“To pay attention means we care, which means we really love.” Attention is the most basic form of love.

(J. Krishnamurthi quoted in Tara Brach, Radical Acceptance p. 222)

Someone asked Desikachar, “What should be the priority of yoga in Western countries?” He had replied: “Relationship. Relationship between the teacher and student, between the person who wants to learn and the person who wants to give… [In the West] information is given but there is no relationship. I hope this doesn’t happen in India. Without relationship yoga is like a dead body. Relationship is prana.

(Lucy Edge, Yoga School Dropout, p. 252)

I’ve been haunted by these quotes for the past few weeks. Together, they seem to define my personal mission statement. This is what I want to be and do when I grow up.

I often tell students that “caring is my strategic advantage.” As a teacher, I know that I teach a lot more through relationships and that subject matter (in my case, computer graphics) is a pretext for teaching other, more important things. Yes, relationship is prana.

I am wondering what the best context would be for carrying out my mission. Academia is not bad, but I may be able to do better. What professions create the best conditions for living this work? Is what I am describing friendship? Mentorship? Parenthood?