Guest guest Posted April 1, 2002 Report Share Posted April 1, 2002 Ohmigoodness! This is Funny! I copied some of it and sent it to my long suffering boss under the title "Why I love India" because I do! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 2, 2002 Report Share Posted April 2, 2002 It is soooooooooo nice to hear some good words from a New Yorker!! We Indians are "GRATIFIED" indeed!! I am sooooooooooooooooo happy that the New Yorker never went to Harlem and other places where a police siren or ambulance siren every minute is not uncommon. Of course I remember the beautiful roads there.(I mean in Harlem and other slums) (Of course they make it sooooo dangerous to tourists so no one goes there and brings photos) I also know how SAFE it is to walk in some areas of NY. I also am happy that he finds people nice (sometimes). Of course all the guides and real estate agents in NY are sooooooooooooooooooooo honest and correct when they say anything it is God's own words. My experience has been otherwise!! Of course we in India do not have hoardings to cover up slums. That’s an American practice and sooooooooooooooo nice!! We do not have trucks doing rounds in the morning in winter removing dead bodies!! So sometimes destitute bodies can be seen on streets. But Americans are sooooooooooooo correct they will remove it before 4 in the morning. Some of my experiences with Americans are sooooooooooooo disgusting I care not to relate. That does not make all Americans and all America bad!! They are not. But many like this modern day Mayo. We are too cultured to speak of the ills of others. Americans love to do that and expect others to accept and acknowledge that. I and many Indians WILL NOT!! If there is dirt in India, it is there in America as well. If there is dishonesty in India it is all the more there manifold in US. If there are bad guys here and people who stare at strangers, it is not uncommon in US as well. They call BJP the “Hindu nationalist Party” It is a pity the Bush’s party is not called “American rightist christen fundamentalist party” we Indians are the cleanest in the world...we bathe twice a day...wash with our left hand and eat with our right....I know whites have a bath once every few days...oh god ....they must be dirty and do they smell!! Even when they apply all the deodorants!! Smell is not something peculiar to India.... and toilet paper may be modern...but it is most unhygenic... One day I will do the US and take videos of the starving white Americans and the dirty streets and the dirty people and if there is a non US controlled TV network, air it through them. It is time some one did that and pricked the false image of US!! Now what can u expect from an American whose sense of history are cobble stoned streets in downtown Boston that are may be a couple of hundred years old and he is sitting in a place whose history might be going back at least a thousand years...and he tells us that we are dirty!!!!!! I am SICK of the high and mighty talk. Dear devi Bhaktha: i am sorry i went on like this. But please do mail this to your friend and tell him he can call me at 9861-25550 or 0484-351190 if he cares to interact!! I am within a short distance from Kanyakumari. Maybe I can teach him some culture!! The Americans come to Asia and Africa because they cannot afford vacations in their own countries and enjoy excellent facilities cheap and criticize. That’s disgusting. I feel we Indians should treat them just the way they treat us!! Criticize and ignore. The difference is that we have a great history and of course the whites treat themselves as superior. They say Copernicus discovered the heliocentric theory a few hundred years ago!! We stated that millennia ago) Some Arab copied it and it was read by Copernicus and hey presto the White mans theory rules!! Johan Keppler again read and plagiarized Arab writings on planetary movement calculations from the people of Kerala next to Kanyakumari and hey he is a hero!! Jenner “discovered” vaccination! Of course after reading army dispatches from India!!(Where it was being practiced). These people plagiarize a lot and claim. Even now they use Indian talent and claim the credit. A person known to me did some original work in mathematics and some American professor who was supposed to be “guiding” him steals the material and publishes it as his own paper!! What a people who thinks they can criticize India. If they are unhappy let them not come here. We do not need them!! --- devi_bhakta <devi_bhakta wrote: This post has not much (not anything, actually) to do with Shakti Sadhana; however, a friend of mine is currently spending a few months renting a cottage not too terribly far from Kanyakumari while he finishes work on a book. This is an excerpt from a recent e-mail that rather vividly conveys some of his impressions of South India. The writer is an American; his fiancée is East European. He has no particular knowledge of India or Hinduism, but the piece is pretty evocative and funny just the same. All names changed to protect, etc: DISPATCH Let me begin this letter by apologizing for my long e-mail silence. There is not an Internet café anywhere very close to our place, and I just haven't found the time to really write a good dispatch until now. So, with that being said, I thought I would try to catch you up on the details of my life here in T---, India. 'EVERYTHING IS ARRANGED' Nastya and I landed here roughly three weeks ago, and our first order of business was finding a place to stay. We had someone from the hospital, who was supposed to be helping us, a certain Mr. Jaiyasing, who assured us that "everything is arranged", and that we should just "don't worry be happy". I now know that in India this is precisely when one should start to worry. As we soon discovered, nothing was arranged except a quick ride out into some malarial swamps where a very dilapidated house was continuing to fester with mold, as stray dogs and bewildered village people stared at us rather curiously, as if to say: What are on earth are you thinking? Nastya, to her great credit, handled the scene with true Iron-Curtain grit and saved some semblance of calm in the face of this surprise. She asked all the right questions, and in a very composed way, came to the logical conclusion that place was too far away and generally unsuitable for us. I, on the other hand, had the full New York City-style nervous breakdown, one of those acutely almost orgasmic attacks of the nerves when colors and sounds come in and out of focus. If we lived in this place, I "reasoned" to myself, we would soon be overrun by the village dogs and sharing our kitchen with a family of six inch cockroaches. What's more, we could easily be trapped because not even the bravest auto-rickshaw driver would come down the narrow back road that led to our swampy abode. Finally I got a hold of myself, and Nastya and I asked if we could just see a hotel where we might temporarily stay until we found a place that suited us better. So off we were to Hotel A----, where we greeted by the overpowering scent of ammonia. Eyes watering, from both chemical and emotional reactions, we strolled through the dark, frumpy, dank, rusted, mildewed, and clinically depressing halls of A----. Finally, just before all hope was lost, our mutually disgusted guide (Mr. Jaiyasing) took us to the V -- n Hotel … in a beautiful garden, overflowing with plants, flowers, and trees. It was a handsome modern building with a short smiling man in front who introduced himself as Hari. (More about him later.) Words can hardly describe the utter joy on my face when I saw V -- n. It's not that it was so luxurious, but it was so clean I felt I could have eaten off the floors by comparison to A----. Damn it, those floors were so clean I thought I was going to die. Hari showed us the rooms but they were all so expensive, about $40 a night, which is unconscionable in India, especially for any length of time. "Wait," said Hari, "We also have an apartment on the side." So Hari took us around back and showed us the apartment. It was also immaculately clean (by comparison with A----, of course), with a number of garden views, cool breezes, birds chirping, balcony with a swinging chair and rooftop views, study, and bedroom, living room, kitchen. It was paradise. We then began intense negotiations and finally agreed on $200 a month for rent. I think even at the time we knew this was a very high price by Indian standards, but neither of us cared because we had found a home. We would be off the streets -- and oh, the streets! 