Here is a very good video from the Rural Health Initiative of Doctors about the life of doctors working in a rural area in South Africa.



What I am interested in knowing is whether professionals from any field (doctors, nurses, teachers, engineers) are interested in working in rural areas.

What would motivate you to work in a place like this?
What is attractive about working in rural places?
What is not attractive about working here?

I'm really curious and would appreciate it if you could also tell me what has been done, in the countries you live in, to attract more professionals to rural areas and what has been successful and what hasn't worked out well.

If you are someone already working in a rural area, please share your experiences here. Why did you decide to work there? What's wonderful about it as well as what would make living there more enjoyable and attractive.

By your warm, unwavering hands,
You watered the sleeping seeds sown,
Over the vernal, varied lands,
And thus, I had in your hands, grown.
Comforting hands, culling my weeds,
Suavest shelter when storms had blown,
Sapient grace, drying my greeds,
And thus, I had in your hands, grown.
Now a throbbing tree, teeming glee,
Leaf-full, fruitful, flowerful, free,
Under my shade, place your sapient feet,
Through trying seasons, make it your seat.

Life is a jaunty journey to the oblivion,
A blind mapper's origami ornamenting scenes,
That shadow the scenes to come
On a road misted with malingering memories.
No driver can drive with eyes on the horizon,
Nor with eyes behind, but only
At the piece of road, just ahead.
With you there are travellers on warm chairs,
Broken chairs, new chairs, wise chairs,
And those that pass by, waving, floating,
Sitting, dreaming or pleading a lift...
Segments of sentimental seas embrace the road,
Clouds cast patchy rains of epiphany,
The sun and moon smile and cry mockingly...
And yet you travel forwards and never backwards,
To a destination mapped by your origami...
Until you realize....everything starts
And ends-

Where you began.

I have decided to start my first post with my favourite theme: Spirituality.

Jiddu Krishnamurti called it "choiceless awareness", Nisargadatta refered to it as "remaining in the I AM" and Ramana Maharshi proclaimed "witnessing attitude". All different terms describing what Sri Buddha refered to as Sati.

Out of all the above descriptions I like Jiddu's term, "choiceless awareness". It amptly describes what Sati is. Simply being aware of oneself, aware of ones breathing, body, thoughts, emotions, reactions but without condemning them. This way you know exactly who you are right here, right NOW! Not who you want to be, not who you were, but who you are at the present moment in it's wholeness......a sure way to Self-Knowledge and hence the beginning of true spirituality.