This is the story of Amar Bharati, the man who has been holding his arm raised for 49 years.
1) This story, which I'll tell very briefly, takes place in India. Currently. And it's real (because if there's a place where these things can happen, it's India). Until 1973, Amar Bharati led a standard life. A bank employee, a family. You could say: a normal guy.
2) Of course, as Caetano Veloso says, "no one is normal up close." That year, the protagonist of our story had a revelation and became a sadhu, also known as a holy man. Sadhus are ascetics who lead a life of penance, seeking enlightenment.
3) That is, people—almost always men—who one day realize that everything material around us (maya, according to Hinduism) is an illusion, a lie. That the phenomenal means nothing, a deception. That truth, the transcendental, is in the spirit.
4) Sadhus, then, abandon everything they previously owned and dedicate themselves to a life of asceticism, begging, and penance. They are often seen in many Indian cities, waiting for someone to give them food. Many are educated, were bosses at their jobs... and they leave everything behind.
5) Asceticism is a constant in Indian history and Hinduism. For example, Buddha or Gandhi. Sadhus often wear orange robes, or are half-naked, with long beards; one sees them sleeping in the streets, under trees... In general, they are highly respected.
6) Of course, there are different types of holy men. The most extreme are the Aghori, who practice necrocannibalism (eating corpses). According to their philosophy, one discovers light only after penetrating darkness: therefore, they carry out actions that society rejects.
7) Sadhus impose penances on themselves, both as a sign of their commitment to the task they have undertaken, but also as punishment for their "previous life" prior to conversion. Again, there are many types of saints. One of the most common penances, for example, is fasting.
8) But Amar, after leaving behind his former life, decided he would always walk with his right arm raised. No matter what. That would be his penance. And the goal to which he dedicated his life is world peace. He started almost half a century ago. And it continues...
9) According to him, the first two years were unbearable. The pain was torture, because he couldn't even get it down to sleep. But then, the cartilage dried up, his arm atrophied completely, and he couldn't feel it anymore. Today, it's like a dead part of his body.
10) If Amar wanted to lower his arm, after 49 years, he wouldn't be able to. There's no way. This is one of the most impressive penances ever undertaken by a human being. The man oriented his life toward a goal...and he's still there. Opinions? It's all quite extreme, isn't it?