'IS THAT SHIT OR A DEAD CAT?' A quick word about the streets of India. They are overpowering - trash, rotting food, waste, weeds, flowers, incense, spices, spare tires, sitting cows, trotting goats, legless beggars, auto-rickshaws, bicycles, trucks, exhaust everywhere, vegetable stands, men without shirts or shoes, women with no teeth, children staring at you, random guy in a business suit, decomposing dead animal, everything. Nastya and I get around on a device called an "auto-rickshaw" which is essentially a three-wheeled motorcycle with a carriage in back. Generally it will take you anywhere in the city for about 40 cents. The driving is absolutely crazy. The lines down the center of street appear to be simply suggestions, as they are ignored routinely. On any given drive you will be involved in a game of chicken with an oncoming auto-rickshaw as you both vie for the same narrow gap in the road between the two cows that won't move. Also at least once a ride I spell the Worst Ever Smell (a.k.a. WES). Like a high-trained athlete who keeps breaking his own records, it seems that each day I pick up on a new scent that easily tops the one from the day before, and on at least one occasion I found myself wondering: Is that shit or a dead cat? 'SIR, SIR YOU DROPPED THIS' Whatever drawbacks the streets may have, they are easily offset by the incredible goodness of the Indian people. They are by far the most helpful, gracious, friendly and honest people that I have ever met on any of my travels. Our neighborhood is a perfect example. We are the only westerners in the hood, and therefore we stick out quite a bit, but as it turns out in a good way. As we walk down the dusty main strip, which is lined with palm trees and crumbling buildings, the local store people go nuts. "Hey, come talk," yells the druggist who has sold us many a good laxative. "Hello!" yells the hardware man, who sells chicken wire and almost nothing else. "Where is the missus today," asks VJ the grocer who gets us our milk and eggs. Others, who we are just meeting, like the florist, are amazed that we are from America. Ever since September 11th, few if any Americans have been coming to India. But everyone seems genuinely psyched to see an American back on the scene. In general, however, people stare at us wherever we go because there just aren't many foreigners == message truncated === Tax Center - online filing with TurboTax http://http://taxes./ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 2, 2002 Report Share Posted April 2, 2002 Dear Sankara: Thanks for a really heartfelt reply. I do understand your concerns, and they are well taken. I will most certainly forward it on to the author. I fear I was mistaken to have published it here; it was intended for a few of his close friends, not for general circulation. He is not a "modern day Mayo," out to disparage India and convince the world of the need for "benevolent British rule" and large doses of Christianity. Rather, he's a rather young man with a book contract and in need of a place to finish his work. As I noted, he has no particular knowledge of India, its languages, history or religions. The note was essentially an extended, tongue-in-cheek postcard from a tourist. I happened to receive it as we discussed Kanyakumari in the Group, so I posted it up without much thought. I feel sorry that I did so, as it seems to have offended, and I am removing it now. *** We are too cultured to speak of the ills of others. Americans love to do that and expect others to accept and acknowledge that. I and many Indians WILL NOT!! *** That is, as you suggest, the wisdom of an old culture. Think about it: A young teenager can be hyper-sensitive and painfully self-conscious, fearful that everyone is looking and noticing her/his every flaw. So s/he cops an attitude, hiding insecurity behind an exaggerated bravado. By contrast, when that same person becomes an old woman or man -- having paid her/his dues, seen and done most everything, and with nothing much left to prove to anyone -- s/he will move through the world with a serene self-confidence: "I am what I am, and I'm not apologizing to anyone. Take me as I am or move on." Just so is the ancient land of India vis-à-vis the pimply teenage bravado of America and its leader, Bush the Younger, blessed with the bland self-assurance of a truly unreflective soul -- or, alternatively, of an "American rightist christian fundamentalist," as you rather aptly put it. Your many examples of ancient Indian innovations being credited to later Europeans certainly used to be very true, and of course still are to some extent. But I think those distortions are fast becoming general knowledge, and India is at long last getting Her due. For all of Her imperfections, India is undoubtedly this Earth's "spiritual ground zero," and for all of the suffering of too many of Her children, She is in many ways a paradise on Earth -- "if only you know where to look," as one friend of mine put it just yesterday, discussing the same letter. America is, at best, little more than the Earth's "material ground zero" -- especially at this moment in history. But there are still many places -- far from the crowds and the mass culture and the commercial uniformity and empty jingoism -- where you can feel the presence of Mother and the weight of history. I know quite a few. You'd like them. And no, I'm not speaking of the cobbled streets of Colonial-era Boston ... but the deeper, truer history of the land Herself. That is where we should focus, I think. On Shakti Sadhana, and not cultural pissing matches. I started this one and I apologize for it. In a way, I'm actually glad to see some "action" on the list -- but I cannot help but wish that matters of the spirit elicited the same level of passion. Aum Maatangyai Namahe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 2, 2002 Report Share Posted April 2, 2002 I agree, and I would probably find the adventures of a New Yorker in New Orleans, or in some other American rural or swampy area equally funny. Just as we find tales of Australian crocodile hunters in America funny, etc. It is the juxtaposition, the inappropriate misplacement of an individual from one culture immersed in a different culture that makes many people laugh. The two weeks I spent in India were among the highlights of my life. I love the way my fears and reactions revealed so much about assumptions that I had never questioned. I found it as deeply amusing as it was, for me, stressful. I laughed at my own distress and surprise. It taught me about my own perceptions. After my trip to Chandigarh, a member of the Indian team came here to Denver. I was anxious to question him on his impressions of us. I knew that he would see things I never noticed, his entire context would be different. It was amusing, interesting, eye-opening. He was amazed at our obsession with sidewalks, everything, absolutely everything here in Denver seems to be tucked into a well defined geometric space. I loved thinking about that and comparing it to what I saw in Delhi, Mcleod Gange and Chandigarh. I realized that he wouldn't have a chance to see any of our rural areas, which are so quickly being eaten up by suburbs and tamed. When I was laughing at the email from the New Yorker in India, I wasn't laughing at India. I was born in New York. I was laughing at the New Yorker, his self-described neurosis, and his complete lack of understanding of his surroundings, his very human fears. I believe that to be human is to be absurd. I love the absurdities. Certainly they can all be explained and justified. But they can also be appreciated and enjoyed. Let me say again that I find India inspiring. I am grateful for my tenuous connection to Her. I wish to offend no one with my quirky perspectives and odd appreciation for what I see as human follibles. I am so grateful for the honest input by sankara menon. I hope that I have not given offense. Namaskar prainbow , "Eve _69" <eve__69@h...