SPIRITUAL DIVERSITY

-
Lately I visited two places that show spiritual diversity. Fascination for spiritualism brought me to these places.

First, I stayed over a weekend in the Gedong Gandhi Ashram in Candidasa, Bali. This place was established by the late Ibu Gedong whom I met in my 20's in one of conferences I attended. Ibu Gedong is a spiritualist based on Hindu teachings especially Gandhi philosophy. The ashram is now run by her family and local community. 

I went to the Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad, India, some time in the early 2000 but only as a passerby. I didn't stay. This time I allocated time at least 3 days to absorb more atmosphere of an ashram. 

The Gedong Gandhi Ashram lies beautifully between the famous Candidasa Temple and beaches. Everyday, there are two yoga sessions, chanting in Sanskrit language at 5 am and 8 pm, meditation and three times vegetarian meals. For me as a guest, all programs are optional. 

Just being in this peaceful and well maintained ashram gave me positive energy. Vegetarian meals were delicious and specially prepared by experienced local cook. I loved one dish made from a pink flower that I couldn't remember the name. The smell and taste of this dish stay until now in my mind. 

Listening to the chanting during the dark of early morning and evening was calming. I didn't join the chanting sessions but I did listening from my veranda. 

I took a walk to the surrounding areas, beaches, hills and kampongs. 

The beauty of this ashram is that the Gandhi teachings are in subtle ways conveyed and practiced. This ashram is not demanding all guests to be Hinduists or followers of Gandhi teachings. Respect is enough.





Second, last January I joined an open day of the Ortodox Jewish Synagoge in Amsterdam called De Raw Aron Schuster Synagoge (RAS). I never been to a synagoge before, at least not an active one. Mostly I went to a synagoge that has been transformed into new functions. 

During the open day, some speakers delivered presentations. They talked about the architecture but also history of Jewish in Amsterdam and socio cultural customs of Jewish community played comically by a female artist. I learned a lot about Jewish and Jews during this half day open day. 





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Le Corbusier's Ghetto (and how the Dutch deal with it)

-
Image
Last night I took a part in an online discussion for television and live stream programs with the representatives of the Municipality of Amsterdam and the Housing Corporation Rochdale about living in Amsterdam Southeast. It was organized by the New Metropolis Zuidoost, a branch of Pakhuis de Zwijger, a think tank for urban and sustainability issues.  I had to be bold in five minutes that I had during the broadcasting. So what I said is that Amsterdam Southeast was built based on the ideals of Le Corbusier, the Swiss architect, that everyone no matter from which background has the right to light, air, and space. He dreamed of urban development that separated work, living, recreation, and various modes of mobility. This ideal was applied in Amsterdam Zuidoost in the 1960s to be the largest experiment ever in the world in terms of scale and innovations. The experiment was lead by Cornelis van Eesteren, the pioneer of modern architecture in the Netherlands. The reality showed that some...
Read more

INFILL DEVELOPMENT

-
Image
Perpaduan antara bangunan lama dan baru selalu menarik perhatian saya karena saya percaya pelestarian pusaka (heritage conservation) haruslah aktual dan menjawab kebutuhan zaman. Jadi tidak semata-mata dan sama sekali bukan untuk nostalgia. Jika memang niat ada banyak cara untuk mempertahankan bangunan lama dan mengkombinasikannya dengan bangunan baru. Dengan cara ini pelestarian pusaka dan pembangunan baru secara simultan terakomodasi. Solusi seperti ini umumnya disebut Infill Development . Definisinya menurut BUILD, is the economic use of vacant land, or restoration or rehabilitation of existing structures or infrastructure, in already urbanized areas where water, sewer, and other public services are in place, that maintains the continuity of the original community fabric. Solusi Infill Development juga berdasar pada semakin meningkatnya kesadaran tentang pembangunan berkelanjutan dan pelestarian lingkungan hidup. Pendekatan Infill adalah tanggapan terhadap kebijakan pemerintahan ...
Read more

REFLECTION ON 2023

-
Image
Bandung, October 2023 The end of 2023 gets closer.  I am thankful for the health, safety, and opportunities that I have this year.  The year started with good walks to the countryside of Austria. I had to thank my Austrian friends who introduced me to the beauty of nature, the farming life, and also the rich culture of a big city like Vienna. I fell in love with the philosophy of the architect  Friedensreich Hundertwasser: inspired by and back to nature.  In the spring, I had to thank my senior, Donovan Rypkema,  who introduced me to his heritage networks and works around Washington DC. I learned a lot about revitalization of the historical districts of the city.   I continued my journey with the train adventures following the history of the Dutch along the Hudson River until the border of  Canada. The experience with WWOOF USA impressed me. I think I will do it again, in another country next year. Staying in new surroundings with new people deli...
Read more