Reflection: Dhriti

Being a part of this class has been an enriching experience for my soul and one that will be hard to forget. I started my semester with little to no knowledge as to what anthropocene meant. Although, right after the first class, I realised that this was something that I had heard about almost all my life as the Kali Yuga. And that’s when I really began to understand this subject matter from a personal point of view. 

During our discussions, we talked about how all of us go through the process of birth and death just to reach the same level of god (this is just the process of maturing). Personally this really resonated with me because I’ve always had this fear of getting lost in the rats race. I always feared becoming part of the crowd and becoming ordinary. Especially living in crowded bustling cities like New Delhi and New York, this really became something I contemplated quite a lot. However, ever since this class, i have come to understand that even though we are all the same, we all have decide who we want to be and how we want to lead our lives. (I only realised this when I heard all these different opinions in this class from people who have completely different history, backgrounds, ideals, religions.) I think there is something quite commendable about that. I feel comfortable being part of the crowd now. I don’t fear it. I can walk in the subway without being overwhelmed by the amount of people chasing the same jobs, dreams and stature. Therefore, this class has helped me immensely in creating that sense of self and this empty void I had inside me for being special and unique (not in a superficial manner). I feel like there’s much more to unravel in terms of what we used to be and what the future of humanity holds for us. And exploring this topic through the lens of religion has been extremely enriching. 

Furthermore, this course has also increased my understanding of the climate crisis and the urgency to take action. I especially enjoyed the readings that zoomed in on the climate crisis in New York. It showed me a different perspective about the city and highlighted that the city isn't invincible and unbreakable. I feel like that was the point, when I understood how short sighted us humans can be in actuality. We think that if we reach a certain level of success, no one can break us. But this idea is completely dismissed once we consider the impact our actions have on the planet and the fact that nature can literally destroy us any moment. Learning the climate crisis in a much deeper sense has not only made me more sensitive towards it, but has also showed me that it is important to have a relationship with it. We talked about the same idea several times during our class discussions. Which brings me to my next point: this class also increased my appreciation of my own culture. Taking a closer look at Hinduism, reading excerpts from the Bhagavad Gita and watching a talk by Vandana Shiva, made me understand Hinduism better and also exposed me to the way other people (who follow different religions than Hinduism) think about the practices of it. This experience was quite different than I ever imagined - in a good way! People who were not Hindus not only viewed the teachings of this religion as extremely valuable but also apply these values and thinking in their day to day lives. I think that's pretty commendable. I have genuinely come to understand that knowing where you come from and your roots is so important. (At least for me, this realisation has given me a deeper insight into understanding the people around and my community way better.)

Lastly, I thoroughly enjoyed the intersection between this course and visual arts. I was delighted to see how artists can contribute to starting the discourse about the anthropocene. As an artist, one is always searching for ways to make their work more relevant and how it can have an impact. Upon completing this course, I realised that I want to create works that talk about the anthropocene. Moreover, the learning in this course also reflected in my other courses, like my studio in communication design. As I apply for jobs in the future, I would also consider the environmental impact that company has and the morals it follows. Even the kind of projects I work on has become extremely important to me. Overall, this course has truly helped me in understand my place in this universe better. I feel at peace with myself and want to do better for the future generations. There could not have been a better timing to take this course. Being in the middle of a pandemic, we all felt vulnerable to the forces of nature, and helpless in more ways than one. But that's exactly what made the conversations we had even more interesting!

(DG)