> wrote: > Uh, it's true, I was reading the message out loud to my wife and then I > thought, well, it's not really so very different from New Orleans. > > > > > -- Original Message ----- > "sankara menon" <kochu1tz> > > Tuesday, April 02, 2002 11:58 AM > Re: Hanging Out in South India > > > > It is soooooooooo nice to hear some good words from a > > New Yorker!! We Indians are "GRATIFIED" indeed!! I am > > sooooooooooooooooo happy that the New Yorker never > > went to Harlem and other places where a police siren > > or ambulance siren every minute is not uncommon. Of > > course I remember the beautiful roads there.(I mean in > > Harlem and other slums) (Of course they make it sooooo > > dangerous to tourists so no one goes there and brings > > photos) I also know how SAFE it is to walk in some > > areas of NY. > > > > I also am happy that he finds people nice (sometimes). > > Of course all the guides and real estate agents in NY > > are sooooooooooooooooooooo honest and correct when > > they say anything it is God's own words. My experience > > has been otherwise!! Of course we in India do not have > > hoardings to cover up slums. That's an American > > practice and sooooooooooooooo nice!! > > > > We do not have trucks doing rounds in the morning in > > winter removing dead bodies!! So sometimes destitute > > bodies can be seen on streets. But Americans are > > sooooooooooooo correct they will remove it before 4 in > > the morning. > > > > Some of my experiences with Americans are > > sooooooooooooo disgusting I care not to relate. That > > does not make all Americans and all America bad!! They > > are not. But many like this modern day Mayo. > > > > We are too cultured to speak of the ills of others. > > Americans love to do that and expect others to accept > > and acknowledge that. I and many Indians WILL NOT!! If > > there is dirt in India, it is there in America as > > well. If there is dishonesty in India it is all the > > more there manifold in US. If there are bad guys here > > and people who stare at strangers, it is not uncommon > > in US as well. They call BJP the "Hindu nationalist > > Party" It is a pity the Bush's party is not called > > "American rightist christen fundamentalist party" > > > > we Indians are the cleanest in the world...we bathe > > twice a day...wash with our left hand and eat with our > > right....I know whites have a bath once every few > > days...oh god ....they must be dirty and do they > > smell!! Even when they apply all the deodorants!! > > Smell is not something peculiar to India.... and > > toilet paper may be modern...but it is most > > unhygenic... > > > > One day I will do the US and take videos of the > > starving white Americans and the dirty streets and the > > dirty people and if there is a non US controlled TV > > network, air it through them. It is time some one did > > that and pricked the false image of US!! > > > > Now what can u expect from an American whose sense of > > history are cobble stoned streets in downtown Boston > > that are may be a couple of hundred years old and he > > is sitting in a place whose history might be going > > back at least a thousand years...and he tells us that > > we are dirty!!!!!! > > > > I am SICK of the high and mighty talk. > > > > Dear devi Bhaktha: > > i am sorry i went on like this. But please do mail > > this to your friend and tell him he can call me at > > 9861-25550 or 0484-351190 if he cares to interact!! I > > am within a short distance from Kanyakumari. Maybe I > > can teach him some culture!! The Americans come to > > Asia and Africa because they cannot afford vacations > > in their own countries and enjoy excellent facilities > > cheap and criticize. That's disgusting. > > > > I feel we Indians should treat them just the way they > > treat us!! Criticize and ignore. The difference is > > that we have a great history and of course the whites > > treat themselves as superior. > > > > They say Copernicus discovered the heliocentric theory > > a few hundred years ago!! We stated that millennia > > ago) Some Arab copied it and it was read by Copernicus > > and hey presto the White mans theory rules!! > > > > Johan Keppler again read and plagiarized Arab writings > > on planetary movement calculations from the people of > > Kerala next to Kanyakumari and hey he is a hero!! > > > > Jenner "discovered" vaccination! Of course after > > reading army dispatches from India!!(Where it was > > being practiced). These people plagiarize a lot and > > claim. Even now they use Indian talent and claim the > > credit. A person known to me did some original work in > > mathematics and some American professor who was > > supposed to be "guiding" him steals the material and > > publishes it as his own paper!! What a people who > > thinks they can criticize India. If they are unhappy > > let them not come here. We do not need them!! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --- devi_bhakta <devi_bhakta wrote: > > This post has not much (not anything, actually) to do > > with Shakti Sadhana; however, a friend of mine is > > currently spending a few months renting a cottage not > > too terribly far from Kanyakumari while he finishes > > work on a book. This is an excerpt from a recent > > e-mail that rather vividly conveys some of his > > impressions of South India. The writer is an American; > > his fiancée is East European. > > He has no particular knowledge of India or Hinduism, > > but the piece is pretty evocative and funny just the > > same. All names changed to protect, etc: > > > > DISPATCH > > Let me begin this letter by apologizing for my long > > e-mail silence. > > There is not an Internet café anywhere very close to > > our place, and I just haven't found the time to really > > write a good dispatch until now. > > So, with that being said, I thought I would try to > > catch you up on the details of my life here in T---, > > India. > > > > 'EVERYTHING IS ARRANGED' > > Nastya and I landed here roughly three weeks ago, and > > our first order of business was finding a place to > > stay. We had someone from the hospital, who was > > supposed to be helping us, a certain Mr. Jaiyasing, > > who assured us that "everything is arranged", and > > that we should just "don't worry be happy". I now > > know that in India this is precisely > > when one should start to worry. As we soon > > discovered, nothing was arranged except a quick ride > > out into some malarial swamps where a very dilapidated > > house was continuing to fester with mold, as stray > > dogs and bewildered village people stared at us rather > > curiously, as if to say: What are on earth are you > > thinking? > > > > Nastya, to her great credit, handled the scene with > > true Iron-Curtain > > grit and saved some semblance of calm