In less than 65 days I will be leaving India “for good” after five years. I wanted to take advantage of the weather before it gets too hot so this Saturday I made a trip via the metro to Old Delhi’s famous Chandni Chowk, Humayun’s Tomb (also known as the “Baby Taj Mahal”) and Dilli Haat (a haven for purchasing regional handmade goods). On Sunday, I practiced a “Lazy Day” in Lodhi Gardens.

It’s been more than a year since I’ve been to Old Delhi. When I was teaching Indian Studies in the High School I used take my students there on a field trip. There would be days where I would take two groups of 20 twice each in a span of 85 minutes! The most fascinating part of my journeys to Old Delhi happens when I exit a state of the art metro and wind up in what seems like another era—this moment epitomizes the “paradox” that is India. For me, Chandni Chowk is the best illustration of India’s diversity…on this one street there is a Church, Sikh Gurdwara, Jain Temple, Hindu Temple, McDonalds, Bird Hospital, some of the BEST street food and the experience culminates with the 17^th century mosque, the Jama Masjid at the end of the road!

After way too many samosas I hopped back on the metro and made my way to Dilli Haat—a favorite tourist spot to buy gifts and a less chaotic place (compared to Old Delhi) for me to find the  colorful “juttis” (traditional Punjabi shoe) I like to wear.  In honor of International Women’s Day Dilli Haat had opened up many stalls to support arts and crafts made by women.

In the evening I attended the 9^th annual Sufi Music Festival at Humayun’s Tomb.  Even though I can’t understand the words the music opens my heart in an indescribable way.

In the Thich Nhat Hanh community one of our practices is “lazy day” and in Plum Village there is a saying, “Sit, don’t do.” To be honest, “lazy day” is the hardest practice for me (I am one of the most “scheduled” people I know) but I make it a point to have “lazy days” and over the years have gotten better with “not accomplishing” or needing to be “productive” all the time. Some years ago my Jewish “Spiritual Brother,” Paul, told me that one of his Professors when he was an undergrad at UPENN made a secular argument for the Sabbath based on the work of Abraham Heschel.

On Sunday morning I woke up I headed to the beautiful park near my home, Lodhi Gardens, and just let my day unfold naturally…I had no plans, time table or agenda for the entire day. To my surprise when I arrived in the gardens I saw a group practicing “laughing yoga.”  I had seen a documentary about “laughing yoga” when I was living in New York 8 years ago and was always curious. I found out the group meets from 6-7am every morning in the gardens! I sat, walked, relaxed and was just awake to how beautiful the gardens are! What makes Delhi so special to me are all of the ruins—they are what gives this city character! I also joined a prayer group and sang with them.

After some time I got hungry and stumbled on a lovely restaurant I hadn’t been to in more than two years and had a delicious mindful meal. I stayed at the restaurant for awhile after I ate and read the Sunday paper cover to cover—it’s been ages since I’ve done that! Then I discovered a fair at the India Islamic Center!

My “Lazy Day” was a beautiful reminder of how nourishing it is to “do nothing.”  My teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, says: In our society, we’re inclined to see doing nothing as something negative, even evil. But when we lose ourselves in activities we diminish our quality of being. We do ourselves a disservice. It’s important to preserve ourselves, to maintain our freshness and good humor, our joy and compassion. In Buddhism we cultivate “aimlessness” and in fact in Buddhist tradition the ideal person, an arhat or bodhisattva, is a businessless person- someone with nowhere to go and nothing to do. People should learn how to just be there, doing nothing. Try to spend a day doing nothing; we call that a “lazy day”. Although for many of us who are used to running around from this to that, a lazy day is actually very hard work! It’s not easy to just be. If you can be happy, relaxed, and smiling when you’re not doing something, you’re quite strong. Doing nothing brings about quality of being, which is very important. So doing nothing is actually something. Please write that down and display it in your home: Doing nothing is something.