PAYAK

About the Book

Payak is a collection of narratives and reflections by a pious Christian that evolved from attending an ultra-Orthodox marriage ceremony in Chareidi Country, the invitation for which was under the aegis of a beautiful friendship with an American-Jewish family. Mystical insights accrued which led to the development of the thesis that durable peace in one’s self, in one’s locality, and in the world is achievable through vital piety, the mojo of which is humility. If every person, place, object, and event, no matter how unfamiliar or diverse, is encountered in a stance of openness and innocence, violence in all its permutations can be averted. Holding our differences in reverence can antecede religious literalism. Communication will be fluent even without words, appreciation of the dignity of fellow human beings in their local contexts will make cognizant similar needs and longings, good deeds will become the currency of piety, and every healthy goal will be possible with the audacity of faith.

About the Author

Hello, fellow seeker. I am ecstatic to offer you this, my first book, the fulfillment of one of my goals in my list of necessary accomplishments. I am one who has always lived her life in an unlabeled and uncategorized way. I was formed and shaped by a cauldron of differences, from the time of my birth in the Philippines to my adulthood in the States, which has been further enriched by my acquaintances of different peoples in their local cultures in my extensive travels half the world over. I have also lived part of my age of discretion in New York, where I was exponentially nurtured in the thoughts, emotions, sights, smells, sounds and textures of a veritable melting pot of races, religions, social strata, sexual orientations, and cultural mores. My profession as an obstetrician-gynecologist, first as a house officer in-training in Manila and then as a hospitalist in Syracuse, has given me intimate occasions into diverse family dynamics and other remarkably challenging human relationships in both Third World and First World settings. I have learned that we can peaceably survive the demands of our differences if we could but savor the beauty of our humanity in all its grit and glory. I welcome further discussion, including critique and questions—please visit nolibandamd.blogspot.com, where your commentary can be posted. Thank you. Peace.