in the face of > > this surprise. She asked all the right questions, and > > in a very composed way, came to the logical conclusion > > that place was too far away and generally unsuitable > > for us. I, on the other hand, had the full New York > > City-style nervous breakdown, one of those acutely > > almost orgasmic attacks of the nerves when colors and > > sounds come in and out of focus. > > If we lived in this place, I "reasoned" to myself, we > > would soon be overrun by the village dogs and sharing > > our kitchen with a family of six inch cockroaches. > > What's more, we could easily be trapped because not > > even the bravest auto-rickshaw driver would come down > > the narrow back road that led to our swampy abode. > > Finally I got a hold of > > myself, and Nastya and I asked if we could just see a > > hotel where we might temporarily stay until we found a > > place that suited us better. > > > > So off we were to Hotel A----, where we greeted by > > the overpowering scent of ammonia. Eyes watering, from > > both chemical and emotional reactions, we strolled > > through the dark, frumpy, dank, rusted, mildewed, and > > clinically depressing halls of A----. > > > > Finally, just before all hope was lost, our mutually > > disgusted guide (Mr. Jaiyasing) took us to the V -- n > > Hotel . in a beautiful garden, overflowing with > > plants, flowers, and trees. It was a handsome modern > > building with a short smiling man in front who > > introduced himself as Hari. (More about him later.) > > Words can hardly describe the utter joy on my face > > when I saw V -- n. It's not that it was so luxurious, > > but it was so clean I felt I could have eaten off the > > floors by comparison to A----. Damn it, those floors > > were so clean I thought I was going to die. Hari > > showed us the rooms but they were all so expensive, > > about $40 a night, which is unconscionable in India, > > especially for any length of time. "Wait," said Hari, > > "We also have an apartment on the side." So Hari took > > us around back and showed us the apartment. It was > > also immaculately clean (by comparison with A----, of > > course), with a number of garden views, cool breezes, > > birds chirping, balcony with a swinging chair and > > rooftop views, study, and bedroom, living room, > > kitchen. It was paradise. We then began intense > > negotiations and finally agreed on $200 a month for > > rent. I think even at the time we knew this was a very > > high price by Indian standards, but neither of us > > cared because we had found a home. We would be off the > > streets -- and oh, the streets! > > 'IS THAT SHIT OR A DEAD CAT?' > > A quick word about the streets of India. They are > > overpowering - trash, rotting food, waste, weeds, > > flowers, incense, spices, spare tires, sitting cows, > > trotting goats, legless beggars, auto-rickshaws, > > bicycles, trucks, exhaust everywhere, vegetable > > stands, men without shirts or shoes, women with no > > teeth, children staring at you, random guy in a > > business suit, decomposing dead animal, everything. > > Nastya and I get around on a device called an > > "auto-rickshaw" which is essentially a three-wheeled > > motorcycle with a carriage in back. Generally it will > > take you anywhere in the city for about 40 cents. > > > > The driving is absolutely crazy. The lines down the > > center of street appear to be simply suggestions, as > > they are ignored routinely. On any given drive you > > will be involved in a game of chicken with an oncoming > > auto-rickshaw as you both vie for the same narrow gap > > in the road between the two cows that won't move. Also > > at least once a ride I spell the Worst Ever Smell > > (a.k.a. WES). Like a high-trained athlete who keeps > > breaking his own records, it seems that each day I > > pick up on a new scent that easily tops the one from > > the day before, and on at least one occasion I found > > myself wondering: Is that shit or > > a dead cat? > > > > 'SIR, SIR YOU DROPPED THIS' > > Whatever drawbacks the streets may have, they are > > easily offset by the incredible goodness of the Indian > > people. They are by far the most helpful, gracious, > > friendly and honest people that I have ever met on any > > of my travels. Our neighborhood is a perfect example. > > We are the only westerners in the hood, and therefore > > we stick out quite > > a bit, but as it turns out in a good way. As we walk > > down the dusty main strip, which is lined with palm > > trees and crumbling buildings, the local store people > > go nuts. "Hey, come talk," yells the druggist who has > > sold us many a good laxative. "Hello!" yells the > > hardware man, who sells chicken wire and almost > > nothing else. "Where is the missus today," asks VJ the > > grocer who gets us our milk and eggs. Others, who we > > are just meeting, like the florist, are amazed that we > > are from America. Ever since September 11th, few if > > any Americans have been coming to India. But everyone > > seems genuinely psyched to see an American back on the > > scene. In general, however, people stare at us > > wherever we go because there just aren't many > > foreigners > > > > == message truncated === > > > > > > > > > > Tax Center - online filing with TurboTax > > http://http://taxes./ > > > > > > > > shakti_sadhnaa- > > > > > > > > Your use of is subject to > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 2, 2002 Report Share Posted April 2, 2002 Uh, it's true, I was reading the message out loud to my wife and then I thought, well, it's not really so very different from New Orleans. -- Original Message ----- "sankara menon" <kochu1tz <> Tuesday, April 02, 2002 11:58 AM Re: Hanging Out in South India > It is soooooooooo nice to hear some good words from a > New Yorker!! We Indians are "GRATIFIED" indeed!! I am > sooooooooooooooooo happy that the New Yorker never > went to Harlem and other places where a police siren > or ambulance siren every minute is not uncommon. Of > course I remember the beautiful roads there.(I mean in > Harlem and other slums) (Of course they make it sooooo > dangerous to tourists so no one goes there and brings > photos) I also know how SAFE it is to walk in some > areas of NY. > > I also am happy that he finds people nice (sometimes). > Of course all the guides and real estate agents in NY > are sooooooooooooooooooooo honest and correct when > they say anything it is God's own words. My experience > has been otherwise!! Of course we in India do not have > hoardings to cover up slums. That's an American > practice and sooooooooooooooo nice!! > > We do not have trucks doing rounds in the morning in > winter removing dead bodies!! So sometimes destitute > bodies can be seen on streets. But Americans are > sooooooooooooo correct they will remove it before 4 in > the morning. > > Some of my experiences with Americans are > sooooooooooooo disgusting I care not to relate. That > does not make all Americans and all America bad!! They > are not. But many like this modern day Mayo. > > We are too cultured to speak of the ills of others. > Americans love to do that and expect others to accept > and acknowledge that. I and many Indians WILL NOT!! If > there is dirt in India, it is there in America as > well. If there is dishonesty in India it is all the > more there manifold in US. If there are bad guys here > and people who stare at strangers, it is not uncommon > in US as well. They call BJP the "Hindu nationalist > Party" It is a pity the Bush's party is not called > "American rightist christen fundamentalist party" > > we Indians are the cleanest in the world...we bathe > twice a day...wash with our left hand and eat with our > right....I know whites have a bath once every few > days...oh god ....they must be dirty and do they > smell!! Even when they apply all the deodorants!! > Smell is not something peculiar to India.... and > toilet paper may be modern...but it is most > unhygenic... > > One day I will do the US and take videos of the > starving white Americans and the dirty streets and the > dirty people and if there is a non US controlled TV > network, air it through them. It is time some one did > that and pricked the false image of US!! > > Now what can u expect from an American whose sense of > history are cobble stoned streets in downtown Boston > that are may be a couple of hundred years old and he > is sitting in a place whose history might be going > back at least a thousand years...and he tells us that > we are dirty!!!!!! > > I am SICK of the high and mighty talk. > > Dear devi Bhaktha: > i am sorry i went on like this. But please do mail > this to your friend and tell him he can call me at > 9861-25550 or 0484-351190 if he cares to interact!! I > am within a short distance from Kanyakumari. Maybe I > can teach him some culture!! The Americans come to > Asia and Africa because they cannot afford vacations > in their own countries and enjoy excellent facilities > cheap and criticize. That's disgusting. > > I feel we Indians should treat them just the way they > treat us!! Criticize and ignore. The difference is > that we have a great history and of course the whites > treat themselves as superior. > > They say Copernicus discovered the heliocentric theory > a few hundred years ago!! We stated that millennia > ago) Some Arab copied it and it was read by Copernicus > and hey presto the White mans theory rules!! > > Johan Keppler again read and plagiarized Arab writings > on planetary movement calculations from the people of > Kerala next to Kanyakumari and hey he is a hero!! > > Jenner "discovered" vaccination! Of course after > reading army dispatches from India!!(Where it was > being practiced). These people plagiarize a lot and > claim. Even now they use Indian talent and claim the > credit. A person known to me did some original work in > mathematics and some American professor who was > supposed to be "guiding" him steals the material and > publishes it as his own paper!! What a people who > thinks they can criticize India. If they are unhappy > let them not come here. We do not need them!! --- devi_bhakta <devi_bhakta wrote: > This post has not much (not anything, actually) to do > with Shakti Sadhana; however, a friend of mine is > currently spending a few months renting a cottage not > too terribly far from Kanyakumari while he finishes > work on a book. This is an excerpt from a recent > e-mail that rather vividly conveys some of his > impressions of South India. The writer is an American; > his fiancée is East European. > He has no particular knowledge of India or Hinduism, > but the piece is pretty evocative and funny just the > same. All names changed to protect, etc: > > DISPATCH > Let me begin this letter by apologizing for my long > e-mail silence. > There is not an Internet café anywhere very close to > our place, and I just haven't found the time to really > write a good dispatch until now. > So, with that being said, I thought I would try to > catch you up on the details of my life here in T---, > India. > > 'EVERYTHING IS ARRANGED' > Nastya and I landed here roughly three weeks ago, and > our first order of business was finding a place to > stay. We had someone from the hospital, who was > supposed to be helping us, a certain Mr. Jaiyasing, > who assured us that "everything is arranged", and > that we should just "don't worry be happy". I now > know that in India this is precisely > when one should start to worry. As we soon > discovered, nothing was arranged except a quick ride > out into some malarial swamps where a very dilapidated > house was continuing to fester with mold, as stray > dogs and bewildered village people stared at us rather > curiously, as if to say: What are on earth are you > thinking? > > Nastya, to her great credit, handled the scene with > true Iron-Curtain > grit and saved some semblance of calm in the face of > this surprise. She asked all the right questions, and > in a very composed way, came to the logical conclusion > that place was too far away and generally unsuitable > for us. I, on the other hand, had the full New York > City-style nervous breakdown, one of those acutely > almost orgasmic attacks of the nerves when colors and > sounds come in and out of focus. > If we lived in this place, I "reasoned" to myself, we > would soon be overrun by the village dogs and sharing > our kitchen with a family of six inch cockroaches. > What's more, we could easily be trapped because not > even the bravest auto-rickshaw driver would come down > the narrow back road that led to our swampy abode. > Finally I got a hold of > myself, and Nastya and I asked if we could just see a > hotel where we might temporarily stay until we found a > place that suited us better. > > So off we were to Hotel A----, where we greeted by > the overpowering scent of ammonia. Eyes watering, from > both chemical and emotional reactions, we strolled > through the dark, frumpy, dank, rusted, mildewed, and > clinically depressing halls of A----. > > Finally, just before all hope was lost, our mutually > disgusted guide (Mr. Jaiyasing) took us to the V -- n > Hotel . in a beautiful garden, overflowing with > plants, flowers, and trees. It was a handsome modern > building with a short smiling man in front who > introduced himself as Hari. (More about him later.) > Words can hardly describe the utter joy on my face > when I saw V -- n. It's not that it was so luxurious, > but it was so clean I felt I could have eaten off the > floors by comparison to A----. Damn it, those floors > were so clean I thought I was going to die. Hari > showed us the rooms but they were all so expensive, > about $40 a night, which is unconscionable in India, > especially for any length of time. "Wait," said Hari, > "We also have an apartment on the side." So Hari took > us around back and showed us the apartment. It was > also immaculately clean (by comparison with A----, of > course), with a number of garden views, cool breezes, > birds chirping, balcony with a swinging chair and > rooftop views, study, and bedroom, living room, > kitchen. It was paradise. We then began intense > negotiations and finally agreed on $200 a month for > rent. I think even at the time we knew this was a very > high price by Indian standards, but neither of us > cared because we had found a home. We would be off the > streets -- and oh, the streets! > 'IS THAT SHIT OR A DEAD CAT?' > A quick word about the streets of India. They are > overpowering - trash, rotting food, waste, weeds, > flowers, incense, spices, spare tires, sitting cows, > trotting goats, legless beggars, auto-rickshaws, > bicycles, trucks, exhaust everywhere, vegetable > stands, men without shirts or shoes, women with no > teeth, children staring at you, random guy in a > business suit, decomposing dead animal, everything. > Nastya and I get around on a device called an > "auto-rickshaw" which is essentially a three-wheeled > motorcycle with a carriage in back. Generally it will > take you anywhere in the city for about 40 cents. > > The driving is absolutely crazy. The lines down the > center of street appear to be simply suggestions, as > they are ignored routinely. On any given drive you > will be involved in a game of chicken with an oncoming > auto-rickshaw as you both vie for the same narrow gap > in the road between the two cows that won't move. Also > at least once a ride I spell the Worst Ever Smell > (a.k.a. WES). Like a high-trained athlete who keeps > breaking his own records, it seems that each day I > pick up on a new scent that easily tops