses. Thousands of volunteer hours run these churches, and ministers must maintain day jobs to support themselves and their families.
What is it about this part of the world that makes me want to travel here over and over? Of course, it is the many bonds of friendship that brings me back, but what else? After my last trip, I thought about this question and came to the conclusion that it is the valuable lessons that I learn when I am there. One of these lessons that I cherish particularly after spending time in the villages is the appreciation of every day, even the days that I used to consider ordinary or unimportant.
The Khasi Unitarians have taught me the meaning of family, friends and joy found in such ordinary things as a meal of fresh vegetables and rice gathered from the fields and bursting with flavor — a natural bounty from the earth, a steaming pot of tea shared with friends on a crisp day, or the sight of miles of rolling, green hills that take your breath away.
It is all about finding the sacred in the ordinary. I can no longer dispose of ordinary moments by not noticing the miracle and wonder of it all. When I am there, it gives me a time to stay in touch with the other side of my brain — the side that does not analyze and organize everything that comes my way. It is the side that brings me closer to my purpose, and the side that takes risks, but most of the time it just lets me feel and soak up the moments — each sacred moment!
I will end with the words of Unitarian minister and writer, William Ellery Channing and then show you a photo video of the beautiful people of Khasi Hills. Channing's words sum up for me the Khasi Unitarian way of life — an amazing, inspiring group of people whose religion is the way they live their lives from day to day — people who work on a daily basis to help others, even setting aside one handful of rice at each meal to give to those in need.
To Live content with small means,
To seek elegance rather than luxury,
And refinement rather than fashion,
To be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich,
To study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly,
To listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart,
To bear all cheerfully,
Do all bravely,
Await occasions
Hurry never —
In a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious,
Grow up through the common.
This is to be my symphony.