The theme of this post may seem maudlin to first time readers, but I assure you, the next posts will become lighter.
Since April 2007, I have been grieving the ‘loss’ of a friend whose presence in my life brought me to a spiritual path. Chris was a dear friend of mine, we came to know one another through the official George Harrison forum. Her being in Argentina and my being in the UK precluded any physical meeting, but I’d like to think we met on a soul level, where it matters.
Anyway, the title of this post alludes to the fact that I have been trying to reconcile my Eastern religious leanings with a very Western grieving process, complicated by a number of factors – the physical distance and being unable to attend a funeral being two of these.
I think fondly of the passage in the Bhagavad Gita which states:
There never was a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor any of these kings, nor will there be any future where we cease to be. - chapter two, verse eighteen.
Krishna’s words to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kuruksetra have brought me a little comfort in this time of suffering, but trying to reconcile the Eastern knowing (Chris was, or seemed to be Hindu) with the Western grieving has been challenging.
So, if you have any opinions on how a person of faith can reconcile faith and grief, feel free to chime in.
- Should faith preclude grief?