the one from > the day before, and on at least one occasion I found > myself wondering: Is that shit or > a dead cat? > > 'SIR, SIR YOU DROPPED THIS' > Whatever drawbacks the streets may have, they are > easily offset by the incredible goodness of the Indian > people. They are by far the most helpful, gracious, > friendly and honest people that I have ever met on any > of my travels. Our neighborhood is a perfect example. > We are the only westerners in the hood, and therefore > we stick out quite > a bit, but as it turns out in a good way. As we walk > down the dusty main strip, which is lined with palm > trees and crumbling buildings, the local store people > go nuts. "Hey, come talk," yells the druggist who has > sold us many a good laxative. "Hello!" yells the > hardware man, who sells chicken wire and almost > nothing else. "Where is the missus today," asks VJ the > grocer who gets us our milk and eggs. Others, who we > are just meeting, like the florist, are amazed that we > are from America. Ever since September 11th, few if > any Americans have been coming to India. But everyone > seems genuinely psyched to see an American back on the > scene. In general, however, people stare at us > wherever we go because there just aren't many > foreigners > > == message truncated === > > > > > Tax Center - online filing with TurboTax > http://http://taxes./ > > > > shakti_sadhnaa > > > > Your use of is subject to > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 2, 2002 Report Share Posted April 2, 2002 dearest sankara, thanks for speaking up! to be honest with you, i had penned a very firtting reply to this post and i almost posted it but on second thoughts i had cold feet and refrained from launching a counter offensive on america- that was my first recation, believe me! devi_bhakta is very sensitive to people (specially members) and their feelings and generally is very tactful and diplomatic... coming as it did from him, even i was a bit surprised! what was indded a private communication was not meant for public consumption. but the gentle and perfect guy devi_bhakta is, he has the magnanimity to withdraw that post! thanks, db! honestly, whe i first came to america , my experiences were exactly like that of aresnio hall and eddie murphy in 'coming to america' ! believe me, i was shocked to see drug pedlers stalking us in apartment complexes and using teenagers to 'market drugs! i was equally surprised to see 'cockraoches' creeping up the kitchen sink at night just like in india... (as a new immigrant , i was living in one of the fine apartment buildings in flushing, queens! ) then i remebered a famous joke that the only two things that will survive a nuclear holocaust is 'CHER AND COCKROACHES'- then i realized , cockroaches thrive wherever there are 'food' abd people ! but, cockroach is least of new york's problems... not to speak of various 'mugging' episodes, apartment burglaries, car thefts ( batteries were a favorite item with the thieves) etc!!! but on the bright side we loved the new york style sicilian pizza and watching live baseball at shea stadium!! we could not afford going to 'broadway' as often as we would have liked to though! when i was in benaras two years ago, i was appalled at the sight of caracasses floating in the ganges... but this feeling was shortlived as i started enjoying my stay in the holy city - the early morning sunset and the holy dip in the ganges, the melodious voice of m.s,subbalaxmi singing the 'suprabatham' throuth the loudspeakers gfrom the nearby kasi vishwanatha temple and of course the boat ride on the manikarnika ghats... not to speak of the hospitality of the sanskrit professor who hosted us... my whole stay in benaras was so blissful i did not want to come back to u.s.a but then i still had responsibilities as a 'mother' to fulfill as my daughter needed help with her first 'baby'!!!! this is india for you , folks! you either take it or leave it! there is poverty and pollution on one hand and then there is bliss and divinity on the other to those so inclined!! i am sure devi_bhaktha's subsequent posts will have better things to say about kanya kumari once he gets settled... these are just his firs impressions - hopefully, his last impressions will be better! sankara- i can understand your feelings perfectly... "janani janamabhoomicha swargadapi gariyasi" - mother and motherland are more dearer than heaven itself!! btw, we are still waiting for your 'tantra' posts!! when will you post then, dear? love Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 2, 2002 Report Share Posted April 2, 2002 Dear devi Bhaktha: I am sorry if I was rude. As a UN official I have been facing racism in one form or other every day and I have been pained by the statement of whites that "Africa has no culture" and other thoughtless comments and as a diplomat I could not reply to many inaccuracies. I had a lot of pent up anger against the thoughtless comments about people who cannot react for various reasons. It was 12 midnight when i read your comments and I exploded. Sorry. But that was a good release of steam!! I thank Devi bhaktha for the opportunity. I am sure he will forward my phone numbers to the writer. Again they are mobile 98461-25550; landline 0484-351190. He can call safely as my mother who is 78 speaks perfect English (British variety of course over and above Hindi, Malayalam and Sanskrit) and my wife and 12 year old child. I apologise if I offended anyone. But a release once in a while is good. As the American said it was "orgasmic". *smile* Anyway my real contribution in the form of a hand book on Sri Vidya Upasana is almost ready. I will forward it after I finish the transliteration in English and comments to explain the various concepts. should be ready in a week or two. --- Eve _69 <eve__69 wrote: Uh, it's true, I was reading the message out loud to my wife and then I thought, well, it's not really so very different from New Orleans. -- Original Message ----- "sankara menon" <kochu1tz To: < Tuesday, April 02, 2002 11:58 AM Re: Hanging Out in South India It is soooooooooo nice to hear some good words from a New Yorker!! We Indians are "GRATIFIED" indeed!! I am sooooooooooooooooo happy that the New Yorker never went to Harlem and other places where a police siren or ambulance siren every minute is not uncommon. Of course I remember the beautiful roads there.(I mean in Harlem and other slums) (Of course they make it sooooo dangerous to tourists so no one goes there and brings photos) I also know how SAFE it is to walk in some areas of NY. I also am happy that he finds people nice (sometimes). Of course all the guides and real estate agents in NY are sooooooooooooooooooooo honest and correct when they say anything it is God's own words. My experience has been otherwise!! Of course we in India do not have hoardings to cover up slums. That's an American practice and sooooooooooooooo nice!! We do not have trucks doing rounds in the morning in winter removing dead bodies!! So sometimes destitute bodies can be seen on streets. But Americans are sooooooooooooo correct they will remove it before 4 in the morning. Some of my experiences with Americans are sooooooooooooo disgusting I care not to relate. That does not make all Americans and all America bad!! They are not. But many like this modern day Mayo. We are too cultured to speak of the ills of others. Americans love to do that and expect others to accept and acknowledge that. I and many Indians WILL NOT!! If there is dirt in India, it is there in America as well. If there is dishonesty in India it is all the more there manifold in US. If there are bad guys here and people who stare at strangers, it is not uncommon in US as well. They call BJP the "Hindu nationalist Party" It is a pity the Bush's party is not called "American rightist christen fundamentalist party" we Indians are the cleanest in the world...we bathe twice a day...wash with our left hand and eat with our right....I know whites have a bath once every few days...oh god ....they must be dirty and do they smell!! Even when they apply all the deodorants!! Smell is not something peculiar to India.... and toilet paper may be modern...but it is most unhygenic... One day I will do the US and take videos of the starving white Americans and the dirty streets and the dirty people and if there is a non US controlled TV network, air it through them. It is time some one did that and pricked the false image of US!! Now what can u expect from an American whose sense of history are cobble stoned streets in downtown Boston that are may be a couple of hundred years old and he is sitting in a place whose history might be going back at least a thousand years...and he tells us that we are dirty!!!!!! I am SICK of the high and mighty talk. Dear devi Bhaktha: i am sorry i went on like this. But please do mail this to your friend and tell him he can call me at 9861-25550 or 0484-351190 if he cares to interact!! I am within a short distance from Kanyakumari. Maybe I can teach him some culture!! The Americans come to Asia and Africa because they cannot afford vacations in their own countries and enjoy excellent facilities cheap and criticize. That's disgusting. I feel we Indians should treat them just the way they treat us!! Criticize and ignore. The difference is that we have a great history and of course the whites treat themselves as superior. They say Copernicus discovered the heliocentric theory a few hundred years ago!! We stated that millennia ago) Some Arab copied it and it was read by Copernicus and hey presto the White mans theory rules!! Johan Keppler again read and plagiarized Arab writings on planetary movement calculations from the people of Kerala next to Kanyakumari and hey he is a hero!! Jenner "discovered" vaccination! Of course after reading army dispatches from India!!(Where it was being practiced). These people plagiarize a lot and claim. Even now they use Indian talent and claim the credit. A person known to me did some original work in mathematics and some American professor who was supposed to be "guiding" him steals the material and publishes it as his own paper!! What a people who thinks they can criticize India. If they are unhappy let them not come here. We do not need them!! --- devi_bhakta <devi_bhakta wrote: This post has not much (not anything, actually) to do with Shakti Sadhana; however, a friend of mine is currently spending a few months renting a cottage not too terribly far from Kanyakumari while he finishes work on a book. This is an excerpt from a recent e-mail that rather vividly conveys some of his impressions of South India. The writer is an American; his fiancée is East European. He has no particular knowledge of India or Hinduism, but the piece is pretty evocative and funny just the same. All names changed to protect, etc: DISPATCH Let me begin this letter by apologizing for my long e-mail silence. There is not an Internet café anywhere very close to our place, and I just haven't found the time to really write a good dispatch until now. So, with that being said, I thought I would try to catch you up on the details of my life here in T---, India. === message truncated === Tax Center - online filing with TurboTax http://taxes./ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 2, 2002 Report Share Posted April 2, 2002 The main problem I am facing is transliterating for non devanagari people. ITRANs only transliterates from English to devanagari. Not devanagari to English that means I have to type out the transliteration and small comments and the book is 280 pages long (now). I have decided to do it in parts. It will start soon.(Goddess permitting) --- adi_shakthi16 <adi_shakthi16 wrote: > dearest sankara, thanks for speaking up! to be > honest with you, i had > penned a very firtting reply to this post and i > almost posted it but > on second thoughts i had cold feet and refrained > from launching a > counter offensive on america- that was my first > recation, believe me! > > devi_bhakta is very sensitive to people (specially > members) and their > feelings and generally is very tactful and > diplomatic... coming as it > did from him, even i was a bit surprised! what was > indded a private > communication was not meant for public consumption. > but the gentle > and perfect guy devi_bhakta is, he has the > magnanimity to withdraw > that post! thanks, db! > > honestly, whe i first came to america , my > experiences were exactly > like that of aresnio hall and eddie murphy in > 'coming to america' ! > believe me, i was shocked to see drug pedlers > stalking us in > apartment complexes and using teenagers to 'market > drugs! i was > equally surprised to see 'cockraoches' creeping up > the kitchen sink > at night just like in india... (as a new immigrant , > i was living in > one of the fine apartment buildings in flushing, > queens! ) then i > remebered a famous joke that the only two things > that will survive a > nuclear holocaust is 'CHER AND COCKROACHES'- then i > realized , > cockroaches thrive wherever there are 'food' abd > people ! but, > cockroach is least of new york's problems... not to > speak of > various 'mugging' episodes, apartment burglaries, > car thefts ( > batteries were a favorite item with the thieves) > etc!!! but on the > bright side we loved the new york style sicilian > pizza and watching > live baseball at shea stadium!! we could not afford > going > to 'broadway' as often as we would have liked to > though! > > when i was in benaras two years ago, i was appalled > at the sight of > caracasses floating in the ganges... but this > feeling was shortlived > as i started enjoying my stay in the holy city - the > early morning > sunset and the holy dip in the ganges, the melodious > voice of > m.s,subbalaxmi singing the 'suprabatham' throuth the > loudspeakers > gfrom the nearby kasi vishwanatha temple and of > course the boat ride > on the manikarnika ghats... not to speak of the > hospitality of the > sanskrit professor who hosted us... my whole stay in > benaras was so > blissful i did not want to come back to u.s.a but > then i still had > responsibilities as a 'mother' to fulfill as my > daughter needed help > with her first 'baby'!!!! > > this is india for you , folks! you either take it or > leave it! there > is poverty and pollution on one hand and then there > is bliss and > divinity on the other to those so inclined!! > > i am sure devi_bhaktha's subsequent posts will have > better things to > say about kanya kumari once he gets settled... these > are just his > firs impressions - hopefully, his last impressions > will be better! > > sankara- i can understand your feelings perfectly... > "janani > janamabhoomicha swargadapi gariyasi" - mother and > motherland are more > dearer than heaven itself!! > > btw, we are still waiting for your 'tantra' posts!! > when will you > post then, dear? > > love > > > Tax Center - online filing with TurboTax http://taxes./ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 3, 2002 Report Share Posted April 3, 2002 "devi_bhakta is very sensitive to people (specially members) and their feelings and generally is very tactful and diplomatic... coming as it did from him, even i was a bit surprised! what was indeed a private communication was not meant for public consumption. but the gentle and perfect guy devi_bhakta is, he has the magnanimity to withdraw that post!" I would like to make a point here, that before devi bhakta post that message, we did discuss, and I am the one who encourage him to go ahead. So he should not be the only one to be blame for being insensitive. I am partially responsible too. In shakti sadhana there is no first or second fiddle. All decision are mutually agreed upon. And our intention is not to hurt or belittle anyone, and if we do, its unintentionally and we apologise for it. Honestly I belived that its how you take it. As Edmund Spencer remarked "it's the mind that maketh good or ill. That maketh wretch or happy, rich or poor" When I read the message, I take it as a humour, reminding my self of my own trip to India sometime last year. The thing that lingers in my mind is the smell ( the very first time I step out of the Chennai Airport. And that smell remain in my head. At any time I smell anything like that it brings back the India trip), the destitutes and not forgetting the friendly people who are always willing to help. Now am I going to be criticize for having such thoughts. But that is India isn't it from my point of view and an honest one. Standing on the bridge overlooking the crowded stacks of houses, I began to understand now as to why mother Theresa choose to live and die in India. This brings back to a situation I encounter once. I have a Filipino nurse as my perceptee. My duty is to guide and teach her so that she can function fully as a registered nurse in my ward. After the 3 months stunt, during the feedback session she asked me "why are Singaporean rushing all the time. You talk fast, walk fast, work fast, etc" My about first reaction was "now hang on here. That is not true !" but I stop myself because I realize that she is trying to tell me something. So the next day which is my day off, I decided to observe the situation. Place myself at the visitors chair, and observe my nurses go around doing their work. Thereafter I imagine myself working in that environment. And to my surprise, I began to see the whole picture. The Filipino nurse is telling the truth. I then move on to the streets. Deposited myself in a café situated in the corner of Orchard Road ( the 6th Avenue of Singapore) and continue with my observation. I came back to work the next day a different person. That experience gave me a new approach to my work life and my environment. What am I trying to saying is that, I could have reacted differently when the Filipino nurse make those comments. I could criticize Philippines in return, but the realization is that we have to take these remarks as a constructive criticism and improve ourselves. Now I can joke with others about the silly things Singaporean do or if other joke about us, I don't feel angry anymore. Believe me it's a great feeling not to feel or to be angry anymore. Feeling needy is an attachment we should find a way to do without. Om ParaShaktiye Namaha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 3, 2002 Report Share Posted April 3, 2002 Dear Adi -- and all other members! I fear this debate is escalating, and that comments are being taken out of context. Nora was kind enough to step forward and share responsibility for my having posted the offending travelogue, and so let me also say a few words in her defense: *** it is a pity you could not say anything else about madras , which is a treaure house of rich culture and beautiful temples! *** This is absolutely true; the Tamil culture is certainly one of India's richest. Anyone who follows this list knows that I am a nut (dare I say rasika?) for Carnatic classical music, and Madras is the unchallenged epicenter for that art. I look forwqard to spending a month there in December-January to enjoy the unparalleled musical season! And -- as you note -- PenKatali has done more than his share to promote the beauty of Tamil literature, as well as the beauty of the Tamil people. And in all honesty, Nora -- who is half Tamil herself -- would be among the first to agree with me on all of these points. Her note concerned only the undeniable cascade of scents, good and bad and indifferent, that flood the new visitor just off the plane, stepping into India. It's a sensation described by Indian novelists; it brings tears to the eyes of NRIs returning home after a long absence. As Nora put it, "That is India from my point of view and an honest one." And she concludes that her overall impression was one of love, and even homecoming: "... I began to understand now as to why mother Theresa choose to live and die in India." *** what you are saying about india is downright insulting - specially a forum dedicated to 'mother' and believe us when we say mother and motherland are dearer than heaven!*** It is certainly true, what you say -- there is no land like one's Motherland. And in Shakta, the land of India is an inextricable part of what we worship -- the entire Universe, the entire Earth is Her body, and nowhere more palpibly than in India -- and not just at her pithas. As I noted yesterday, She can be felt everywhere -- but there are some times and places where Her pull in undeniably strongest. I have read your letter and Nora's several times, and quite honestly I cannot see where Nora is "downright insulting" toward India, Indians, Shaktism or Shaktas. I do not think it is in Nora's nature at all, for all of the hours we've spent in correspondence and conversation. Her most obvious target is herself, her own foibles and lessons learned. Her overall message seems one of rather profound respect. *** mother teresa was beyond all this- she was a true social worker who did not mind even washing the 'wounds' of the leper and taking care of the dying homeless *** In fairness, I must say the Nora is one of the people I've met here who stands closest to that ideal. She conceives Devi as Ancient Healer, and that has to do with her long experience as a registered nurse. She has discussed her experiences in cleaning open wounds filled with maggots, in living patients. And how, rather than being revulsed as many of us might, she transmuted it in her mind in the same way that Tantrics transmute the most seemingly fearsome and ugly aspects of the world into the ultimate conduit to Mother's Truth. None of us are perfect, or we would not be here on Earth, seeking. But I think that, in this gathering of Shakti devotees, I feel the special energy of people who are fast approaching Her Truth, and who care passionately about it. Please allow me to apologize once again for posting this "innocent" message which turned out to be not innocent at all in its effect. Nora and Adi are both quite wonderful people and true Shaktas, however differently they may put their ideals and beliefs into practice. Certainly, neither would ever speak ill of Devi or of India Herself; nor would either be afraid to speak an obvious truth when they see it. Nora spoke of her ability to laugh at her own ways, gained growing up in Singapore. I find it disturbingly easy to laugh at the US. But I think every Hindu has adopted India as Motherland, and loves Her dearly -- and any comment made about the imperfections of India's street life (or that of any other homeland) must be taken and interpreted against a background of the truest, deepest love and reverence. Aum Maatangyai Namahe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 3, 2002 Report Share Posted April 3, 2002 Thank you Devi bhakta , Adi-ma and also to Sankara. All these praises and whats not is just too much for me. I think i called it for a night, and hopefully i will sleep it through. Tomorrow will be a new and i know a wonderful day. I wish everybody a day full of happiness and joy. Mother is the first and the last. She was there for me, she guide me, comfort me When others forsake and laugh at me She took me in her arms, and wipe away my tears Om ParaShaktiye Namaha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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